A Round-Up of Great Editorials/Columns/Opinion Pieces on the Maine Budget
Maine Voices: Cutting substance abuse prevention and treatment will only make things worse
By Steve Rowe, Published in the Portland Press Herald
“PORTLAND – The Fund for a Healthy Maine was established to ensure that annual receipts from the multistate tobacco settlement are used for health-related purposes.
The governor’s proposed budget contains some troubling cuts to the fund. One, in particular, is the curtailment of fund investments in substance abuse prevention and treatment.” Read more
Maine Voices: Governor’s budget too kind to rich, too harsh to middle class and poor
By Garrett Martin, Published in the Portland Press Herald
“AUGUSTA – As the Legislature began its hearings on Gov. Paul LePage‘s proposed budget for the coming biennium, Mainers heard a lot about the need for “shared sacrifice.”
“But upon close examination, the proposed budget demands much from working families, seniors, retired teachers and state employees while giving huge tax breaks to Maine’s wealthiest residents.” Read more.
A better state ‘jobs bill’ would target tax relief for average Mainers, not the wealthy few
By Garrett Martin, Published in the Bangor Daily News
“When he introduced his proposed budget for the coming biennium, Gov. Paul LePage called it a “jobs bill.” Rigorous scrutiny reveals that it requires huge sacrifices from working families, local governments, children and seniors, retired teachers and state employees, while the lion’s share of its benefits is in the form of massive tax breaks for Maine’s wealthy few.” Read more.
Bill Nemitz: A pointed budget message hits the mark
By Bill Nemitz, Published in the Portland Press Herald
“Some might have looked at the long lines of people waiting to testify on Gov. Paul LePage‘s proposed budget and decided it wasn’t worth it.
After all, you can wait hours for your turn to speak.
And when they finally do invite you up to the microphone, you get only three minutes.
And while there may be strength in numbers, it’s easy to wonder after a while whether those weary legislators on the Appropriations Committee — or any of us, for that matter — are truly capable of absorbing all that testimony over one full day, then another, then another …” Read more.
By the Time Record Editorial Board
“The Maine Center for Economic Policy’s two-page analysis of Gov. LePage’s proposed $6.1 billion biennium budget is topped by a provocative headline: ‘Tax plan: Winners & Losers.’
Its subhead takes that thought a step farther: ‘Governor’s tax proposals put Maine’s wealthiest taxpayers ahead of working families and compromise future prosperity.’” Read more.
We must keep Healthy Maine Fund intact
By the Sun Journal Editorial Board
“The teen smoking rate in Maine, long on the decline, is now on the increase. So, cheers to Sen. Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton, for reversing himself last week on his proposal to prevent smokers from receiving MaineCare benefits.
Saviello dropped support for his bill after learning it was unconstitutional to dictate behavior of public health clients, despite our keen desire to do so. An equally compelling reason to oppose any such move is that dropping smoking cessation awareness and basic medical care is inhumane.” Read more.
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