J Dwight’s Perspective column July 11 contains many factual errors, especially the claim that the state’s current fiscal challenge is the legacy of former Gov. Angus King.

During his two terms as governor, King presented balanced budgets to the Legislature, as required by the Maine Constitution. Those budgets included appropriations and allocations to fully fund the Unfunded Actuarial Liability of the Maine Public Employee Retirement System, as required by the Maine Constitution. In fact, King increased transfers to the Retirement Allowance Fund that reduced the UAL.

The current state fiscal challenge results from declining revenues caused by the severe economic recession — the worst economic downturn since the great depression. The increased funding requirement of the Maine Public Employee Retirement System was caused by investment losses due to the current recession, not the actions of Gov. King.

The current state fiscal challenge is a revenue problem, not a spending problem, brought about by the severe economic recession. It is not the result of budget actions by King or Gov. John Baldacci.

Dwight’s column includes many other factual errors so numerous there is not enough space to enumerate them all.

John Nicholas, Winthrop

Editor’s note: Nicholas is a former state budget officer and commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, serving in the Baldacci administration.