By Bonnie Washuk,Staff Writer

Whew. End of another week. Better fill out the ol’ time slip or the boss will be on my case.

8, 8, 8, 8, 8. No sick days – again. No vacation days – again.

Put my John Hancock on it and get home to the family … across the street at the Blaine House.

John Baldacci.

TGIF!

If you sometimes feel sorry for yourself after schlepping through another long week, you MAY find comfort in the fact that in some ways the governor of the state of Maine is treated like a lot of other working stiffs.

Yup, he’s got to fill out a time slip every week even though he’s salaried.

Has to show up every day, too.

He gets the same health, dental and life insurance as all the other state employees.

12 paid holidays.

12 sick days.

12 vacation days (Baldacci’s a recent hire).

And, while the average Maine worker makes about half Baldacci’s $70,000 salary, there are many Mainers – including hundreds of state workers – who make lots more.

Admittedly, after that, the comparison between Maine’s top political leader and the average working Joe begins to pale.

Aside from the obvious perks – inside connection for Cuban cigars, gets to work with 186 elected officials – he also gets: accommodations at the Blaine House (with its built-in cooks and housekeepers) a chauffeur and a $30,000 annual expense account.

Even the time-slip issue, it turns out, is not what it seems.

Asked in a recent telephone interview if he gets nagged about turning it in on time, Baldacci acknowledges his chief of staff, Jane Lincoln, takes care of the paperwork. (It’s actually on a computer.)

What hours does she put down?

He isn’t sure; he checks with his staff.

Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.

Someone else punching his time card for him?

Hardly. Despite his position’s lofty altitude, Baldacci appears to be an ideal state executive.

He works longer hours than his time slip says, gets no overtime, works weekends, has never called in sick and doesn’t take vacations.

On a typical day, Baldacci says he is at work before 8. On the other end of the day: “My wife would like to have me home by 6:30 for the family dinner. I’ve been struggling to make most of them.” He attends some events on Saturdays. Sundays are typically reserved for his family.

Even when injured, he hasn’t failed to show up for work.

In February 2004, after being hurt in an automobile crash, he worked from the Blaine House. When he slipped on ice in February 2005 and broke some ribs, he also worked from home, Baldacci says.

“I’ve been working since I was 10 or 11 in the kitchen of the family business. We learned early and often the values of hard work.” He and his seven siblings were taught “we go to work.”

Even when he has vacation time coming.

In his first year as governor, he took one week off to go to Arizona. “I enjoyed it,” he says. “I had a great time, but it was just a little bit too long. I haven’t taken another week since.”

He will not use the 12 vacation days coming to him this year or the leftovers from last year. “I will lose that,” he says, chuckling.

That’s OK, he adds. “It’s a privilege being governor,” he said, adding, “I want to use every minute of every day to do everything I can to make things happen.”