Lights, camera … The Maine Legislature has voted on numerous bills; Hampden postal workers, Maine roads and coffee drinkers have received encouraging news; and reducing the income tax rate continues to stir debate. Here’s a summary of our thoughts on the last couple days of headlines:
Yay
Both the Maine House and Senate approved late Wednesday five separate bond issues totalling $95.7 million. The decision to fund transportation projects, research and development, water and sewer systems, public higher education and the Land for Maine’s Future program brings the proposals a big step closer to voters, who should have final say.
Now we wait to see whether Gov. Paul LePage follows through and approves the bills. ( He previously said the budget should be balanced before taking on bonds). Then we can turn our attention to a different kind of Bond: James Bond — Skyfall is scheduled to be released in November.
Boo
We’re glad there’s a 2013 budget for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. But approving it along party lines for the first time since 2005? Is this Congress? We think the two sides could have found a way to compromise by easing up on some of the Republican-proposed cuts to programs and slowing down on some of their tax cuts.
We’re OK with some of the Republicans’ eliminations (such as $1.25 million for family reunification contracts, as there are 1,800 fewer children in need of the service), but they didn’t need to go as far as they did, such as by cutting $2 million from Head Start. We’re talking about providing child care services for working families. It’s not just a social issue but a long-term economic one.
Yay
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. Postal Service has established new standards that will maintain overnight delivery, ensuring that the Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Center in Hampden will continue to operate.
Talk about it coming down to the wire: the postmaster general revealed the decision about a day before the plant was scheduled to be consolidated with the processing facility in Scarborough. OK, so Congress now needs to focus on stemming the postal service’s $23 million-per-day-loss problem, but we can celebrate quickly, right? Anyone up for a stamp trading party?
Boo
Maine Republicans gave final passage to a bill late Wednesday that aims to reduce the income tax to a flat 4 percent rate. When the reserves are available, the state would put 20 percent of money that now goes into the rainy day fund into an account to gradually lower the income tax rate.
A problem occurs, though, when the state reaches that 4 percent rate and there’s no reserve money left to pay for the tax cut. It’s a concern for credit ratings agencies and even some top Republicans.
Yay
Let’s end on a caffeine high. Java drinkers are slightly more likely to live longer, according to a new study of about 400,000 people that began in 1995. While the study doesn’t prove cause and effect, the results are encouraging for our newsroom, which always has a steady supply of coffee.
Well done, positive, balanced article.
I know this comment will tick some people off, but am ready to live in the solution. It is much more fun to laugh instead of scowl. Lighten up, folks, and smell the lilacs. You just might have a good day; unless you want it some other way. ;)
You have got to be kidding me!
You fail to recognize the DHHS budget included a piece that you whined about for days: the agreement on General Assistance funding. You guys said it would be the end of the world if that piece wasn’t in there and made us all believe it was a big deal. But now, I guess you’re too caught up with mentioning the negative aspects of the budget (fed to you by the Maine Dems) that you forgot that good piece was in there.
you forgot boondoggling
Thank you for pointing out that the legislature is cutting taxes (which will primarily benefit the most wealthy in this state). This is at the expense of services to elderly, the poor, and the children of the poor. How pathetic that Republicans remain concerned only about lining their own pockets.
“I’ve never gotten a job from a poor man.”
How many times must this adage be repeated before such silly people like honey777 realize that what this state needs most is jobs, not ever-expanding entitlements, and certainly not higher taxes to pay for them.
Trickle down didn’t work 30 years ago, slapping a new name on it and calling them “job creators” doesn’t change it from being lousy policy.
thats funny because the 1980 are considered a decade of economic prosperity in the US
For who? It was the 90’s when the tech boom, not any part of trickle down, made life better for the middle class and poor. I suppose the 80’s would have been a great time for the 6 figure earners though, as it was the time when the largest gap between the 99% and 1% in U.S. history came about.
The 80’s got better after Reagan has recinded some of his early tax cuts. Yes, Reagan raised taxes….12 times. What a socialist.
Regarding the DHHS budget cuts, the BDN says, “But approving it along party lines for the first time since 2005? Is this Congress? We think the two sides could have found a way to compromise.”
Remember this quote the next time the BDN defends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Orwellian name for Obama/Pelosicare, which was passed without a single vote from the minority party through a highly corrupt budget reconciliation process.
The BDN likes to stand on principle, except when such principles interfere with its raw leftist agenda, then it’s “oh well”.
At least the BDN has admitted that head start is nothing more than a glorified free baby sitting service.