Decoding the Budget...

Like people throughout Maine, the partners of Maine Can Do Better believe in working together for the common good. We know that Maine's prosperity depends on the strength of our public structure -- our laws, our schools and universities, our public health and safety agencies, our roads and bridges, and our natural resources. Maine's core is the machinery that propels our economy, and must be responsibly managed and maintained to ensure the health and vitality of Maine communities, Maine families, and Maine people, now and into the future.

The Maine Can Do Better Coalition believes in taking a balanced approach to Maine's fiscal issues by investing in our communities and families.

Maine's Budget:

Summary:

On March 31st, 2010 Governor Baldacci signed LD 1671, "An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government", which a balanced the state budget for FY 2010-201. 

Thanks to new revenues from the 2009 federal stimulus bill and a newer companion measure that together will directly infuse $114 million into the state budget (both of which had the support of Maine’s U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, as well as Maine’s U.S. Representatives Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree), the supplemental budget was able to restore important funds to vital public structures that were cut in the original supplemental budget proposal.

Here are some of the restorations:

* 70 million in programs serving the needs of seniors, people with disabilities and families living in poverty

* $26 million in support for k-12 education

* $11 million in funding to Maine towns and cities

* $8 million for higher education; and $5.6 million in property tax relief to low and middle income families.

The Budget and Job Loss:

Originally, Governor Baldacci had proposed a supplementl budget that, according to the Mane Center for Economic Policy, could have put 7,000 to 10,000 Maine residents in the unemployment line. To put that into perspective, that like:

• Maine's largest employer, Hannaford Brothers, laying off all it's workers and moving out of state; 
• The number of currently unemployed residents in Franklin, Washington, Waldo, Sagadahoc, and Piscataquis counties combined;
• Twice the number of Maine jobs at L.L. Bean; or,
• Losing every construction, manufacturing, transportation, and utilities job in the Bangor area. 

LEARN MORE by reading MECEP's job loss analysis. 

Helpful Links:

Maine Equal Justice

Maine Center for Economic Policy

Office of Fiscal and Program Review, Maine State Legislature 

Related Video:

Representative Emily Cain talks about the Budget Crisis:  

Maine Can Do Better Rally: January 11th, 2010 

More Information:  

• Governor Baldacci's current supplemental budget proposal
• Maine Can Do Better's press statement to the supplemental budget
• List of harmful cuts proposed in the supplemental budget
• Engage Maine's January 6th Issue Brief to the State Legislature: Creating Shared Opportunity