MARCH 12, 2008 -- THE DAY IS OURS!
Maine people turned-out in dazzling numbers today to say in one voice "Maine Can Do Better!"
The following excellent video comes from PolitickerME.com.
MaineCanDoBetter.org supporters (you!) filled the Maine State House beyond capacity to deliver the message we're willing to invest in Maine people, and that tearing the fabric of our communities through short-sighted budgeting weakens us all.
Here's what the Maine newsmedia are reporting:
Thanks to the 130 Maine Can Do Better organizational partners and the 1,000 and more individuals who participated in today's amazing event!
Here's why we did it:
Serious additional cuts to MaineCare and other services in Governor's New Budget Proposal
Please join us at the State House at 10am on Wednesday, March 12th to oppose deep budget cuts and ask Maine lawmakers to find a better way for Maine!
New budget cuts were proposed yesterday to balance the state budget. Once again, these cuts fall hardest on those with low income. These new cuts include:
HEALTH CARE
- Eliminate prescription drug coverage for 18,000 MaineCare members living in poverty.
- Eliminate critically needed mental health services for thousands of Mainers. These services help keep some children and adults out of institutions, help other children succeed in school, and keep adults working and out of the law enforcement system.
- Eliminate, reduce, or delay vital home care services thousands of seniors and people with disabilities need to stay in their own homes (which are one tenth the cost of nursing homes).
- Reduce access to needed health care for adults living in deep poverty (the “non-categoricals”). This sets up the cruel and expensive cycle of people delaying needed care, getting sicker, and resorting to the E.R., where costs are shifted, making health care more expensive for all of us.
- Cut access to alcohol and drug addiction treatment services for the majority of adolescents and adults, resulting in far greater public cost for prisons, schools and hospitals.
- Eliminate podiatry services for all MaineCare members, including those with diabetes.
EDUCATION
- Reduce $34.1 million in General Purpose Aid to Education, on top of the $36.5 million reduction taken last session. These cuts are likely to result in higher local property taxes.
- Delay achieving 55% state funding of k-12 education for one more year.
- Reduce $6.5 million in the Department of Education, resulting in a 50% reduction in funding to implement Maine’s Learning Results.
- Reduce $2 million in funding for Maine’s Community College System, and
- Reduce $7 million in funding for the University of Maine System, which alone would result in a $56 million loss to Maine’s economy.
PUBLIC HEALTH & FAMILY SECURITY
- Eliminate all state funding to critical services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, putting hundreds of women and families in crisis and danger, and likely closing programs, shelters and services.
- Force thirteen family planning centers to close and reduce hours at ten more. Many of these are in rural areas where health care services are already limited. This drastic reduction will return family planning funding to a level not seen since the 1980's - a time when Maine's teen pregnancy rates were among the highest in the nation.
- Reduce reimbursement to foster and adoptive families that care for children with very significant needs. Some families may no longer be able to care for these children, while others will be reluctant to bring new children into their homes.
- Eliminate access to local General Assistance programs for 13,000 very poor families with children. General Assistance is our most basic safety net protecting people from hunger and homelessness.
- Eliminate state-funded Food Stamps for legal immigrants.
Join us to fight these cuts! Join hundreds of others to help legislators understand the harmful impact of these cuts.
Come to the State House in Augusta at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 12th. Please check in at the Welcome Center on the first floor of the State House at 10:00 am. We will give you information which you can provide to your legislator, asking them to reject these harmful cuts.
At 11:30 we will gather in the Hall of Flags for a rally highlighting the cuts and calling for the Legislature to find a better way to balance the State budget. Please bring signs opposing the cuts if you can (do not put them on stakes). We will also have some signs available. For those who can stay for the afternoon, we ask you to join us in the Appropriations Committee hearing room to show our opposition to the cuts.
Please join us--our goal is to have hundreds of Maine people come to the State House on March 12th to show our opposition to these cuts!
