Hundreds from the Maine Can Do Better Coalition Rally in the State House Hall of Flags

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AUGUSTA, ME – Members of the Maine Can Do Better Coalition gathered with hundreds of concerned citizens in the State House Hall of Flags on Monday, urging the legislature to adopt a state budget that puts the interests of Maine families and communities first.

“Maine families are the heart of our communities and the true engine of our economy. Unfortunately, Governor LePage’s proposed state budget destabilizes Maine families: from those with kids to those in retirement. By eliminating health care and supports for families the Governor creates a host of deeper problems that will be more costly for all of us in the long run. Protecting families during these difficult times is the best step to prevent unnecessary future costs,” said Ben Dudley, Executive Director of Engage Maine.

Among the impacts of the Governor’s proposals are the following:

·     Families with a member with a disability and families with kids will find it more difficult to keep a roof over their heads and enough food on the table.

·     Families that fall on hard times will find it more difficult to receive local assistance with things like heat or rent payments.

·     Legal immigrants will lose assistance that provides for basic needs like food, health care and housing as they get their feet on the ground in a new country.

·     Thousands of low wage working families will be denied access to the basic health care they need to stay healthy, care for their children and stay employed.

·     Seniors and people with disabilities on limited fixed incomes will see their costs for health care, including prescription drugs, increase by hundreds of dollars.

Much of the funding cut from important family and prevention programs is used to give tax breaks to Maine’s most wealthy. Governor Lepage’s tax break proposals are extreme; they serve the needs of the few at the expense of Maine’s working and retired families, and at the expense Maine’s economic future.

“The proposed cuts in the budget will have extreme consequences for the lives of thousands of children in Maine. Research clearly shows that the effects of deep poverty and homelessness on children are profound.  They affect every aspect of their lives.  Children who live in poverty are at increased risk of poor health and poor educational outcomes.  They are more likely to have behavioral and emotional problems. They have more difficulty in school and will earn less than their peers as adults,” said Ellie Goldberg, Executive Vice President of the Maine Children’s Alliance.

“Governor Lepage proposes restriction and cuts to General Assistance and other critical programs that will weaken their ability to meet the needs of Maine residents who have fallen on hard economic times. Over time we’ll see more families losing their homes, more children going hungry, and more Mainers in shelters – like I was. We can’t let this happen,” said Marcia Frank, an advocate for Homeless Voices for Justice and Navy veteran who found herself homeless after losing her job and falling on tough economic times.

“Like many other immigrants, I have worked at jobs and paid taxes while working. I worked very hard as do many other immigrant people, taking all the overtime work available to me and working on my school vacations to support myself and my family. Like all immigrants, however, I get laid off from my job from time to time. Especially during periods of unemployment, my fellow immigrants and me need help to keep healthy and food on the table  through the rough times. Governor LePage’s proposed budget would eliminate many of these benefits which are available to all legal immigrants,” said El-Fadel Arbab, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Darfur who relied on important safety net programs while working towards his U.S. citizenship. These programs, like Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, MaineCare, and Food Supplement, would not be available to legal immigrants under the Governor’s state budget proposal.

“Many of the initiatives in the Governor’s proposed budget will adversely affect seniors and adults with disabilities and represent irresponsible fiscal policy. While the proposals may yield short term savings there is no doubt that the impact in the long term will be devastating and will ultimately cost the state more,” said Carol Kontos, AARP Maine State President.

“To our Governor and our legislators, we say, ‘don’t drop the baton.  Don’t let Maine drop out of the generations-long advance toward a more just and compassionate way of living together in community.  Don’t drop the baton, because people before us worked too hard to carry it along and hand it to us,” said Jill Saxby, Executive Director of the Maine Council of Churches.

The Maine Can Do Better Coalition asks Maine’s leaders to confront state spending and revenue decisions, by keeping these priorities foremost in their minds: prevention of future fiscal problems, ensuring opportunity for all Maine families, and preserving retirement security.