AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage is defending his proposed two-year budget, including revenue-sharing cuts that have already created a furor among cities and towns.
Gov. Paul LePage
In his weekly radio address, the governor says he'd like to share more money with towns and cities, but the state simply does not have it. LePage also takes issue with opponents of his plan to temporarily suspend revenue sharing, saying their estimate of $284 million in overall losses is overblown.
The governor asserts that revenue sharing has not been fully funded for years, dating back to his predecessor, Democrat John Baldacci .
LePage acknowledges he doesn't have many popular options when it comes to balancing a budget. But he says times are tough and hard choices need to be made.
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Times are tough,
Hard choices do have to be made, however passing the states shortfall onto the towns that have done their best to stay on track with their own budgets. And when the state fleeced the towns long ago in the ability to charge tax on town level. It is a contract to pay the towns that revenue sharing period. And to stop paying the states bills is a crime. We the towns and the cities are owed that revenue and to figure it OK to withhold it because they, the state did not have their house in order, is a crime. Our state is in trouble if I remember part because of bad investments when we had a surplus of monies. When the bottom fell out of the economy they lost huge monies. We the tax payers can not afford more property taxes. We are not to blame for those bad decisions at the top. Now Maine pay up and Governor LePage get a grip, to fail to pay the towns is not balancing the over all budget it is just shifting period. You have got to know this and look deeper for other ways to balance our state budget. LOOK to those programs that are in the mental health field, the programs that pay several social workers to over see one person. Also those programs that worked well when the group homes bid the services. And they managed the care of those in their care. Look to those programs that take a teenager place the way ward teen into the home, and pay someone huge monies each and every month to house them. As an in term house after, having been in trouble. Why not train the parent how to take control of their own teen period and save us all $2,500+ per month. Fat in lots of poorly run agencies, and we now pay the middle men, just adding to the whole darn cost. LePage look deeper and smarter.
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