"The 10 proposed Department of Labor positions would have been funded entirely by money from the federal government and were intended to relieve increasing pressure on the call center workers who handle the unemployment claims."

So if this is true, why is Baldacci opposed to it?

This information would be useful in the story.

Why is the Baldacci administration rejecting federal funds to help unemployed Maine workers?

WE NEED TO STOP BORROWING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN ELECTION ON REFERENDUMS. UNTIL OUR GOVERNOR CAN CONTROL HIS OWN SPENDING, I WILL ALWAYS VOTE NO ON THESE REFEREDUM BALLOTS.

This is only going to be the start if the government is really serious about cutting expenses. How long was that federal money going to be available? Like so many other programs the feds start then the state picks up. Guess all those cuts listed yesterday in the law enforcement agencies are out the window since now the only new hires will be for "life and public safety".

If this hiring freeze continues, in a few years some of these state employees might actually have to do some work.

How to save the State money? How about having King John stay close to his throne for a while, rather than cavorting about the state on photo opportunies? Seems to me that would save us taxpayers a BUNCH of money.

Hogwash. Nobody in Augusta has made any serious attempt at getting the payroll under control since Jim Longley.

Guv'nah does the talk.. ("We need to look at every alternative before hiring"), but when is he going to do the walk? Recinding the illegal purchase of a mansion for the president of the Maine Maritime Academy would return $1,600,000 + $30,000 annual maintenance to the coffers of the Department of Education. Why does he think aggressively recruiting out-of-state students at huge subsidies at the MMA is good for Maine?

Ummm people...... where does that Federal money come from.... thin air? It comes out of your pockets... just like state funds. Mostly the people I have to deal with who work for the state are DMV now and then. But it is hard to believe with 40-50 people waiting how those folks just mosey around and take their time. If you have to have anything done you had better plan on taking the day off from your job and losing a days pay as well as the outrageous fees they charge for simply changing a couple of lines in the computer system.

It's a paradox. The State lays workers off to cut costs. But in order to serve the others laid off, the State has to hire workers to process the applications of those laid off. What came first?: the chicken or the egg?

1.6 mil for a new house, Rumor has it he's going to appoint himself as president of MMA prior to departing Governership.

Thats just what we need is to take care of the state troopers and hire more, and say to hell with the general public that has no job,no fuel,no medical. What we need to do is get rid of the governor who is bleeding the state and it's people dry. Why in the hell would he want to help the people that are trying to help the un-employed? He wants to ruin Maine and he's doing a great job at it. Good Job Balduchi

I think it is about time we reinged in Mr. Baldacci's spending, like for instance his defunct Dirigo health care tax> We are having a hard time taking care of our own families, it is not fair to expect us to take care of everyone's else children. If people can't afford to have health care it is not our problem. I agree with Dallas also it is time we stop borrowing millions of dollars for Baldacci's programs, this administration is outrageous, time to go to the bare basics, no more trips , parties, unecessary speding. In our own households we have had to cut to the bare bones, my husband lost a good job at the Eastern Fine Paper, and we are still trying to catch up financilally from that, with the cost of everything going up, and even thou my husband found new work, it does not pay anywhere near what he was making at the paper mill.

I AGREE IT IS HGH TIME WE STOP BORROWING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON REFERENDUMS, AND THE LAST STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMELS BACK IS BALDACCI EXPECTING US TO COVER THE COST OF HIS DEFUNCT DIRIGO HEALTH PLAN, THAT HE PROMISED WOULD NOT COST THE TAXPAYERS ANY EXTRA TAXES, AND THEN HERE WE ARE, I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HIS LIES, AND THROWING HIS FAILED PROGRAMS ON OUR BACKS. STOP MR BALDACCI. WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD ANY MORE OF YOUR TAXES, WE HAVE ALL HAD TO MAKE SACRAFICES AND CUT OUR EXPENSES, WE LIKE MANY OTHERS, GO BACK AND FORTH TO WORK, NO MORE TRIPS, OR EATING OUT. WE ARE STILL TRYING TO RECOUP FROM LOSING A GOOD JOB AT THE FORMER EASTERN FINE PAPER MILL. REMEMBER THAT ONE ? STOP TAXING US FOR YOUR MISTAKES, WE CANNOT AFFORD THEM !!!!!!! WE CANNOT TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE ELSE'S PROBLEMS, TO EACH HIS OWN.

IMPEACH BALDACCI!! :-) He got us into this mess.... He isn't going to get us out!

VOTE NO ON ALL REFERENDUMS... WE CAN'T AFFORD THEM!!

"If people can't afford to have health care it is not our problem." I agree. Healthcare is nice to have, but it is not a right. I grew up in a family of 8. We were just above the poverty level. My dad worked harder than any person I have ever known. He'd come home from a day of hard work and work hard around the house and getting wood. We didn't have a lot of the fancy stuff that some of my friends had, but we did get toys, we always had decent clothes, nutritious food and all the water we wanted to drink. How many kids drink water now? Also, we didn't go to the doctors with every cough, bump or bruise. While my dad worked there were times we did not have coverage and times when we did. I think for all of us we went to the doctors maybe a handful of times our entire childhood. So many of us think we are entitled. I never vote for a referendum. If you can't afford it, you don't need it. And I'm not going to make someone else pay for something I want. Keep our roads passable, Protect our towns and state. Cut welfare, cut mainecare, so that we can cut ALL taxes so individuals, communities, churches can take care of those in need and stop relying on the government. The government should only be helping us to pursue life, liberty and happiness, not taking the pursuit out of the picture and trying to give it to us.

If we remain true to form we will re-elect many of the do-nothing Leglslators we currently have, including many ' tax and spend' Democrats. We will pass most or all bond issues. Question #1 may not pass. Many of the school consolidation questions will fall to defeat. Everyone complains about the cost of administering a school district (ie: high salaries, too many assistants) ,and yet we pass the schoold budgets without a whimper. Ignorance is bliss.

No extra workers is going to mean even longer wait times on phone calls to Dept. of Labor. Even before the wave of layoffs, you couldn't get through on a Monday.