AUGUSTA, Maine — Republicans on the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee pushed through a package of budget adjustments Thursday that Democrats said will needlessly push people off public services such as MaineCare.
With revenue projections on the upswing after more than three years of plummeting, Democrats said there is money enough to keep current services intact. Republicans continued their contention that structural changes need to be made in order to create long-term financial stability for state government.
One of the more hotly contested measures discussed and approved Thursday was the elimination of optional Medicaid coverage for 19- and 20-year-olds, which according to estimates will boot about 7,000 people from publicly funded health care coverage. That was one provision in a larger package of cuts that passed along party lines in the Appropriations Committee, whose 8-4 vote Thursday sends the measure to the full Legislature when it reconvenes Tuesday.
Adrienne Bennett, a spokeswoman for Gov. Paul LePage, said the governor will make no decisions about the budget package until after the Legislature acts, but that the structural changes won by Republicans Thursday will likely be enough to prompt the chief executive to keep his veto pen in his pocket. LePage previously used a line-item veto against a legislative decision not to make drastic cuts to general assistance spending. The committee on Thursday approved smaller cuts to GA than the governor wanted.
Bennett said language in the budget bill that continues to pay hospitals money they have been owed for years as well as structural changes in DHHS will likely have enough of an effect to satisfy the governor.
“He understands that Republicans had a deal with Democrats regarding general assistance,” Bennett said. “He wasn’t happy about it, but he understands. We’re encouraged that we’re moving the right direction.”
House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, and Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry, gathered with reporters Thursday morning to outline the Republican proposal.
In addition to closing an $83 million shortfall in DHHS, Raye and Nutting said the budget bill revives ideas and proposals that have been under consideration before, such as eliminating Medicaid coverage for some individuals in the upper tiers of financial eligibility and making cuts to taxes on retiree pensions and military benefits.
The budget proposal retains funding for adults with disabilities who live in home- or community-based arrangements other than health care facilities. It also preserves funding for general assistance programs and rejects a previous proposal to eliminate state funding for Head Start programs and includes a 6 percent decrease instead.
Raye and Nutting blamed Democrats for building a social services network, particularly within the MaineCare program, that is far beyond what is offered in many other states. Raye said Maine provides Medicaid coverage — known here as MaineCare — to 35 percent more of its population than the national average and in 2009 spent about $1,900 per capita on Medicaid compared with an average of less than $1,200 per capita in other states.
“The expansion-driven costs of MaineCare are now putting at jeopardy the very people who need MaineCare the most and have traditionally been its primary beneficiaries — the poor, elderly and disabled citizens who are the most vulnerable in our society,” he said, according to a transcript of his remarks. “Likewise, left unchecked, it threatens to squeeze out other crucially important items such as K-12 education, higher education and a host of other vital functions of state government.”
Democrats shot back that part of the reason for the number of people on MaineCare is the state’s near-oldest-in-the-nation population and that cutting anyone’s safety net will likely end up costing the state more in other areas.
“Where’s the crisis?” said Sen. Dawn Hill, D-Cape Neddick. “Why aren’t we looking at ways to help these people? While I am a Democrat, I am also a businesswoman. I get it that we need to do restructuring and make improvements, but the wholesale removal of people from the system and labeling it as structural change, again I ask where’s the crisis?”
Nutting said some of higher-than-expected revenues that are projected for the next couple of years will be used to fund the tax cuts in the supplemental budget and continue other initiatives, such as covering a backlog of payments that are owed to the state’s hospitals.
“In the past, when our friends on the other side of the aisle received such reports, their reaction would be to patch over budget shortfalls without attacking the root of the problem: too much spending,” Nutting said. “This Legislature, however, will not repeat the mistakes of the past by using a one-time windfall to put a Band-Aid over our broken system, in hopes that the problem will go away. It won’t go away until we get our spending under control.”
The budget bill passed Thursday also reduces services for children with mental illness, foster care family reunification funding, a range of Medicare programs, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, smoking cessation programs and caps taxpayer-supported methadone treatments to a maximum of two years.
The bill also calls for the creation of a task force to study reforms to DHHS which wouldn’t take effect until the next biennium and tasks the next Legislature to merge the departments of agriculture and conservation.
Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, called the Republican budget bill “extreme and irresponsible.”
“The Republicans are making dangerous cuts that will harm seniors, children, and people with disabilities, which passing more unfunded tax cuts,” she said in a prepared statement.
Hill agreed.
“Democrats believe that responsible and reasonable changes can be made without hurting our economy or shifting costs onto more Maine people,” she said.
Another good step would be to rescind the LePage tax cuts, one of the most egregious factors in creating the shortfall, that and Mayhew’s minsmanagament. So far, the LePage administration and his legislative lackeys have FAILED to provide any leadership, they have FAILED to create an environment conducive to job growth (since LePage has been in office, Maine has a NET LOSS of 4200 good paying jobs while only picking up a few low paying call-center jobs. My message to LePage is this: if you’re going to point the finger of blame at the unemployed then you need to PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR PIE HOLE IS-fund training, WITH PAY, and provide childcare services so that people can get some of the few jobs that are out there. Doing any less than that is the same as doing nothing-which is what you’ve accomplished in the job-creation arena up to now.
So much for “Yankee” ingenuity. You would have us go back to the days of high taxes to support those who would vote for those pols only too happy to redistribute this state’s assets.
“Yankee” implies independence, yet your route only increases dependence. Time for a new handle, I think.
Spot on!
been cutting taxes to business and the wealthy for years– where are the jobs?
lepage cut taxes to the wealthy where are the jobs
being a yankee didn’t imply you were stupid enough to let someone take advantage of you and to believe that hardscrabble was good for you while someone gets rich by paying you coolie wages and no benefits
can you say gullible?
You need to check your dictionary; “Yankee” generally refers, world wide, to an american. The term in our country means someone from New England now, and during the civil war it obviously meant the federal forces.
Yankee, does not “imply independence”, it has no implications other than being an American. He is just as american as you are and has the same right to disagree and dislike this executive and this legislature. In fact, it’s my opinion that you sir are in the minority in this sense. Nutting says, that general assistance is set at levels agreed by the whole committee; what he didn’t say was he and Kevin Raye simply ignored their constitutional responsibility to re-convene to take up the governor’s line item vetos. They did not do this because the governor instructed them not to. That isn’t even leadership, thats cowardly.
Governor Lepage is trying to hold people accountable, which I think is generally a good thing, but he needs to keep himself accountable as well. He’s telling people to get jobs but LePage is not creating enough good jobs for the people of Maine. As a result his “get off the couch” remark rings hollow and is, it seems, a bit of a distraction from LePage’s own lack of performance to help Maine get more good jobs.
Better if he were to be more collaborative in his approach and say we’re in a tough time, both he and we as citizens and workers need to do better, and that maybe by working together we could each do better.
That would be leadership, and I would respect him if he did that
You are way wrong – it’s refreshing to finally see adults at work in Augusta.
Adults?…..Only children throw temper tantrums, oh…..that’s right, children and our governor! He’s weak, he’s insecure and he doesn’t understand how come he can’t get what he wants, when and how he wants it and why people are questioning him. Thus he retaliates, just like the playground bully. Try Millinocket for instance:
http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=200531
Well they’ve already gone after old retired teachers, it only makes sense that the GOP/Tea Party would go after Pre-K children next. Got to “Get em off the couch” early because by the time they’re set to retire at 77 there won’t be any kind of cost of living increase to rob from nor for that matter pensions of any kind. Just tedious labor for their masters until the day they die. Yep that’s the way the GOP/Tea Party likes it.
Why don’t they start by going after the money that Nutting owes the State?
Exactly! If you or I pulled a scam like he did, we’d be in prison. No question about it.
NO NO NO NOT YET
How about Republicans going after some of the money that has been given to folks like Angus King, Kurt Adams etc. for Wind Power. They can also go after Roxanne Quimby and all of the Enviros who have been collecting money to buy land for their Eco-Friendly Paradises (Parks) that they are imposing on Maine People.
I don’t think Roxanne Quimby needs to be “collecting money”……….yet again, another response that doesn’t even approach what the issue is at hand. Gsgofer was making public official accountable, you are talking about private business people and advocates. Log on Darkcat!
Even more helpful than continually discussing the merits of individual proposals, as helpful as that can be, why don’t we also talk about ways of allowing the public to be more involved in the budget process?
As one example, why don’t we have the entire budget online in an easy to comprehend format? Government is kept opaque and inaccessible to allow powerful and entrenched or special interests to operate with less opposition.
Additional ways to empower citizens in the budget process and in their government: http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2010/02/07/opinion/contributors/independent-for-governor-promises-transparency/
Remember this a gov who has done all he can to hide and conceal.Don’t hold your breath looking for transparency and honesty from the R’s now.
LePage is trying to get whatever he can shove through now because he is about to become a lame duck after the coming elections. He can then froth and carry on all he wants after that. He is too short sighted to see that his continued tactics are only sealing the fates of many Republicans. Lame duck landing very soon guv.
YOU VOTED FOR GREAT JOB MAINE NOW LIVE WITH IT
That’s Right the Maine People who voted for him we are proud of the job that Lepage along with the Republicans are doing. After having nearly 40 years of Misery and Failure from the Maine Democrat Party. Maine needs to move in a different direction from the Democrat Party status quo. Until we can get Maine People off the Government Handouts/Freebies. Maine is going to suffer.
And here is a link to all those whose terms expire in 2012: http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/125_term.htm
I strongly suggest that each and every republican be replaced with a democrat, if we want to see our state returned to the pre-Lepage days.
ONLY IN MAINE
Do you read much? The article states that they proposal to cut head start has been set aside.
Guess the fact that the story was modified from it’s original content at 12:42 PM got past your “Negative” eyes and thoughts. Missing that is forgivable. Your negativity here isn’t.
So at 12:42 the GOP/Tea Party decided to “Set aside” attacking children… Whew! Now doesn’t that make us all feel better about these fellas? They’re not going to attack our children today…but maybe sometime later. Nice!
Wrong the cut is in there.. read the updated story.
Yep. I see some very old people working at my local Walmart. And I doubt that’s what they had in mind for their retirement years.
Tough choice here. Those who don’t pay any taxes but benefit from these “entitlements” don’t want the programs cut, just raise taxes…and on the other hand, most of the folks footing the bill for these programs feel that they are already being taxed to the hilt. It was so much easier when Baldacci and King and the Dems in power just kept kicking the can down the road. There is no joy in facing reality.
Those people you are talking about were paying taxes when you wer getting your pant changed ! They paid for your education K through 12, Most of those “entitlements that Tea Potty like to talk about were bought and paid for by those people. That is until the bosses behind the Tea Potty found there was money to be made by selling the jobs to someone else. Why don’t you just thank them for helping you get this far and pay them back without whining.
What an absurd post. Tea party bosses selling jobs? Unbelievable.
Yea cause LePage hasn’t said a million times he wants to privatize many of the social services. Now lets see that would mean cutting jobs and giving the work to the corporate sector, and after all I am sure that a Republican Governor has no friends that are CEO’s in healthcare or elderly services like group or retirement homes. I am further also sure based on LePage’s honesty and integrity that none of those CEO”s contributed to his election campaign. There is just no way the gov is selling jobs…
Notice how PNMI was on the table for two seconds,then magically was taken off the table.
Tell me there weren’t some rich nursing home/other medical institution owners who squeezed that one out.They didn’t want their Medicaid payments to stop or their boat/Mercedes to depreciate.
Read it again. I didn’t say Tea Potty bosses.
It is called privatization. Yup, there is a segment of our society that wants it ALL for themselves. And, they are forces behind the Tea Party rhetoric. They are masters at manipulation. They use language to obscure what the real objective is. And, that objective is self-serving. It does not help anyone else in any real way. I know there are many good people who think that they are doing the sensible thing by supporting Tea Party candidates. I just wish they would look behind the curtain. And, I know the same can be said about any group that uses money to control the conversation. We all need to look behind the curtain to see more clearly. Campaigning as become a 24/7/12 reality. Marketing strategies rule. There is no message that is not carefully crafted to manipulate us. The best guide through all this is our own sense of integrity and a deep reflection on what it mean to be human. We need to be talking with each other, not listening to those who would manipulate us.
“there is a segment of our society that wants it ALL for themselves. And, they are forces behind the Tea Party rhetoric.”
I just amazes me that you believe this crap. Profound hyperbole and outright falsehoods like this are not worth debating. They are just wrong.
“Campaigning as become a 24/7/12 reality.”
That I can agree with.
“We need to be talking with each other, not listening to those who would manipulate us.”
You say that but you seem to be oblivious to how big money from Wall St is influencing Maine via Sussman/Pingree. Is that ok?
And you seem to forget that Kevin Raye’s primary political experience is in Washington, and it shows; because he’s not really acclimated to state politics. He does now, what he did in Washington, listen to his boss. Only now his boss isn’t a US Senator, nor a lobbying firm, it’s the Governor…….. do you think he really cares about the people he represents now?…..the coward.
If politics made pies, Kevin Raye would be the boring crust.
Where do you get this stuff? Kevin’s boss is the people of his district and of Maine. You guys give the Governor WAY too much credit.
Really?……Now how IS IT that he can pass a budget in an overwhelming bi-partisan manner and when the governor line items that were sources of contention between the administration and the legislature, do absolutely nothing legislatively to represent his district?? or the people of Maine?? You give Raye WAY too much credit fella!
If even half of what you just said were true, he would have re-convened to take up the veto’s for either one his bosses, either his district OR the citizens of Maine, either one would constitute half, he did neither! Speaking of cowards.
Why should he have tried to talk his members into coming back from work and vacations for an unscheduled, unnecessary and expensive session to deal with issues that we will be dealing with next week?
gsgopher, Mainecare in any form and Head Start weren’t around in my day or when my children were that young, so your drivel makes no sense. Sounds good, though. Unfortunately, I grew up before it became fashion for the goverment to take care of everyone that didn’t want to make the effort to be self sufficient, as opposed to only those that REALLY need it, so I have little empathy for this squeeze, since governments are broke.
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I take you are in your 50’s yes? Head start, started in 0r around 1965, my younger siblings when to Head Start. Some of their children went to head start. So you see it’s been around for nearly 50 years
For years Head Start was an 8 week summer program for low income children, providing food, medical, and dental care as well as learning activities. I guess it “blossomed” under several Presidents in the 1980′ and 1990’s and has evolved to what we have today. It may have been around about as long as food stamps under LBJ’s Great Society, but not as we know it today.
Head Start’s own study shows that children that had Head Start lost any advantage they had upon entering kinder garden. Some long term effects where shown to have worked, people argue that those could have been achieved if the parents would’ve just been more involved in their child up bring.
No Head Sart? You must be old.
There is absolutely no way to get around paying taxes. Quit attacking like you’re being leeched upon, it’s not true.
Then why do less than 50% of us pay taxes? And why do some of the ones that do not pay any taxes still end up with refunds for “earned income”? I am confused here.
Federal income taxes aren’t the only form of taxation a person can be subjected to.
Also, for the record, thousands of those in that 50% bunch who don’t pay federal income taxes actually make over 100,000 yearly. Get a clue and stop falling for every talking point you hear.
So easy to fire up liberals, it’s almost no fun at all. Predictably, when an opinion does not coincide with theirs, the other person is clueless or whatever comes to mind. Have fun whining with your friends. After 30 years of democrats in the driver’s seat as Maine went barreling to the bottom end of the economic ladder, it has to be painful for their supporters to watch an honest effort to change our direction.
So instead of responding to my facts, you decide to attack my character. That shows quite clearly that all you have are half-truths and very weak points, otherwise you wouldn’t be so desperate to change the subject.
Here’s some facts for Machias Maine Total Population: 2,353 Median Age: 35.9 Males: 1,095 (46.5%) Female: 1,258 (53.5% ) Children (0-17): 445 (18.9%) Adults (18-64): 1,473 (62.6%) Seniors 435 ( 18.5%)
Mainecare 1,558 ( 73 %) Foodstamps 737 ( 34.5 %) Tanf 78 ( 3.5 % ) 3 rehab centers Mental health and drug abuse
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see what happens after november and if you think lepage would get a 2nd term, you’re sadly delusional
By the time Lepage comes up for re-election, I will be retired and no longer a legal Maine resident. I’m going to do the same as most other retirees, get out of Dodge and let the libs find someone else to pull their wagon, so I won’t really be impacted by more years of crap.
You will be back when reality strikes. Dreams verses facts will put you back in the big spud!
You may well be right James. I complain a lot, but I have lived and worked here most of my life except for a short stint in Fla. which I didn’t like at all. Once you get by our lousy politicians, Maine isn’t a bad place to hang your hat if the tax man doesn’t bite too hard.
so tired of those that imply its only libs that use services–its just so much bs —-I’m a lib and i’m pulling the wagon for a good many conservatives—- — since you’re retiring enjoy the socialistic SS and medicare
…Been making payments on that since 1967. Too bad the feds scooped out most of the cash and replaced it with IOUs over the years. I think they needed it to fund other programs, like Head Start and such.
Gary all this scooping of the funds started with Ronnie Regean administration, check you history details for the amount of massive debts he caused the Country, remember he was even close to being impeached for all his sale of weapons to Iran.
See if u can remember this and it will give you a true prespective of when and where the scooping bath started. respectively submitted.
We’ll be happy to see you go and stop burdening us.Can you take some more R’s with you?
No burden, I have no underage children, health insurance from work, partially paid by employer, and pay nearly $10K in property taxes and over $4000 in Maine income taxes. Glad to bow out, Have a nice day. You shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Yeah – Except for the summer months when you can freeload off the rest of the tax paying residents while you come back for the summer. There are plenty of you 183 day Florida residents already..
And the reason is?
I love this argument of a political party ruling for 30-40 years. the last time I checked we had elections every two years and the “people” decided between the candidates the parties’ were running for public office. I’ll live with the fact Republicans won the last election, but I’ll also live with the fact elected officials are responibile to the public, not to a party, nor a closed political ideology.
I noticed while Maine’s economy went sour, the whole country’s economy went sour. Isn’t it time we started looking to elect those seeking solutions to a changing world?
Democrats and Republicans are nothing but two different legs of the same cockroach.
Totally agree.
The problem is the economy in Maine has been sour for decades, Maine has been in its “own recession”. Instead of doing things to help spur economic growth the Democrat controlled Legislature along with Democrat/Democrat-Independent Governors went bonkers expanding the Welfare and Nanny State in Maine. They should have instead worried about business and job growth , lower taxes and prosperity for Maine People. The finger should be pointed at the Democrats for putting us in the mess we are in the are the ones who should take the sole blame for everything they have done to put Maine into the “ABYSS”.
Another Green Shirt hired hand to put out misdirection. I wonder how much Webster has to pay all these hired guns every day to kick out more lies in support of the “Worst” Governor ever elected in Mane history. He is big:)
The #1 (more than ample) can I’d like to see kicked down the road belongs to one Paul Lepage.
Me too, but Andre the Giant is dead, where are we going to find a foot big enough to kick a can of that magnitude?
All of our combined feet will make a difference.I have a size 14EEE so that will help.
cut cut !!!!!!!!!!
If Nutting pays that 1 million + back that will help a mite.
Standing headline: “Democrats Complain.”
More like, “Republicans say, ‘Let them eat cake”
Less than forthcoming ? That’s as about polite as you can call it ! Paulie and Company have done everything possible to keep the budget a secret until the very last minute so no one can see just what, and how he’s going to ‘gut’ the State to make his Tea Party bunch happy. Even the Office of Fiscal Review didn’t get their copy of Paulie’s ‘coloring book’ until the last minute, and was only provided for under State law. That this is being done, on top of Nutty’s ‘secret poll of GOP member’s’ tells me that this ‘budget’ is nothing more than a sanctioned version of paperdoll cutout’s that he’s going to claim ‘saves the State’. Please, does anyone see a white horse here ’cause all I’m seeing is a cry old nag who’s only claim to fame is that they got elected by a 3 way split vote, not a clear mandate to ‘cut and trash’ like he claims he has.
The Legislature, 2 weeks ago, came together and voted on, and passed, a Budget by a very clear majority, more than enough to overcome any veto. So what does Paulie do ? He goes out and start’s line iteming it, in order to get around a veto overide vote on the whole of the Bill, and then starts telling everyone that he’s not going to sign unless he gets his way. So much for the democratic process. That Nutty and Raye went along with this nonsense, instead of showing leadership for the whole of Maine, not just their piece fo the GOP pie, tells me that the GOP wants to use this as a way hurt Mainer’s and declare themselves as ‘Savior’s’ come November by telling everyone that they were the True Defender’s of Maine ! Please, gag me with a snowplow blade ! Come November do these GOP and Tea Party folks really believe that they are gonna get the vote of the same folk’s that they are screwing right now ? If so then someone needs to hold a drug test in Augusta real quick before November 6th.
More grease for the slippery slope, boys! We’ll be a banana republic before you can say ALEC!
Say, how’s about branding all them have-nots and the rest of ’em (liberals, do-gooders, social democrats, enviros, etc) with no flush patrons “untouchables.” Cut ’em out of the action altogether. It worked in India for centuries – still does in a way. Stop burying the trash, open up the towns dumps and let ’em fight over it. Cut ’em loose from all support, the lazy louts. Meanwhile, just to play it safe, beef up the police and private security contractors, gate your neighborhoods, put drones over the country side just to keep an eye on the rest and enjoy the ride. Finally, the American dream fulfilled! Sort of like the good ole days, I mean can’t you just smell the magnolias and hear them untouchables singin’ hymns while wailin’ away at each other?
Or is it the reverse? Is it truly that all the guv and those like him really want is a decent, civil society where cooperation and communitarian values trump nastiness, exclusiveness and selfish individualism. Which is it to be?
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I love it. A picture of Robber Nutting and financial problems. Why doesn’t the state just steal the money, Nutting can show us how. Hmmm, with the medicaid/pharmacy issue, maybe he’s already at work?
How about Nutting pay back the money he stole from taxpayers through his pharmacy business accounting scam? That would be a good start. How this guy became speaker is beyond me. Why do people keep voting this thief in to office?
Maybe Nutting can kick in the million he defrauded from MaineCare…
Such a joke. Going after the people who cannot defend themselves while their salaries continue to go up. They go after DHHS because they know it’s any easy target for the public to get behind.
How about taking a look at the waste in the legislative branch?
How about looking at how we have 5 state employees doing a job the one private employee could do?Why not privatize some of the more wasteful departments like the DOT?
Privatizing often leads to inexperienced people doing the jobs previously done by semi-skilled workers…oh wait, that’s how we ended up with LePew.
You are wrong in every single aspect.
Private companies survive based on price and quality. They don’t last if they cannot provide both. State and federal agencies are terribly run, if they were private companies they would not last a year. They are not run in a manner that is budget conscience and driven by competition.
Private companies can do the jobs better and cheaper.
Private companies are in it for profit only.
Nothing wrong with that. Trying to get the best price means taxpayers pay less.
Not really. Tax loopholes mean taxpayers pay more.
How do you figure that?
The corporate rate is 35% and corporations, especially large profitable ones, pay no where near that rate. They have various systems and mechanisms in order to avoid paying taxes. That’s why major corporations spend hundreds of millions on lobbying efforts each year. Then we get fed all sorts of bull– about job creators and taxing business to death. But you know what? If they actually paid their share, taxation rates would go down for EVERYONE. Instead, Exxon Mobil payed no federal income taxes and received a rebate. Gee, I wonder who made up the difference!
You mean like the low bid on the Billing system? Like that deal for taxpayers?
How about the private companies the republicans just bailed out on the taxpayer dime? That was after they handed them the cookie jar through corporate welfare and tax loopholes. They (the “creators”) took that money that was supposed to trickle down and ran overseas with it to hire what basically amounts to slave labor, took our jobs with them, and put all the profits in off shore bank accounts to avoid paying american taxes. Yeah, that has worked out just great for us. I get your earlier point and don’t mean to be snarky, but not all private companies are good for us and they certainly don’t only survive on price and quality. Some survive due to republican business policy that amounts to socialism. That is the crux of the arguement here. LePage gave 350 million dollars of our money away to create “business” and then has the nerve to tell us we can’t afford to take care of the infirm, the elderly, and the poor. It is no wonder folks are upset with that.
Bravo! Well said.
Versus Obama’s Solyndra solar company contributors/bundlers who went bankrupt? Versus the billions of stimulus money that was directed to other countries, including China? Versus the Obama/Democrat GM bailout that screwed stock holders and rewarded the union? The list is endless and you will be hearing about it for the next six months..when Obama loses.
You mean like WalMart? Low prices, low quality and the tax payer provides healthcare for the employees.
Privatizing often leads to so much more efficiency that the unions are in awe.
Did you see the article that talked about the private company doing inspections on public assistance housing? They failed. The state is taking those jobs back and will hire more inspectors and make sure they are supervised and provide proper documentation. What do you think government it for? It is to make sure PEOPLE are not used and abused by private interests.
I think you neglected to mention that half of the inspectors were Maine Housing employees. Great way to make your point by leaving out the truth! Liberals love to lie…
Oh good. Barnum and Bailey are coming back to town. Should make for an interesting BDN.
Can’t our Great Governor just dissolve the legislature and rule by acclamation? Think of the wasted money spend discussing and debating what he knows to be the right path forward. He was elected to lead us, after all. Besides, haven’t Raye and Nutting been supportive of the master plan? Who are we to question that actions of our beloved and most righteous Governor and elected officials? I know, let’s post another blog,…..that always helps.
What’s to discuss? New and more sneaky ways to balance the budget on the back’s of the working men and women of Maine? While handing out tax breaks to the “job creators”? Keep talking Augusta, you’ll figure out a way.
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They give with one hand and they take 3 times as much with the other.
During World war 11 Many Mainers went to other states to find work. I overheard someone say they were going to find a job in another state. No jobs leads to exodus. I think the powers that be should think about the people of Maine as intangible assets in the working world. The lack of jobs leads to people hanging around. The Gov doesen’t provide jobs but have the ability to actively match the unemployed with work that needs to be done. Job centers are the best places to go..
And if all the people willing to work leave the state to find it, guess who that leaves here? Won’t the tea pot be boiling then!!!
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Sadly the buffoon does not think, he just shouts names and rants, a lot of swelled up gas is the cause:) The Blaine Manson used to be a white building till he moved in with all his relatives.
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I don’t think LePage ever thought!
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Amen ! Take from those who work to pay for the lazies! Maine, the way life shouldn’t be!
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No tea left to buy. Everyone playing Hunger games.
ALEC must have them by the throat, scared stiff and following orders.
I can see the Maine Democrat Party slogan for the fall…vote for me and I’ll raise your taxes! Sounds like a winnah!
If it wasn’t for the democrats running the State for the last thirty years, we would all be living in a rock pile. Count your blessings.
Hmmm, I wonder what would happen if all the voters in Maine went on strike? A hypothetical of course, but would the state house eventually be empty? Or if people refused to vote for a candidate and instead wrote in the name of someone in their community they believed had the integrity to listen to, talk with constituents on a regular basis….. someone who would not talk to lobbyists, who instead would say “have your members in my district call me so we can have a conversation”.
Misdirection as usual, maybe Nutting will shave, he looks like he fell into what he dropped:)
I hate to wish away the summer, but God, I can’t wait until November.
SO YOU CAN VOTE YOUR GOV AGAIN
He is just joking:)
Me ether so I can say goodby to OBAMA
They are going to do what they want to do because they can. Whatever they do it is you and I that will have to live with it. I am not opposed to living within our means. I have to do that every day and my means are becoming more and more scant. But, I am against benefits to those who are already doing quite well. And, there seems to be too much of that festering just under the surface. Look at this ALEC model bill, http://www.alecexposed.org/w/images/7/7e/8H2-Automatic_Income_Tax_Rate_Adjustment_Act_Exposed.pdf
and compare it to LD 849, http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/billtexts/SP025201.asp and draw you own conclusions.
Mean Mr. Mustard and Nowhere Man
Ah ha! Colonel Mustard did it in the library with a lead pipe. And they thought we didn’t have a clue.
I used to think Maine was special. I see we will just be ordinary.
Just look at the numbers, they do not lie. Since Regean instituted trickle down economics, corporations and the richest americans have paid less in taxes through loopholes and corporate welfare, and the average american’s taxes have gone up substantially while services that we pay those taxes for continue to get. All the while, the rich have gotten much richer, most corporations are sitting on there largest profits ever, and the poor and middle class have gotten much poorer while our services have been cut. our jobs have been shipped overseas, we’ve lost or have had reduces our pensions and benefits. How is that so hard to figure?
Just look at the numbers, they do not lie. Since Regean instituted trickle down economics, corporations and the richest americans have paid less in taxes through loopholes and corporate welfare, and the average american’s taxes have gone up substantially while services that we pay those taxes for continue to get. All the while, the rich have gotten much richer, most corporations are sitting on there largest profits ever, and the poor and middle class have gotten much poorer while our services have been cut. our jobs have been shipped overseas, we’ve lost or have had reduces our pensions and benefits. How is that so hard to figure?
cut cut it is about time!!!!!
For all the haters of our Great Governor Paul LePage, why don’t we have a fair tax in Maine. You claim you want the rich to pay their fair share, why don’t we all pay our fair share with a FLAT TAX!!!!
yes everyone in the State pay 5% income tax no exemptions.
Pay scale—you pay
1000.00 – $50.00
10,000.00 – $500.00
100,000.00 – $5,000.00
See how that work the person making $100,000.00 pays $5.000.00 and the person making $1,000.00 pays a mere $50.00
The problem is that some people believe that the poor shouldn’t have to pay even fifty dollars a year in taxes when the rich have to pay five thousand.
Flat tax is the only fair tax system there is . No loopholes nothing. fill in a one line card and your taxform is done.
P.S. Get rid of the homestead exemption and the renters rebate… There are so many programs for the poor and none for the well to do… I never could figure out why the State would refund a part of your personal property taxes..
Wow, Nutter defrauds the Mainecare system and then wants to cut it too. Pay back what you stole, you thief. I don’t trust any Maine Republican in ofice right now as they have elected this fraudster as their speaker. Obviously a person stealing from MaineCare is more acceptable then people who have to be on it. Shame on you all, you make me want to vote a party instead of a person.
The speech given by Kevin Raye made sense. I didn’t hear condescensin for those on welfare. The past legislature did not bring about every problem. The fact that a recession brought high unemployment and more people hanging around.. Ther is more theft and breakins’ into private business and homes. If the bonds can produce jobs I am for it. We don’t have to go hog wild. There will be more exodus to other states.
These Tea Party lunatics are scurrying around like rats to do as much damage to the state as they can before November rolls around. They can see the writing on the wall. They accused the democrats of dragging their feet about the budget. Of course they would want to push the budget into the next legislature. They know the pendulum is swinging back to a substantial democrat majority for the lext legislature. Could the republicans expect otherwise after the games they played a few weeks ago. They have shown that their word is not be trusted. After reaching a bi-partisan budget that had overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle, they let Mr. Slash and Burn get away with disrespecting the work that had been done and the accord that had been reached. Now they are saying they are upholding the trust of the electorate – what hogwash. Would you buy a used car from either of these “leaders”?
All you liberals need is money. Go for it!
What a bunch of BS! This budget has nothing to do with what’s good for the citizens of Maine. It’s LePage getting his way because the Republicans are afraid to stand up to him. Even my 84 year old Republican mother thinks this is the worst governor Maine has ever had. It’s going to take years to fix the mess he’s created. We’ll remember in November.
I love Paul Lepage
Me too. I love the fact that he tells it the way he sees it. He’s not saying anything different than most of us have been saying for years. The only difference between him and us is that he’s in a brighter spotlight and highly ridiculed for everything he says or does. I love the fact that he doesn’t sugar coat issues and does not talk out of both sides of his face.
“Nutting said some of higher-than-expected revenues that are projected for the next couple of years will be used to fund the tax cuts … ‘This Legislature, however, will not repeat the mistakes of the past by using a one-time windfall to put a Band-Aid over our broken system.'”
So now evidence of economic recovery is a “one-time windfall”??? Or is he trying to save money to buy his own camper? Frankly, I wish we had a few more optimists in office.
According to excerpts on MA-NE.net Maine now provides Medicaid coverage to 35 percent more of its population than the national average and MaineCare has grown from 12.5 percent of the state budget in 1998 to 21 percent now.
It will pass on party-line votes. Then we’ll wait for November.
The Democratic platform.. We want higher taxes…vote for me, we want more welfare, vote for me
The median age of people in Maine is the highest in the country at 42.2. 83% of Maine’s Medicaid expenditures go to people age 65 and over. Maybe Maine is somewhat more generous than other states, but age has a lot to do with the extra cost.
Maine’s total expenditures on Medicaid in 2010 was $2.3 billion of which the federal government paid $1.7 billion (74%). Maine paid $0.6 billion (26%). So it’s about 3 to 1. If Maine’s Republicans reduce Maine’s spending on Mainecare by $100,000,000, say, will they also turn back $300,000,000 to the federal government? If the Republicans reduce Mainecare, how much federal assistance will also be lost? Is this possibly penny wise and pound foolish?
Maybe Maine shouldn’t be trying to be like Arkansas or Mississippi. Maybe they should be trying to be like us.
All the money you talk about is from taxpayers. Even federal money comes from our pockets.
Personally, I am sick and tired of going to work each and every day and seeing healthy kids straight out of high school have a choice whether they want to work or not, knowing they will be well cared for on the backs of the working class. Since when was working for a living or not a choice? Honestly, it disgusts me.
I know it all comes out of our taxes, federal, state, and local. I’m sure there are some people who scam the system. I am even aware of members of the “working” class who scam the system, working under the table, working seasonal or temporary jobs and collecting benefits, and, I’m sure, with other schemes that I don’t know anything about. I’m also aware of members of the “upper” class, business owners, who are ethically challenged, Maine’s speaker of the house being one of them. But I think that by-and-large, Maine citizens are acceptably honest, and I think that the Republicans’ effort to reduce Medicaid/Mainecare will harm people who need the help just so that taxes can be reduced and mostly for Maine’s wealthiest residents.
I honestly hope the most vulnerable are not cut from the services they need. It upsets me when I see people who can work and are healthy enough to work but don’t because they are allowed to have the choice whether to go to work or suckle from the government teet -at our expense.
I certainly agree about most Mainers being honest. I feel the lazy should work or starve. I feel the wealthy should pay their share and maybe a little extra because they can afford to much easier than the rest of us who are struggling and trying to hold on to what we worked hard for. I feel Nutting should pay back the money he stole from us and face a trial by jury for his crimes. I also feel the republicans who voted him in as speaker should have their heads examined and maybe be voted out ASAP.
I think we are on the same side here.
It sure would help the Elderly if we got the money Nutting stole in his situation……Declared bankruptcy and walked away..! If we scammed that amount of money we would be in jail NOT the legislature.
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This is the state house,
its dome is its steeple.
Open the doors and
see all the sheeple.