The Legislature had yet another opportunity to provide the citizens of Maine an option to vote on a bond package.

After months of negotiations, the governor presented to legislative leaders and the Joint Committee on Appropriations a revised package totaling $40 million, included $20 million for the Land for Maine’s Future, $9 million for transportation and $11 million for the environment.

While significantly lower than what was originally presented, we were hopeful that this was a package that both Democrats and Republicans could support. We are disappointed at our Republican colleagues’ unwillingness to move things forward for the state of Maine.

The original proposal presented to the Legislature in January was a package totaling $120 million dollars. Democrats supported the governor’s proposal, and were ready and willing to vote on it. We knew the package was in the best interests of Mainers. However two-thirds support is required from the Legislature to pass a bond package and send it to voters. Our Republican colleagues would not support it. It was disappointing to conclude the legislative session at the end of April without a bond package to present to the voters.

In June, the governor, still mindful that the state will retire $67 million in debt this year, presented a revised package of $55 million. The governor had scaled back his original proposal of $120 million in an effort to garner Republican support. Democrats supported the governor’s revised proposal, and were ready and willing to vote on it. Approving a bond package, even one significantly lower than the original proposal, would have provided funds to take care of bridges and roads, to protect Maine’s environment and to invest in Maine’s natural resources. What an incredible boost to Maine’s economy this would have been.

More recently, Republican leaders, quoted by the Sun Journal and other media outlets, indicated support for a $40 million bond package.

Specifically, during an interview on Maine Public Radio, the House minority leader said, “We came up with a number between $30 and $40 million, and, you know, that’s where we are and I don’t think we’re going to be moving much from that position. The governor’s at $55 million. So I think we can reach an agreement, we do.”

A point of contention was noted over $30 million being appropriated to the Land for Maine’s Future program.

The governor, hearing the concerns of the GOP, and again mindful that passing a bond package that would be presented to the voters for final approval was still in the best interest of our citizens, our economy and our state, proposed yet another revised package – the $40 million package, which was presented to the Appropriations Committee on Aug. 17.

The Democrats wanted to approve a bond package that would give voters the final say. The GOP deprived the citizens of their opportunity to vote on this package. Their move stopped the process and deprived Maine’s economy of a much needed shot in the arm, as this “bare bones” package would have created, by conservative measures, nearly 3,500 new jobs throughout the state of Maine. Clearly, with our state suffering the loss of so many jobs over the past several years, it would be difficult to ignore or deny the positive economic impact of passing a bond package. That is precisely what our Republican colleagues have done.

These bonds would have brought in nearly $80 million in federal matching funds – matching funds that may not be available in 2005. They would have provided the necessary dollars to repair and maintain our infrastructure. Now, as a result, many roads and bridges will not get repaired; hazardous waste sites – some of which lack viable responsible parties to pay for clean-up activities – will not be cleaned up; pollution control projects, some in our own community of Lewiston and Auburn, will not go forward.

There are many other aspects we can examine and illustrate. It is particularly disappointing that funding for the Land for Maine’s Future initiative will not go before the voters. Our Republican colleagues refused to allow voters to decide whether to protect vast areas of land in the Katahdin Mountain region from private ownership.

I am very unhappy that my Republican colleagues indicated support for a $40 million package and then turned an about-face. Why?

They could have given the voters of Maine the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not this bond package was worthy of passage.

Sen. Neria Douglass is a third-term Democrat representing Senate District 22 in Auburn, Durham, Poland and part of Lewiston. She is Senate chair for the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, and serves on the Insurance and Financial Services Committee.