Start by shutting down the Dirigo Health Plan. It is obivously a BIG drain of funds, that could be better used. Such as education, roads, police & fire departments,and so on.

Once again, the claims of no tax increases are dishonest.

1. The "shift to the local property tax of $100 million" due to the state welching on its obligation to fund public schools at 55% is another property tax increase.

2. The "new tax collection program to recover old debt to the state" is a euphemism for more money given to Maine Revenue Services to terrorize private citizens through politically "creative" re-interpretations of Maine's non-objective tax law in its on-going shakedown racket. MRS bullies and threatens innocent people to pay them off in a system with no possibility of independent review or appeal, and knowing that it costs the victim more to try to fight them in a corrupt court system that routinely defers to bureaucratic discretion operating under elastic rules. If you encounter this state-sponsored organized crime complain to your legislators immediately.

I suspect that most Mainer's have very little understanding of the effects of massive government cuts like this. Sure, this article will attract the usual group of welfare critics and those that believe that government is too big, and some of that concern is valid. But equally valid is the notion that a signficant portion of our population really needs social service programs. These are folks who come from years of intergenerational poverty, those with physical handicap or cognitive problems, foster children who got dealt a lousy hand in the parent department, and good decent people who have problems or addictions or strikes against them that they cannot control. You can be critical and demand that people pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but some of them just can't. For them this will hurt. It will also hurt the non-profit programs developed to help these people out - more jobs will be lost, crime will grow, psychiatric hospitals and jail cells will fill, and kids will be left with parents that may struggle to care for them. This helps no one - I'm not taking a side on whether or not these cuts should happen, because it's clear that there's no alterntive. I just hope that we can collectively withhold our judgement about people in the months and keep those people who rely on the system for help in our minds (I'm not talking about free-loaders, I'm talking about those who have no choice).

Just the words Baldacci and Budget in the same sentence make me want to vomit!

. . . 'YOU WILL BE PAYING FOR RAIN WATER ONE DAY' . . .

Baldacci and his henchmen are leaving quite a legacy: Bankrupt state, Businesses failed / closed, increased welfare roles, increased regulation, increased taxes (and fees), and on and on.

Let's start by making sever cuts in certain areas: 75% of the Department of Education, Dirigo Health - shut it down, Workfare instaed of Welfare, reduce regulations to make it easier for businesses to survive, the list goes on and on.

Consolidating schools did not work, why should any more gimics. The 44 positions were cut from the bottom, not the top.

How about dropping Dirigo Health, cutting the DOE State level budget by 75%, fire Susan Gendron and Brenda Harvey and a few other drains on the state? Turn Welfare into Workfare.

Sell the Baldacci sightseeing helicopter !

it makes me sick every time the governor talks about balanceing the budget , some of the first words out of his mouth is state employees axe them , kick them, take away moneys that they earned for years of dedicated service to the state as in " Longevity pay", shut down days and then add more shutdown days , hes going to keep trying to balance the buget on the backs of state employees backs til it falls completely on its face , I know alot of the tax payers in the state that dont thing much of state workers and they are expendable ( granted there are a few that are and should be ) but we have done our share , its time to stop using the state employees as a way to balance mistakes made from the top , after all people forget we ( state employees ) are tax payer too and if we keep getting cuts and payloss we wont be able to pay our taxes either,,, find ways to cut the people that are just as able to work as we are and just lazy because it is easier to live on the the state then work for the state,,,, REINSTATE LONGEVITY PAY AND NO MORE SHUTDOWN DAYS......................

"Hard Choices" my eye. Start with the $8,000,000+ of state taxpayers subsidies to the Maine Maritime Academy, a student body of 900 of which 1/2 or 450 are agressively rectuited from out-of-state who leave immediately after graduation and never look back. A school the size of a junior high school doesn't need a $1M+ alumni center nor a 6 acre $1.4 million estate for it's president. The recently created redundant non-marine engineering degree studies can be easily transitioned to the UMS system. How many duplicate business, environment, and law course study programs does this state need when necessary state service programs funds are already depleted?

Baldacci PLEASE Get Out Of OFFICE NOW QUIT PLEASE This state can't take anymore of your cluelessness! You Will Go Down as The WORST GOVERNOR THIS STATE HAS EVER HAD!!!!!

will baldy be able to get any other job other then sligning spaghetti and meatballs after this deboclement of a stint as governor?

My biggest question is why is it every single time that cuts need to be made, they take away from schools and services? Why can't we start at the top and trim fat from some of the salaries of those who could spare a few bucks and also get rid of some of the desk sitters who get paid big bucks to file papers away rather than from those who need - ie: school children, the mentally/physically handicapped. It simply never fails to astound me what ends up disappearing whenever these 'shortfalls' arise ... frankly, it really pisses me off that our priorities are so ass-backward!

This isn't rocket science, but Governor Baldacci and his fellow liberals still haven't cut the wasteful spending. We should start by killing the Dirigo Health fiasco and fire all of the overpaid "Governor's Special Assistants".

See the facts at

www.MaineOpenGov.org

poormainiac, you say take away his seeing helicopter. aparently, you think this bird is only for his missions. well it isnt. this bird is believed to be owned by the forest service and is used in many other ways than just for the governor. sure, it does seem like this is the governors cadillac of rides, but the forest service also uses it for fire supression tactics. i heard that they are selling one of their newer birds and going back to the old era huey choppers. now say there is a large scale fire and all the forest service has is these old vietnam era choppers that are not efficient, than people would be chomping at the bit wanting the forest service to save their home. seems like most the people that comment on these are ignorant and dont think of the big picture before commenting. its time that cuts happen else where and not state government layoffs. they have taken a cut already with these shutdown days with more on the line, which is significant to state employees.

Zat good idea, but sadly there were idiots who voted him in for two terms, I hope they learn form this lesson next year.

How about Baldi take a paycut?

I believe with all my heart in helping people who are "truly" unfortunate! The problem is.....I myself have seen mass mis-use of the system.

A young person, with no bills, and living in a warm home, and no children, should NOT get $200.00 in food stamps a month!!! Ther're out partying with their friends etc. Need I say more???? How in the world can these people afford to smoke???? And where is the money coming from to buy cigarettes???

Has anyone bought a carton of these things lately???? The poor people that I know, have nice appartments, get a check every month, food stamps and free health care. Why pull yourself up when it's so much work and you can get benefits so readily.

To: Govt2Big - Thanks for the link - I will be reading it and everyone else should. I'm also so sick of the waste and everything landing on the backs of the working people who, by the way, is shrinking by the day. We, the people, have no say and what we do say dosen't get listened to.

This won't increase my property taxes again? You're kidding, right? My land has, amazingly, increased in value in each of the last three years...did the town find oil or gold on it? Sort of...they found someone who they think can pay more, and they're sure there is more blood in this turnip.

Discontinue Dirigo NOW.

Impose a % cut on all Agusta beaurocrats accross the board.

Good start in my opinion.

A nice Christmas present would be a philosophical change in government spending, the government has NO money. How will those addicted to government handouts survive if the system truley goes bankrupt? Start reducing now, so that only those who essentially need assistance will be recieving it.

Start At the Top instead of the Bottom

A Good Christmas Present For Me Would Be

A Legislature and All Support Staff

Cut To A Level That Reflects The States Population and Income Levels

Cutting the Legislature In Half Works for Me

And @Bangorian 10:40pm~~Very Well Said

And @BDreade 7:40am~~Most of the Average Joe Mainer

Would Give There Right Arm for The Benefits That You Have

As An Example~~Your Healthcare Plans~~Something I can not Afford

How and Why do You have Better Benefits Than A Lot of Maine`ers

It is always easy to take from those who don't have a voice, i.e. DHHS clients. Already there is no funding for those developmentally disabled who are now aging out of public school programs. Shame on our governor & legislators if this is not rectified. Do a little more in creating and attracting industry/jobs to the state. Surely our powerful senators & representatives in Washington can get some earmarks. Everyone else does.

electraglide,- just so you will know most of all average joe mainers had the same opportunity to give there right arm as i to apply , interview,for a job with the state of maine and yes 20 years ago when i started working for the state i had young children and it was for the benefits , insurances that we receive as state employees that drew me towards state employment , and believe me those benefits are not free, i payed for health insurance that my family received, yeah the state does pay a share for employees but it aint free by no means, iam sorry to say if you cant afford insurance you need to change professions to something you can dont blame us state employees for working for benefits , at least we dont have our hand out for it free !

How about Baldi take a paycut?

ydnar, the gov makes less than the University of Maine women's basketball coach. Anyone else see something wrong with this? Is basketball more important than running a solvent state? As for THIS governor, imo he's over paid too.

mooser04 : could you please inform me as to how much it cost the taxpayers of the state to fly Baldacci over MDI to inspect the site where those poor folks were washed away by a wave this past fall ? If you don't think that's a waste of money than think again. I'm not against useing taxpayers equipment properly , just tired of the extravagance. Your statement is a perfect example as to why I think our Gov. is incompetant , cuts of programs that are needed instead of cutting the frivilous expenditures.

Listening to MPBN from yesterday: report said that state workers will have to take another three unpaid days off in this next budget period. Of course, the state spokesman immediately pointed to people working on roads and bridges being off the job. Not a single word about fewer agencies or support in Augusta!

If we can get the state workers down to about 10 days working a year, we'll be in good shape then!

check out the listed web site - ME gov is so top heavy! they are not who keep the state operating. it's the employees at the bottom, who have been employed numerous years - much longer than the gov or his overpaid staff. he has done a number on this state and still refuses to cut his staff and make the significant changes that are needed. what a joke!

The decision (not the funding) of who gets "services" needs to be returned to Cities and towns. Local people know better than the bureaucracy in Augusta who truly needs, and who just wants. Schools need to return to their mandated role of academic education. All the social problems in the world can't be repaired by the school system. Government needs to admit that it can not provide for every eventuality. They are there to defend us from attack, make sure predators are restrained, and contracts are enforced. They do not need to legislate in what seat in the family car a 12-year-old must sit.

I'm old, and tired of this fight, but I suggest to the youth of today, Take back what is rightfully yours, or the people in power will take it all.

As Nancy Reagan said: Just say NO!

Baldacci could cut, slash, raise taxes, declare martial law, and install a Marxist dictatorship - and still Maine sheeple would waddle to the voting booth next year to elect another Democrat as governor.

Beelzebubba, LOL!

I remember reading in the local paper that they wasn't sure if Dirigo Health would be able to repay the $25 million loan they had borrowed to keep it running before.

If they shut down the Dirigo Health before it repays the loan, we the tax payers are left hold the bag.

But I agree that they need to shut down that program since it waste more funds than what they bring in. The State Government has alway done nothing but waste tax payers money anyway.

Now if the voters had control about the spending of money in the State and Local Government, then we could prevent programs like the Dirigo Health from ever starting in the first place.

david889327 the state workers are already down to about 10 working days per year we the the tax payers just pay them for the other 300 somethihg days

Just so you all know there are a fair amount of us State Employees that don't mind doing our part and have been but enough is enough!! BDreader hit the nail on the head, well said, why should we be punished because we chose to better ourselves and get a job? We have been taking cuts, increased insurances, days off, you name it we have taken it. And it is never enough for you people. So ElectaGlide, if you don't have medical benefits then I suggest you get off your duff and get a better job just as the rest of us and stop feeling sorry for yourself. And for the record Govt2Big, I checked out the web site that you posted on here and I only wish that I made what it said that I did and I couldn't have feed myself on what is said I made last year if that tells you how accurate it is. And for that matter it didn't even have the job title that I do even close to being correct. So for all of you that are taking stock in that site, I wouldn't. If it is accurate someone owes me some money. Of course you know that because you yourself used to be a State Employee.

How about if Mainecare stops paying for methadone? Or how about if Maine puts in to effect a residency law, say like you have to be in Maine for at least 6 months before you can collect benefits?

Or did any of you that are spouting off know that State Police do not have to take the furlow days? So much for us all doing our parts. Of course if we were all doing our parts Baldacci would get rid of half of his administrative assistances that make close to 100 grand a year if not more before benefits each.

Just so you know~~@BDreader~~You Work for Me

And I have worked All My Life in supporting You

Your Statements do NOT change the FACTS

Your are over PAID and The STATE is Bloated With Your KIND

Just So You Know How I Feel About What Needs to be Done

Again~~Cut All the Legislatures in Half and There Support Staff

If That is You Then Start Looking for A JOB

One that is not as Secured as Yours

You KNow like the Average Joe Mainer

ElectraGlide--I think the State employers are very aware of WHO they are working for, and you like them are entitled to their opinions just as you are. Just because someone has worked for the State for just about 20 years does not mean that they are in the upper pay scale like you are talking about. And WE are the Average Joe Mainer except we don't happen apply for our health benefits through MaineCare because as State employees even if we might fall into the income bracket (and believe me most of us do) we are not able to receive the benefit because we are State employees. As I stated earlier, we (State Employees) have given enough in the past 10 years to balance the budget.

I'm sorry if you whiners don't make enough salary to pay your taxes. You should have paid attention in high school. Then you wouldn't be so angry all of the time about how unfair life is and how you just can't make it.

Do me a favor. Make sure your kids study hard and go to college. That way I can get my tax money's worth and break the cycle of malcontent failure from generation to generation. They'll then grow up to be responsible citizens capable of contributing to the comunity without belly aching about it.

I hope the 38% of Maine sheeple who voted for this POS are happy.

Ralph he don't need another job hes a millionair now

Coolfusion,

You fail to realize that many many MMA graduates do, for many reasons, stay in Maine. MMA has an incredible job placement rate, if you have a MMA degree and don’t get a 60k+/year job within the first few months of graduating you are being picky. Many graduates make twice that with in the first year of graduating. I don’t know of any other college in Maine that presents the same opportunities. Cool fusion, do you know what that means??????? We pay A LOT of taxes, we bring in approximately 3 times the income that the average hard working Mainer and we spend it in Maine. Much of the money that you talk, the alumni center… was paid by Alumni who are very wealthy and owe it all to MMA. I don’t know where you got your numbers from and I am not going to waste my time looking them up, but there is far more then 50% of the student body that is from Maine. UMS can not offer the same training opportunities that MMA can and I am sure the UMS is absorbing just as much of our hard earned tax money as MMA. “My eye” it is money better spent at MMA.

This comment goes out to Coolfusion. Many in my class at the academy have stayed in maine, as with other classes. The academy presents its graduates with an opportunity that is not comparable to any other college in Maine. Not one of my classmates is without work. Not one of my classmates is struggling to get by. Not one of my classmates agrees with your ignorant comment. Another thing my peers and I share is the disgust in the amount of taxes we pay to the state of maine each year. I stay in Maine because i love the places, the seasons, and for the most part the people. I have been all over the world and nothing compares to our generosity. The money generated from our degrees is used to buy houses, vehicles, and toys IN MAINE. Think before you speak coolfusion....i would love to hear your response, but i have to get back to WORK!

I am all for helping people out in tough times, however; when I see people coming from out of state with their prescriptions in hand, walking into an emergency room and bingo...they get MaineCare...give me a break. I would like the State to require proof of residency for 2 years. That would curb many of the drifters that could care less about the State other than the free medical care and drugs they can get.

ohreally~~love the handle~~to bad you do not understand what Bloated State Government Means

If I had the Knife and Power to Cut State Employee Positions

I would be In Augusta Tomorrow and Show You What We Mean

There would be At Least 1/3 less State Employees Working in Augusta

Then You Could Experience the Real Job Market

And Learn when I am at DMV or a lot of other places in State Gov

To Show the Respect you say you Have to Your BOSS<>ME

How come no one is talking about that "other" state employee category called the University of Maine System? They have yet to impose furlough days on their employees and yet the bulk of their funding comes from the State of Maine. Were I a Maine state employee facing now 13 furlough days on my salary and seeing that UMS employees are presently not having to shoulder a similar burden, I would be raising a huge ruckus to whomever would listen. And don't even get me going on that "luxury" called the University of Maine System office in Bangor where some pretty hefty fat cat salaries are paid out. This is one area that will only change when our failure Governor Baldacci is out of office. Instead of seeing a little old lady or man lose their home care visits for their basic needs from DHS budget cuts, this Governor should impose furlough days on UMS employees and use those savings to relive some of these tragic cuts.

State employment -- welfare with pension benefits.

How about we turn off all welfare, and convert to workfare, except for the TRULY disabled and elderly. That would save a ton of money a year. No more multi-generational welfare families with learned helplessness, dependent upon the state to live. "Can't" work because they're too ignorant, lazy, a druggie or just plain don't want to? They can sit at a table and check off names as people collect their food at a food cupboard as an example of workfare. There are plenty of things that we could have workfare people do, community services, painting, etc. I for one am tired of perfectly healthy, lazy a$$ed bums living off my tax dollars, while I work and help support my family. Can't find a job? Get an education. Move out of Washington (Welfare) county to where jobs are. Sounds a bit harsh, especially around the holidays, but the truth hurts sometimes. Reality check...Maine does not have to be known as a welfare state. Turn off the gravy train, and a lot of low-income or no income people would find a way to earn a living, and curtail their reproducing, smoking, and drug habits. Do you realize that a carton of cigarettes is over $50? Why are we supporting people with food stamps, WIC, fuel assistance, etc, when they are spending what little money they have on carcinogens? The state employees should not be punished with 13 furlough days while we are supporting welfare recipients, the majority of whom are just as capable of working as you and I.

How do you think the Dems have been able to maintain power, for the most part, for the last 40 years?

Why is it, government increases when dems take

control?

Maine and the Fed government are similar.

Look at all the massive pay increases and positions

created in DC since the new admin came in.

Massachusetts with good old Patrick did the same.

Take your cuts people. Our government is hard at

work creating their new world order and we must

pay for it.

Instead of complaining about the state workers just pay them.

Between state and fed it is the only job being created or saved.

Maybe if the Head of Government in Maine didn't worry so much about Maine having to be "ON the Tip of the Spear' Or "Being the Cutting Edge' of every Pilot Program every thought up be some overpaid so called intellectual, We in the State would be way further ahead than we are now

One reason why nothing in this State or Country will ever change, is the REAL fat cats, the guys making over 500 k a year, have devised a system that makes those at the bottom (working Mainers, no matter who they work for) constantly fight among themselves for table scraps. If you work, you are ok with me. I am not in favor of anyone loosing their job, particularly in this economy. I agree we can reduce the size of governments (State and Federal) but we ought to do it through attrition. Hire one person for every two retired or resigned. Then when we get to a reasonable size, stop. AND if we're going to do this, NO ONE DEPARTMENT GETS A PASS.

HarryHSnyer111~~You and your Dang solutions works for Me.

But the Size of our Senate and House does not work for Me

How do you propose a solution for That

The extra salaries and Pension Plans have been a drag on this State

For a Very Long Time.

If you idiots in Augusta insist on cutting education further then you better stop your stupid mandated programs that continue to go UNFUNDED!!! Sure, you're not raising taxes, but you're forcing municipalities to raise taxes in order to pay for your mandates. STOP CUTTING EDUCATION AND THEN WONDER WHY OUR KIDS AREN'T GETTING THE EDUCATION THAT YOU EXPECT!! To put it in the infamous words of Red Forman...Dumb A@@es!

ElectaGlide..I was taught at a very young age that that respect was something that someone had to earn and that it was only given when shown. So if you want respect from State employees maybe you ought to show a little. And you don't have to tell me anything about the bloated State Government, it may be that way at the top and it may be that way in Augusta but it surely is not that way in the office that I work out of. That is what is wrong with the entire mentality of this State is "You Owe Me Something" And you just proved it with your statement, that you are my boss. Well let me tell you that if you had to put up with half of the crap that most of us put up with in the run of a week you would not stay in the job for all the tea in China. And just so you know we too pay taxes so does that make us our own bosses? If you are looking for any sort of respect from me ElectraGlide you can find in it at the bottom of my shoe after I have step in dog crap because that is about all you deserve and all you have shown State empoyees.

ElectraGlide wrote:

"The size Senate and House does not work for Me"

I agree. Nebraska (with more people than Maine) has a unicameral legislature. only one house. We have 1.3 million people in Maine, so we should be able to get by with one legislator per 50.000 people. that would be 23. New Hampshire legislators work for $100 a two-year term, and meet only 9 months in two years. New York has only one Senator per County, and one legislator for every 150,000 people. If we adopted that system, We would have 16 Senators, and 9 legislators. In that case, all of MAine above Bangor would have only one legislator, but Portland would have to share there representative with suburbs to Freeport and Saco.

I would be happy with any of these systems. ANYTHING would be better than what we have (for government) now.

Walk into any state office and you'll see less than 1/3 of the people actually working. The other 2/3 are either calculating their pension benefits, gloating to their co-workers how much money they're making by moonlighting on the side, or working themselves into a frenzy over some perceived petty injustice so they can file a grievance.

Earlier poster was right: we are too far gone as a people. It doesn't MATTER what happens any more, or who does what. Mainers are "LOCKED IN"---another Dem will be elected governor and will carry on the Baldacci legacy, which carried on the King legacy ("Independent"??? HAHAHAHAHA!)

ohreally~~Thank You oh so Very Much

You Just showed what I perceive to be what a lot of State Employee attitudes are to the rest of Us.

BTW~~I have worked Human Service not for the State for 20 yrs

I think I could Do your Job in my Sleep

Try working with abused Kids on the front line with 14~18 yr olds in a lock down facility for 8 years.

Again Thanks for showing your true side

When debating what Is the Over Bloating of our State Employees

Now remember *ohreally~It is not just about You<<

~~~

HarryHSnyder~~Sweet~~Please Make it Happen

Merry Christmas To All and Good Nite

Hillarious.

Maine politicians on a smaller scale.

U.S. congress and senators same same

just bigger thieves.

But we love the bigger thieves more.

When the fed robs us it is okay.

When the state robs us it is terrible.

The fed govt is taking us to the cleaners

yet many here love it.

Wake up peoples.

There is no difference.

Federally mandated programs once seen as our savior, are now our ruination....ironic, isn't it!!??.

Oops.. another bullet coming our way. Remember, Obama;s health plan is only funded by the federal government at 46%. This leaves the state of maine paying 56%. That alone, will ensure continued layoff of state workers for years to come.

BobByn wrote:

"Federally mandated programs once seen as our savior, are now our ruination....ironic, isn't it!!??"

Only IF you ever believed that somehow a "Federally mandated program" was EVER our salvation. For anything the government "Gives" it takes back two fold.

The system is now so corrupt it may be beyond repair.Sure cut education to our children,there is no money to be made there.But don't think about closing down a methadone clinic because the big drug company that provides the $250.00 "treatment" per person per day will lose MILLIONS.Follow the money,if you have no wealth you have no influence.Our elected officials are supposed to represent "We the People", not look out for special interests(insurance companies,drug companies,oil / energy companies) or regulate us to death.It looks alot like TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION,sound familiar.

cut back on state workers and he should cut back on his pay and vacations, u go to dhs and u see alot of them talking and stareing at u same with city hall,ect..................