Archives for "Mental Health"
MAINE CAN DO BETTER POSTPONES HEALTH CARE RALLY IN WAKE OF ARIZONA SHOOTING
AUGUSTA, ME: In the wake of this weekend’s tragic events in Arizona, the Maine Can Do Better Coalition has postponed Monday’s Affordable Care Act Rally. The rally was scheduled for 10am at the State House Hall of Flags and aimed at urging Governor Paul LePage and Attorney General William Schneider to support the Affordable Care Act.
In the place of the rally, the Maine Can Do Better Coalition is releasing this statement:
“All of us at Maine Can Do Better are deeply troubled by the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords that has left at least six people dead and another dozen or more injured.
“Today is a day to put aside our political differences and stand together as a nation. We urge all those who planned to attend Monday’s rally to instead pay tribute to the victims of this shooting by joining President Obama in his call for a national moment of silence at 11am.”
Following the rally, the Maine People’s Alliance planned to hand deliver postcards from Maine residents telling the Governor and Attorney General their personal stories about health care and why the Affordable Care Act matters to them. Those postcards will be delivered at later date.
Maine’s Supplemental Budget takes a Responsible Approach
After two months of work, on Monday night (2.22.10), the house appropriations committee voted to unanimously approve Maine’s supplemental budget.
Thanks to new revenues from the 2009 federal stimulus bill and a newer companion measure that together will directly infuse $114 million into the state budget (both of which had the support of Maine’s U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, as well as Maine’s U.S. Representatives Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree), the supplemental budget was able to restore important funds to vital public structures that were cut in the original supplemental budget proposal.
Here are some of the restorations:
- 70 million in programs serving the needs of seniors, people with disabilities and families living in poverty
- $26 million in support for k-12 education
- $11 million in funding to Maine towns and cities
- $8 million for higher education; and $5.6 million in property tax relief to low and middle income families.
Maine Can Do Better is praising this effort.
“These federal revenues and the restorations in the budget clearly demonstrate that Maine’s state and federal leaders recognize the need to preserve public structures that serve all our interests, especially in challenging times,” said Ben Dudley, spokesperson for Maine Can Do Better, “The heart of fiscal responsibility is to prevent problems from getting worse and more costly down the line. That’s precisely what the restorations in this budget do.”
To read Maine Can Do Better’s complete response to the supplemental budget click here.
Maine Can Do Better Reacts to Proposed Supplemental Budget Changes
On March 3rd, Governor Baldacci announced changes to his proposed supplemental budget. While many news reports focused on the restoration of cuts, few focused on the $360 million cuts that still remain. After deep analysis of the supplemental budget changes, it’s clear to Maine Can Do Better that, despite the positive changes, filling the remaining budget gap with cuts alone is not the right answer for Maine. Here’s a response from Ben Dudley, spokesperson for Maine Can Do Better’s to proposed changes to the supplemental budget package….
“We’re heartened by the Governor’s proposed changes to the supplemental budget. They represent substantial restorations to programs vital to the public interest, such as funding for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, disability services, mental health crisis intervention and home-based services, k-12 and higher education, and municipal revenue sharing. Clearly Governor Baldacci heard the concerns of Maine citizens and we thank him for his efforts.
“Despite this progress, there’s still major hole in the state budget: $360 million. That’s equivalent to annual state & federal funding for the Maine Departments of Agriculture, Conservation, Economic Development, Marine Resources, The Secretary of State, The Community College System, The Maine Human Rights Commission, and the state court system combined. To make up that sizable shortfall, this budget still proposes a host of harmful cuts:
- $1.8 million cut to the Low Cost Drugs for the Elderly and Disabled program;
- $45 million cut (including lost matching funds) to MaineCare, cutting access to health care, mental health services and programs for people with developmental disabilities.
- $3.7 million cut non-MaineCare mental health services;
- $500 thousand in cuts for community support programs, including family planning, domestic violence, homeless services and child abuse prevention programs.
- $82 million cut to municipalities in revenue sharing and education funding;
- $5.6 million cut to property tax circuit breaker program;
“The remaining cuts will have a real impact on Maine families and Maine’s economy as we work to rebound from this recession. Defunding programs that keep people healthy, prepare Maine’s workforce, support local communities, and preserve jobs in a difficult economy will only make things harder in the long run. Preventing problems from getting worse, and more costly, down the line will give Maine a leg up as we work toward economic recovery.
“Will Rogers said it best, ‘When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging.’ There are other options to resolving our budget problems. Instead of relying on cuts alone to close the gap, we urge state legislators and the Governor to take another positive step toward greater fiscal responsibility, one that fully considers the costs and benefits of a mix of revenues and spending cuts. It’s the only way to ensure a budget that best positions Maine for economic recovery and future prosperity.”