On Monday, Gov. Paul LePage held a caustic press conference in his cabinet room. He tried to destroy compromise.
He unleashed a tirade attacking the Republicans and Democrats who had been working most of the weekend to find a compromise solution to the mess of a budget the governor presented back in December.
While the details of the compromise hadn’t been entirely revealed, at least not publicly, the governor went on the attack. He even went so far as telling the Department of Health and Human Services to stop answering questions.
“Quite frankly, I believe this represents an abdication of their responsibility,” the governor said of the men and women who have worked hundreds of hours to fix the mess he has made of the budget and the budget process.
Despite the governor’s efforts to derail the negotiations, a compromise has been reached. The plan, to be sure, includes devastating cuts to Maine’s health care system. Thousands of people appear on the verge of losing access to medical care. That said, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee made progress toward a bipartisan budget solution that mitigates some of the governor’s worst ideas or at least limits the damage.
With the governor’s assault, it’s unclear what will ultimately happen. The governor has been pushing Republicans to ditch compromise and bipartisanship and go it alone. It remains to be seen whether two-thirds of the House and Senate can rally around the compromise.
The governor’s actions have made it much more difficult.
The governor and his administration caused the current budget shortfall — about $220 million in the current year and next — because they made mistakes in the Department of Health and Human Services budget they passed last year and because they passed massive tax cuts that they didn’t pay for.
He had proposed cutting many of the same programs last spring, but the ideas were rejected. His crisis has given him another shot.
According to reports, the compromise budget for the current year gives the governor much of what he wanted, including significant cuts in the number of people covered by MaineCare. These folks will pay the political price for Gov. LePage’s ideologically driven determination to undo the MaineCare system.
But that doesn’t appear to be good enough. The governor has taken the short-view and demanded everything today. He’ll have two more shots. One in 2013 and again in the next two-year budget.
When the Legislature returns next year, it is likely to face a new budget crisis. The cost of the governor’s tax cuts will explode to $400 million, and they haven’t been paid for. There will be scant resources for anything, especially programs like MaineCare, to which the governor has affixed a permanent target.
Regardless of what this year’s compromise looks like, Maine will be right back at the cutting and fighting next year. And that means that Gov. LePage will have another chance to finish off health care coverage for the people who might be saved this year.
For the minority of people in the state who strongly support the governor, his fighting style wins accolades. Most everyone else is left cold.
It’s a shame that during a time when our state needs to come together, we can’t count on the governor to lead the way, to offer a compelling vision for the future and develop a real plan to deliver it. He prefers division.
For inspiration, we’re left to look elsewhere, even toward a Super Bowl commercial from a car company.
“People are out of work and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback. And we’re all scared, because this isn’t a game,” said actor Clint Eastwood in the commercial for Chrysler.
“I’ve seen a lot of tough eras, a lot of downturns in my life. And, time when we didn’t understand each other. It seems like we’ve lost our heart at times. When the fog of division, discord and blame made it hard to see what lies ahead,” Eastwood continued.
“But after those trials, we all rallied around what was right, and acted as one. Because that’s what we do. We find a way through tough times, and if we can’t find a way, then we’ll make one.”
Given a choice, I’m buying what Chrysler is selling, even if the ad wasn’t meant to be political.
And it’s time the clunkers coming from the governor get towed to the junkyard.
David Farmer is a political and media consultant. He was formerly deputy chief of staff and communications director for Gov. John E. Baldacci and a longtime journalist. His clients include Maine Equal Justice Partners and EngageMaine. You can reach him at dfarmer14@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @dfarmer14.
No one would lose access to care. No one is turned down at a hospital if they require care, whether they have the funds to pay for it or not.
Maine’s Healthcare system does need to be undone to rebuild it in a way thats sustainable.
Is there a Democrat that has ever agreed with a tax cut? NO
I’m guessing you have A.never really been sick. B.have an employer sponsored HMO with minimal contribution or C. never got a bill for an emergency room visit. And no hospitals don’t have to treat you for free if you just walk in the door.
no one would lose access to care- no one is turned down at a hospital, whether they have the funds to pay for it? What do you think is going to happen when people stop going to their providers and then use the emergency room? They will be sicker. They will use medical acces that cost at least three times as much. What happens when the cant pay for it. Hummmm hospitals have to pay their staff and bills. The buck is passed to paying customers. So insurance rates are increased because charges will increase. Small hospitals that are already on the brink of closure already due to lack of payment from the State will have to find funding to cover the cost. You’re blind if you think you’re going to save a few bucks in your wallet. People will die, insurance rates will go up- they already have- thanks Gov- and the system will still be broken.
You must work in a hospital too. I was in admin and we passed the cost on to the insured. How long could you be in business if you didn’t get paid? To think that someone isn’t going to pay someway is silly, you are spot on.
Another point, ER’s don’t provide the essential follow up care or long term pharmaceutical needs. The result? Back to the ER and sicker than ever. In many cases this will mean a much shorter life than might otherwise have been. Thank you GOP.
I hate to say it, but an emergency room doesn’t provide healthcare. It provides emergency help when someone is actutely sick or injured. That’s not healthcare, it’s first aid. People may not lose access to the emergency room, but they surely will lose access to quality healthcare.
Well said.
That is only ER not healthcare. You are downplaying the reality. They do not get the care they need. I broke my foot, went to the ER and the took an xray and sent me to the podiatrist who wanted cash upfront for my cast. Fortunately, I have credit, what about those that don’t? You are not telling the whole truth. Is their a repug that ever cared about anyone else but themselves? No one is asking for free care, affordable care. This guy doesn’t have a clue either. BTW the hospital, Maine Coast Memorial, sent me a nice fat bill. Nothing is free.
Then what is your problem. You get sick, you pay. If you have insurance, good. People only, for the most part, want to pay for insurance when they are sick.
Who do you think will pay for those who aren’t turned down at the hospital? Let’s face it, it comes out of our pockets in one form or another. The budget cuts just delude us into thinking that it’s not coming out of our own pockets.
That is so untrue. Try going to a hospital or emergency room and ask for chemotherapy. If a country cannot take care of the poor, who can it risk protecting the wealthy?
Because Emergency rooms are not the point of care for chemotherapy nor the place for it. Emergency rooms are for emergencies and they are highly abused as a it is. Obviously you do not know how a hospital functions.
Good…then it’s clear that no one can argue that people will not be denied healthcare…because in fact, some will be denied.
Considering Obama granted everyone a tax cut at the beginning of his term, I am going to have to venture a guess that yes, there is at least one.
OOPS! Another awkward fact to taunt the GOP.
BUT the “making work tax credit” is not available anymore. It no longer existed in the budget sent by the White House to Congress for 2011.
Just another bait and switch for people that don’t pay close attention to such things.
Great, more reason to vote for Democrats instead of Republicans. When the democrats held the house, senate, and Presidency, they gave a tax break to everybody who works in America. When the Teahadist took over the house, the refused to advance a tax break for the working class, the whole time they are advocating for tax breaks for the wealthy.
Ummm those tax breaks were and are for everyone. Thank George Bush that only50% pay no income tax. How soon they forget.
Yeah, the Democrats only give tax breaks to people who actually work for a living. Kind of a different philosophy I guess.
So you think that if hospitals go bankrupt giving unpaid care to people that used to receive Mainecare will be a good thing because we can “rebuild” healthcare?
During the 1950’s, people payed much higher tax rates and the economy and the middle class were doing great. We have since cut and cut taxes and where are we?! Obviously, tax cuts do not drive our economy…so when will taxes ever be low enough for people like yourself? When we are finally a third world country because no one pays their share?
LePage is clueless and a Scott Walker wannabe. He gives them a budget that’s a mess and then yells at them??? Let him shut down HHS and see what happens. Lots of elderly and children that need help, it will be on his head.
Walker is a Reagan Wanna be!
See a recurrent theme?
Delusion?
Interesting to hear a Democrat–and senior advisor in a Democratic administration at that–accuse others of not compromising. Really, Mr. Farmer…is that the stone you want to throw?
That’s like equating Jock McKernan’s staff with Le Page. McKernan, was at least able to compromise and use reason. This man does not.
McKernan did nothing but keep the seat warm, play tennis, and stuff power and telephone bills into the backs of desk drawers(out of sight, out of mind). Didn’t have to compromise because he went along with just about anything the Legislature proposed.
Democrat lite.
…..
He is “fighting” for us. We the people ignored by the politics of the recent past that have gotten us into the huge hole we find ourselves in. OK. Have it your way. Everything is just perfect. Leave everything just as it is with no changes anywhere to anything…..and the out of control spending continues on and on. Where will that lead us? To a place you want to be? Where exactly do you want to be? We are spending ourselves into oblivion. We are creating a dependent class of entitlement hungry people. People like you think government is the answer to everything want more taxes and more spending. I want someone, anyone to find ways to get spending under control. I want the waste, fraud and abuse dealt with. I want to be able to keep more of the money that I earn with my own blood, sweat and tears. This country was not founded on the principle of cradle to grave government entitlements. That is what we are/have become. More people are receiving benefits than people paying the taxes to provide them. How long can this go on? Who is going to stop it? You. Hah! You want more and bigger government and I want less. Someone is trying to bring some fiscal sanity to this state and all you and your ilk can do is ridicule and demean the person WE elected to fix this mess. If you get what you want we are ruined. If I get what I want we are saved. You can choose ruin. I do not.
He IS NOT fighting for us. He is fighting for his political life, he needs to understand that. And I’m not quite sure that he actually realizes the ramifications of his actions.
In spite of what you say, which is a demonstration of a political ideology, you do not act in the manners in which he has. He cannot demand respect, just as anyone that you and I know, he must earn it. He has not.
The signs were there last March. He submitted his very first budget, his very first action as a governor, and then threatened to veto the entire bill if it were not passed, exactly the way he proposed it. THAT was a sign. I’m not willing to do this every year, twice a year, for four years. He needs to either change, or leave, In Augusta, if you get 1/3rd of what you seek in one year, you don’t fight for the other two-thirds, until the smoke has cleared. He, just, doesn’t get it……at all!
When I say “us” I am not talking about you obviously. Guess it was a little too deep for you to understand because you are blinded by the personality of the governor and cannot see the issues that face us as a state and nation.
I spoke of a certain political ideology, that you portrayed in your post. And I’ll suffice to say that conservatives and republicans are quite content on taking care of their own versions of “us”.
That was obvious.
I assume you are speaking about rusjans rules of order?
…..
Thank you, Mr. Farmer, for again hitting the nail directly on the head,
Democrats define Compromise as you give us everything we want or we will go to the media and get them to tell a sob story.
OK, give the Governor everything he wants. Just don’t cry bloody murder when your insurance and health care costs fly through the roof.
Your insurance premiums will skyrocket anyway once Obamacare fully kicks in – get ready for it!
But you don’t challenge my premise.
Your premise is very flawed. If you do not think that republican’s manipulate the media outlets, especially when a State Treasurer can write an article regarding a governmental agency that he has NOTHING to do with , isn’t using media outlets. Then your premise is very very wrong.
But at least he did it himself. The BDN and other media outlets appear to be at the beck & call of the Dems.
What roof? The sky’s the limit, mine are astronomical now! With a huge deductible and co-pay, I’m lucky to just pass away.
Republicans define Compromise as defunding the government to a crisis and then buying up the Talk show Media to Tell Lies that the Democrats have caused the crisis!
At the very least, we get honest constituents to explain the dilemma, as opposed to lying in front of a whole town meeting, and getting a nationally recognized publication to print something on his conduct. Among others….
The Democrats are not the one’s in need of a compromise. Reason, reality, a spirit of cooperation, and the ever eventuality of an election in November are the reasons for a compromise. The Republicans required a compromise, equally if not more so than the Democrats. The Legislature knows what’s acceptable and what is not, they have the “real” numbers.
I firmly believe, that the legislative republicans are really getting sick and tired of taking the brunt of this governor’s blows. Now is the time for them to protect their districts, not desert them. If Paul Le Page had ever been a legislator, which he has not, he would understand that these people don’t have the opportunity to explain through the press why they did things that they did. The only chance they have is at re-election, a time when they will be able to explain.
Le Page is not leading this State, he is demanding that his policy provisions are the only solutions. Maine people are smarter then what he and his staff give grant. He has no idea how foolish he looks, and acts. And all the while he releases a proposal that directly invites conflict regarding education? He doesn’t even understand just how deep, and in his words, the BS he is in! He’s not even logged on, not even close.
Your kind of thinking is why Maine is in the hole that it is in. Democrats don’t compromise, they never have and never will. People are tired of “business as usual” in Augusta and are demanding change. LePage is out to deliver that change. Legislators are fighting it but it’s going to happen.
“Legislators are fighting it, but it’s going to happen”………Ahhhh. no. Not if they want to be re elected. You DO understand, that someone is going to have to take the brunt of these proposals, and it’s not going to be democrats, we aren’t powerful enough to change a thing, yet. And as your weakness prevails upon you, the governor is losing legitimacy every time he opens his mouth. Are the democrats going to be the one’s to jump off his band wagon?…..I think not.
LeBuffoon is going to get a message this November at the polls when his party takes thorough pounding due largely to his tantrumming, radical, bully style. The people of this state are about sick and tired of this fool.
David “wind” Farmer sat around in (side) the past administration and watched the MaineCare System be broken by their DHHS. I remember a commisioner or deputy of DHHS saying the the federal government will like what we are doing here in Maine and send us more money. It doesn’t look like that worked at all well. Now that the chickens have come home to roost the Democrats have “lost” their minds and won’t find them until the restoration. Then they will just raise your fees and taxes to make ends meet. The governor is trying to make needed systematic changes that are needed. The Dems won’t go along with that because it would be admitting their errors.
Farmer’s terrified that his trough is getting smaller and smaller. The derangement deepens.
He is an ignorant bully. Plain and simple.
I prefer Troglodyte. It conjures up a mental picture of a man in a loin cloth with a club. That is definitely Poor Paul’s speed.
I believe the vast majority of this state would agree that Maine’s support system is in need of fixing, however slashing haphazardly is not fixing anything. I could have respected him if he’d made sensible and reasonable changes to the system, realized the actual savings and then cut the taxes.
The method he’s insisting on merely passes the costs on to hospitals and care providers where it will come back as increased costs for those who are able to pay for their medical care. Those increased costs will be not be spread out as a flat percentage of income but instead as a flat dollar amount, meaning that it will be a higher percentage for low and middle income taxpayers and a lower percentage for upper income taxpayers. Instead of the progressive tax structure we used to have, or even a flat tax which many people propose, we’ll have a hidden regressive tax. Now tell me who benefits from that?
Well, Buddy, Baldacci, your former boss, and the Democrat majorities paved the way for this….you’ve got some nerve to swing the bat at Governor LePage!
Both sides have kicked the ball to next year by applying 40
million to next year’s budget. Of course we will be back next year Mr. Farmer,
that was the accepted plan by both sides, except the Governor. This is the same
type of compromise that we have seen in the past. Way to go! I blame the
Governor, the legislature and all of the political junkies like you, Mr.
Farmer. We know there is a problem, the big compromise was not finding a solution
to our problem, it was to say they’d do it next session. If people haven’t
noticed, the working poor in Maine can no longer afford to pay for the non-working
poor. There are not enough wealthy people in Maine to cover these costs and so
the burden of the costs falls to the so called middle class. I for one am sick
of seeing people who live off the State receiving better services than I pay
for. While I cancel my dentist appointments because I have bills that have to
be paid, my state government is giving people who have done very little in
regards to paying for their fair share some of the best health benefits in the
state for no cost. You can pick sides all you want, but both parties have
failed and have decided that political theater is more important than helping
the people who pay their salaries and the taxes for their great programs. I
really hope that they figure out how to get something done to correct the
problems that OUR government has created. In the business world, you fix the
problems you have before you add other new ideas to the mix. You don’t open a
new store if you’re existing store is losing money. By not fixing the programs
that are in place while also adding new programs, they are just providing
enough distraction so that people do not focus on their lack of forward
progress.
Again typical hogwash from a has been leftover of the Democrap party.
The party that ruled for 40 years and got us into this mess.
Check out this survey Dave, you will find you are on the wrong side of the issues.
http://www.mainepeoplebeforepolitics.com/majority-of-maine-people-support-reform/
Maine People Before Politics sounded like it might be Republican which means bias but I checked out the link … and then checked out the company that conducted the poll. Here’s the link to their client list, most (all?) are Republicans. I wouldn’t trust the poll any further than I could throw LePage.
http://telopinion.com/14.html