Flailing Wildly
The BDN reports that Baldacci is reaching out to Republicans who have threatened a "politicians veto" referendum campaign of the borrowing in the state budget. It seems that despite the noise they've made, the GOP still has no real idea how they'll make up for the budgeted loan. They might have some tentative ideas, however.
Sen. Davis says his party already has several ideas it would like to consider as part of a deficit-reduction package. These include raising the deductible on the state employee health plan, cutting a portion of the funds in the Dirigo health program and stopping the plans to use racino revenues for scholarships and health programs and direct the money into current expenditures.
Cuts to health care and education, nice.
Visit the new Maine Politics.
posted by @ 7:53 PM 
6 comments
6 Comments:
You libs need to make up your mind. You can criticize the President for deficit spending while endorsing the practice at the state level.
Posted by George
By the way -- education and health care make up more than two-thirds of the state budget. Any cuts are going to hit those areas.
Posted by George
Seems like Republicans need to make up their minds too.
I was commenting on the politics of the possible campaign. If the GOP message is going to be "let's cut deeper into health care!" I don't see how their referendum could win.
Posted by Mike
The politics are that the referendum does not have to win at the polls to be successful. If the signatures are obtained, the bonding is put on hold until after the vote in November. The state planned to issue the bonds in August so they would have the money to balance the budget. The expectations are that obtaining the signatures will force the Democrats back to the table to try to work out a deal.
Of course, this whole thing could have been avoided by sending the borrowing package out to the voters in the first place.
Posted by George
This whole thing could have been avoided by the Democrats, and especially the Governor, having the balls to expand the sales tax base to include services, increase the lodging tax so tourists pay more, and create a new top tax bracket. They could also reform BETR, and in particular end the Double Dip where big businesses can get reimbursed TWICE for the same tax bill.
There are ways to make taxes much more fair and increase revenues. Some people, like George, don't like taxes as a rule, but they are the dues we pay to live in a civilized society. The key principles are that taxes are levied fairly and we get our money's worth out of them.
Posted by Jon
Jon: I agree that we have to pay taxes in a civilized society. The problem is that Maine already has one of the heaviest tax burden in the nation. We can quible about whether it is first, second, or tenth, but by any measure we are already heavily taxed. Your suggestions will only make that burden heavier.
Posted by George