AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage is close to issuing a spending curtailment order that requires state agencies make $35.5 million in immediate cuts to keep the current year’s budget in balance amid a diminished revenue picture.
LePage spokeswoman Adrienne Bennett said late Wednesday the administration is making final details for a curtailment order, and said she expected the governor to issue it Thursday. The order had been expected as early as Wednesday.
“The governor’s analyzing the impacts on various programs,” Bennett said. “He’s making sure he understands the full details and the full impact.”
LePage was in meetings throughout much of the day to work out the specifics of the curtailment order, Bennett said.
“He wants to ensure it’s done in a meaningful way, that it’s not across-the-board cuts,” she said. “Every choice is difficult.”
The $35.5 million curtailment is a temporary measure to keep the budget in balance as state revenue collections slip. State law requires that the cuts be made as equitably as possible across state agencies and programs. The reductions remain in effect until lawmakers take action.
Curtailment has been a likelihood for nearly a month, since the state’s Revenue Forecasting Committee revised its tax revenue projections downward for the current budget year by $35.5 million. The downward projections were the result of sales and income tax collections — both corporate and individual — that have come in below estimates for the year.
Finance Commissioner Sawin Millett formally recommended at the start of December that LePage order a curtailment. Since then, LePage and others in the administration have met with state agency heads to determine where to make cuts.
The pending curtailment order sets the stage for a busy budget season when lawmakers arrive in Augusta for the Jan. 8 start of the legislative session.
The LePage administration is expected soon to propose a supplemental budget package to keep the current budget — which remains in effect through June 30, 2013 — in balance. In addition to lower revenue projections, that task is complicated by a $100 million shortfall in the state’s Medicaid program that the LePage administration attributes to an increase in the use of Medicaid services and the state’s inability to make about $20 million in Medicaid cuts that federal officials have yet to approve.
Legislative leaders have said they plan to convene the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations Committee as soon as they have a budget proposal in hand.
In addition to a supplemental budget package, the administration is set to unveil its proposal on Jan. 11 for a new two-year budget, which would take effect July 1, 2013.
In addition to projecting shortfalls this year, the Revenue Forecasting Committee estimated that revenues for the two years covered by the next state budget would fall $125.2 million short of previous forecasts, inflating the state’s structural budget gap estimate to $880 million for the next two-year budget cycle.
The structural gap is the amount by which expenditures would exceed revenues if state spending continues essentially at the same level, if the state meets all its spending commitments and if actual revenues don’t stray from projections.
I have a dollar that says the governor and his “special assistant” will not be facing wage or budget cuts.
Any takers?
It is the Democrats in the legislature who are trying to give themselves and their cronies pay raises, not the Governor, who by the way is the lowest paid governor in the country.
Good to know we get what we pay for
Still, that makes him (and his family members he’s also put on our payroll) paid more than they’re worth.
All the while school retired superintendents like myself are allowed to double dip back on salary. What don’t you understand? The makers are not paying in enough for the takers.
Nice ID you got there Mr. Super. You do know that Mr. LePage thinks you double dippers are little more than “takers” as well? In this singular instance (in a way) I kinda agree with him. After all in the state of Maine supers are the best paid do nothing lying sacks of poo poo, second only to Mr. LePage and his extended family whom we taxpayers are also now supporting.
Seems that “takers” are everywhere huh? You want to care for and feed rich ones with your tax dollars and I want to care for and feed poor ones with mine. Follower of logic or the great religious leaders and philosophers you clearly are not.
For the unintelligent, uninformed, unwashed masses, know this:
A public servant retiree in Maine, who takes their state pension, and upon reaching 62 or 65, whenever they choose to take their social security benefit, the state of Maine reduces their retirement income by the amount they would receive from SSA.
That is a fact and it really sucks!
And, I receive a pension and SSA from out of state, but the good ole state of Maine still forces me to pay state income tax on my pension.
It just pisses me off that I have to PAY to live here…..but we’re working to correct that.
are you planning on moving….? That ,it seems, would correct a lot for you. You have an out of state pension, to you were a giver in another state, but come to Maine to be the taker? I am in the same boat as you, but mine both come from the state of Maine, which you can imagine, suck. They take more than they give, but to whine about it and carry on, isn’t going to change things. There is still going to be all the low life druggies that we will support forever because they have no intentions on working. Lepage will fix that. You can’t fix 100 years of mistakes and screw ups in 2 years, it takes time. I think he is on the right track, it is just overwhelming. I always have the choice to move and enjoy life somewhere else, where it may be better, but I have hope for this state. They just need to poke away at the big mess that has been made over the years. stop giving to the un-needed welfare recipients and take care of the elderly. If someone genuinely needs help, thats fine, giving is good but for lazy, drug addicted bums that will never work because they don’t have to is plain entitlement and needs to be stopped. They got themselves into the messes they are in, let them have the willpower to get themselves out of it. Closing methadone clinics would be a good start. Maine is just an easy place to do absolutely nothing and get paid for it. A new justice system would change things drastically. Now, they do stupid things to go to jail in the winter time so they have a place to stay because it certainly isn’t a punishment anymore. Its cheap and easy. The state selling cigarettes to inmates now at the low security facilities makes it an even better bonus. 5.00 a pack is cheaper than on the streets. Just another “perk” for going to jail. Next, they will allow alcohol,(because its legal on the outside) and methadone clinics to help the poor souls. We need an overhaul, which in time, LePage will do.
The State of Maine also taxes military pensions and gives ex-spouses of servicemen 40% of their pension, even after 20+ years of service and the marriage only lasted 13 years, and the ex has remarried! Thank you for keeping us at the poverty level, Maine. We are planning to live elsewhere when we can afford to move.
Last year, I was working diligently with the Governor’s office and several Republican state representatives to change Maine’s tax code to exempt retired military, law enforcement & firefighter/paramedics from state income tax.
Of the 41 states having an income tax, 22 provide exemptions to those I just mentioned.
When the proposal was put to the state senate, the demorats shot it down….big surprise there…and instead, as a “throw ya a bone” gesture, upped our deduction from 6,000 to 10,000 dollars…be still my heart, which does not take effect until 2014.
With demorats in control of both houses, we stand no chance of ever getting this type legislation passed. The demorats are the problem, not the solution.
The “takers” including people who got laid off and can’t find another job, hungry children, the disabled, and the elderly. And of course you, with your “double-dipping.” Geesh. if you feel morally opposed to doing it, then stop.
Then just say no to the $$$
Here’s a little detail for ya Gov’nah. The Maine Maritime Academy receives $9,000,000 filched from the wallets and purses of dawn to dusk working taxpayers ($10,000 per student per year) for its body of 900 of which nearly 1/2 are aggressively recruited jocks from out of state .. who graduate from this sports and spa + Carribean cruise facility and never look back. I know.. I know .. I realize that it’s extremely difficult to find this stealth item intentionally buried deep in your budget far away from public view .. but it’s there and draining your decreasing resources.
I’m starting to get the impression that you applied and didn’t get accepted to Maine Maritime Academy
A little advice for you .. You should not rely on your impressions to influence your investment choices nor guide your love life, and you certainly should never agree to be on jury duty.. because with certainty you would be bankrupt on the first, divorced on the second, and a very dangerous loose cannon on the third. In short .. your wrong. Never applied, never wanted to apply, and would not attend even with LePage’s $40,000 enticement gift, 4 years of intense sports, or winter sun drenched cruises to nowhere.
Coolfusion’s not fit to iron the Japanese sunrise out of Gunny’s jockey shorts.
Coolfusion is obsessed with MMA and while occasionally clever, cannot put behind him that he cratered as a MUG. He was stressed by a deckie striker and quit when he realized that MMA didn’t have a badminton team.
What are you talking about?? Every power plant in the state of Maine and beyond are full of MMA Grads.
Agreed- at least some. Then these PP employees should have applied to UMS’s focused power plant engineering programs in the first place. The global shipping industry has gone bust in the last 5 years.. 210+ ships are anchored and sitting idle off of Piraeus and more are anchored idle in ports along the north sea. Crews and Chiefs are now being recruited from developing countries.
See my reply to you above.
You get what you pay for! In this case, much less.
Umm, if I remember correctly, they started all of the constitutional office’s as well as Clerk, and Secretary of the Senate at base pay. What’s your point? Who’s “working it”. And considering his job performance, he get’s what he deserves. $70,000.00 ? He would be the first one to say…..It’s not enough, but, if we keep cutting…..
Cut taxes=reduced revenue=cut budget=repeat.
The Pub’s Book of Government.
How would you fix Obamas mess? That is the root cause of this shortfall.
And also the worst gov.
only in the eyes of the live off your neighbor crowd.
That would be TPers-the biggest bunch of frauds and liars that ever walked the earth.
no that would be the progressives that use the poor for their votes and personal gain.You know the ones that believe their neighbor should pay their way.
The only person in the LePage administration, who deserves a raise, is his spokesperson, Adrienne Bennett…in fact, she should be paid more than Paulytics himself, for just being able to pass the straight face test, every time she speaks for him!
I’m sure if the governor was doing his job for free, you will still crab about his salary. If he had a D after his name, he would have attained Hero status by now.
Here’s a little detail for ya Gov’nah. The Maine Maritime Academy receives $9,000,000 filched from the wallets and purses of dawn to dusk working taxpayers ($10,000 per student per year) for its body of 900 of which nearly 1/2 are aggressively recruited jocks from out of state .. who graduate from this sports and spa + Carribean cruise facility and never look back. I know.. I know .. I realize that it’s extremely difficult to find this stealth item intentionally buried deep in your budget far away from public view .. but it’s there and draining your decreasing resources.
Oh give it a rest! The MMA places 96% of their graduates in jobs after they graduate, it is only one of four publicly funded maritime schools in the country, and the fallacy of your argument is there isn’t even 450 athletic spots at the school. $9 million may seem like alot, but in a two-year budget of $1.2 Billion, who gives a crap – well only you do. Besides the school honors our rich maritime traditions and history.
Check your figures.. not even close to 96% these last two years. The MMA has more coaches than engineering instructors. Any facit of marine education that is consumed at the MMA can be acquired better by joining the Navy or Coast Guard who have modern resources and robust training programs that meets today’s demands. If it’s “tradition” that is the only sole driver (and it seems that it is).. put the MMA funding in the state museum and Maine archives budget. LePage can’t afford tradition.. it’s a new global economy and every spent $ counts .. and pro-athletes and sailing instructures are in surplus.
Doubly redundant.
My brother has been in the merchant marines for years and pays a lot of taxes to Maine.M.M.A was a great decision .wish i would have instead of self employment in this liberal state.
The Governor is paid $70,000 per year – hardly an excessive salary given the responsibility of his job.
Yep, and the Governor of Vermont is paid twice as much for 1/3 the land size and half the population.
Maybe LePage will move to Vermont!
Best comment I’ve read all day!!
Get your facts straight, IN ADDITION TO HIS SALARY THE GOVERNOR GETS A $30,000 STIPEND! I’m sure your friends at the Maine Heritage Policy Center will confirm this for you.
What did Baldacci make? I’m fine with him making $100k, I’m fine with any governor regardless of their political affiliation making it given the amount of crap they put up with.
The point is that the governor of Maine regardless of their political affiliation is not the underpaid pauper you thought.
Oh the poor suffering darlings.
Considering what a lousy job he’s doing, his salary should be cut in half.
Or maybe a truly excessive amount given his pathetic performance on behalf of the people of Maine.
Well since the first order of business for the spendocrats was trying to get pay raises.Maybe the progressives that left us this mess should not get paid until it is fixed.This is what we deserve for reelecting the very band of pickpockets that spent us into this mess.
Your losing streak continues.You lost on gay marriage and your precious R’s got thrown to the curb across the board.America won.
He doesn’t ‘get it’….keeps on spouting off and continuing to blame one party. Wonder what it’s like to go through life peering out of a myopic lens?
Americas workers lost!
Have you checked your “likes” and “dislikes”…not many agree with your philosophy or thinking.
I do realize that the takers out weigh the makers here.Entitlements are good for the BDN blog.
It’s too bad some people see the world so black and white, as if it’s simply one way OR another way…with nothing in between. No wonder the legislature can’t compromise and people (like yourself it seems) categorize others as EITHER ‘takers’ or ‘makers’. When (or if) you worked in the public sector, like say as a social worker, a teacher, or a psychologist, you’d see it’s not broken down as EITHER a ‘taker’ or a ‘maker’. But then again, you’d have to compromise with yourself, look in the mirror, actually listen to other points-of-view and not just see it one way/your way. Sad.
White wash it like a good progressive.But the great divider has given us makers and takers that is true reality.
It fascinates me the way Republicans have twisted language to serve their schemes. My husband and I have worked all our lives and paid into Social Security. We are entitled to receive benefits. Therefore it is an entitlement. He served in the military and is entitled to his military pension.
One purpose of our taxes has been to fund social programs in case we or anyone we love ever needs them. One of our daughters was born with a disabling genetic disorder. She is entitled to and receives SSI, SSDI, and Medicare.
According to Republicans, if you are entitled to something, by definition it is something that you should NOT receive. Indeed, paying into a program and being entitled to receive something from it makes you a –gasp!–“taker.”
Guess what, timjy. One day YOU might become disabled and/or old. YOU might have a disabled child or grandchild. YOU might lose your job and be unable to find another.
At that point, the people giving you “likes” on these pages will be sneering at you as a “taker.”
No one wants people in need to struggle.The truth is republicans want the money to go directly to the needy.The dems want to strain it through their pockets first.
When social programs are slashed, money “goes directly to the needy” by what method, pray tell? Please don’t tell me you hope for it to be funneled through churches.
Gov.King worked for nothing.Perhaps Mr.LePage should show his leadership and do the same.
Gov. Romney passed up his Governorship salary too. Just think how much money the country could have been saving on the Presidential vacation budget right now.
“George W. Bush, was on vacation more — 1,020 days — than any U.S. President since Herbert Hoover and possibly more than any other President in history… Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was in office 12 years from 1933 to 1945, was on vacation less days than President Bush at 958 days… Lyndon Johnson,…spent 484 days at his ranch in Texas and at Camp David during his presidency…Some claim the cost of Bush’s frequent trips to Crawford, Texas cost taxpayers upwards of $20 million…
“When you add the days President Bush spent at Kennebunkport, Maine, he spent a total of 1,020 days away from the White House — close to 3 years. At 1,020 days, Bush was close to being on vacation more days than President John F. Kennedy’s total days in office (1,036)….” [http://politic365.com/2012/05/08/obamas-vacations-of-any-president-bush-racked-up-the-most/]
“POTUS Tracker, compiled by The Washington Post, shows that from January 2009 to October 31, 2012, Obama spent all or part of 72 vacation days in a variety of places, mostly Hawaii in the winter and Martha’s Vineyard in the summer.” [http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/235844/deconstructing-the-5-most-ridiculous-myths-about-barack-obama]
The national choice for President this past election was between two candidates. Gov. Romney would have handled his vacation budget differently than Obama is presently handling his based upon his record.
You are free to paint by the numbers and you can create excellent velvet art by doing so. However, these two men created their own self-portraits of character and judgement long before the numbers games started.
Wow–nice effort to dodge the implications of my clear response to your statement.
I do agree about the “character and judgment” thing. As I recall, one of the candidates was a prep school bully who ganged up on a gay kid with some other sociopaths, held him down, and scissored off some hair.
Perhaps I expected incorrectly that referencing Gov Romney and the President in the same post it would be read as about the two of them exclusively.
Do you really want to open up the personal baggage that Obama carried into Office?
Governor king worked for wind ,period! he got all the pay he needed by securing his buddy’s
Plus lifetime benefits, lifetime retirement, living expenses while in office, etc etc
I can’t afford a dollar.
So what?
I have a dollar that his daughter will also not be taking a single cut. My guess is that things he finds irritating will take the cuts…period.
Notice how this little surprise is happening juuuust before the new Leg. comes into office?My my how convenient.
Does anyone remember the Ronco stud maker or glass cutter?(that’s how interested I am in this article).
I’m betting on Mr. LePage putting an absolute crush on the needy and low income earners. He’ll do so for two reasons.
1. Out of personal satisfaction or his own (misguided) perception that it’s politically beneficial for him to do so.
2. As the “Agitator in Chief” he thinks it’s his duty to do his best to tick off and test the new Democratic majorities in both the Maine House and Senate. This will be his first in a predictable series of shots at telling them that he thinks about as highly of them as he does the average citizen/voter of Maine.
StillRelaxin, you “have hit the nail on the head; and I’m guessing next on LePage’s vendetta list to take a big hit…will probably be our “promise” for Maine’s future – the EDUCATION for our children! Please, if anyone here has any connection with Paulytics…tell him charter schools will not work for the whole State of Maine!
Well, look at all the tax dollars that currently are going directly into the classrooms. You can’t possibly think that a man like Mr. LePage will be able to pass up an enormous opportunity to put tons of that cash into for profit schools and the pockets of some of his business friends that furnish or supply for profit schools? Telling him to back off from that will meet with about as much success as telling him to stop putting LePage family members on the public taxpayer’s payroll.
Of course charter schools look like they deliver “results” as far as standardized testing goes. They have the students who are the best of the best, and no special ed students (who are included in testing results of public schools).
Are you ever going to get over it?
He is just taking orders from a higher power.
Guess which one (or ones)? :-)
The Federal Government is no longer supporting the States, they have more important obligations overseas to other governments, so the States are on their own, in turn, the States are not supporting the towns, so, yup, our real estate taxes are increasing each year, the real bottom dollar here is not the State, but the Federal Government giving our money away all over the globe, this must stop, we need as a nation, to take care of our own.
And the Gov’nah needs to take care of his own and not care take recruited jocks from out of state . 1/3 of this entire shortfall can easily be recouped immediately with NO downside. See coolfusion’s comments below.
Just as I suspected. You have that MMA slam in permanent storage, don’t you. You could just spare us the grief and cite your previous redundant posts.
Your property taxes, as predicted will be going up to cover the shortfall from the tax cuts for the rich.
Why must you keep lying about “tax cuts for the rich?”
Are you truly unaware of the special tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires that GW Bush put through? He indulged them at a time when he was starting 2 permanent wars costing billions of dollars. Yes, he decreased federal revenues while funneling our middle class tax dollars into war expenses. Then the Republicans said–Gosh! A deficit! Better slash the social safety net!
We are talking about Maine here.
Don’t you know PoliticallyRight(wing) gets all his information from the politically rightwing propagandists on FauxSnooze and Radio VOMit?
Much worse than maddow and sargent shultz.Right.
what are some of the tax breaks for the rich.Are you talking about them paying 50-70% of all taxes.Is that the big break they get.
In terms of income distribution stats, the top 1% of households accounted for a little more than one-third of total net worth in 2010. The next 9% of households (the 90th to 99th percentile) held two-fifths of all wealth. Taken together then, the top 10% of wealth-owning households accounted for a disproportionate share (74.5%) of total wealth.” [http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33433.pdf]
Thus, the top 10% in income own 75% of the nation’s wealth. Yet (if I accept your figures), they pay only 50% to 70% of taxes?
The ultra-wealthy generally get their wealth from increases in value of their stocks, mutual funds, and other investments. They have plenty of ways to shelter this income from taxes, even without special deals.
Also, “There is greater financial inequality than simple net worth disparities. Various sociological statistics suggest the severity of wealth inequality… with the top 10% possessing 80% of all financial assets [and] the bottom 90% holding only 20% of all financial wealth… in 2007, the top 1% of the population owned 42.7%, the next 19% of Americans owned 50.3%, and the bottom 80% owned 7%. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States]
So… 80% of Americans sharing just 7% of the nation’s wealth. The 1% to 10%s at the top are enjoying huge tax breaks, while the rest of us watch Republican efforts to slash our Social Security, Medicare, and even pensions.
Here’s a vivid graph that illustrates this income distribution: http://www.lcurve.org/
The tax reform passed by the Republican-led 125th was slanted towards low/middle income, unlike the “tax reform” (read tax increases) passed by the Democrats in 2009 which was subsequently vetoed by the people. That tax plan lowered the top rate by 2 full percentage points – not that there is anything wrong with that. The R tax reform lowered in only by .5% – not enough but better than nothing.
Again what tax breaks do the rich get that we do not?Very simple those that strive every day make money make money.It is all about life decisions.What is income distribution? If a person works for money they deserve it.No one distributes it to them.It is their money not ours.
Did you not read the responses and click on the websites? It’s right there for you in black and white…unless you’re incapable of gleaning information from charts and graphs…or words.
So if i earn more money than you i should be responsible for all the taxes.All these charts show is life decisions some make better than others.Does that mean those that make the right decisions should be penalized for success. Why should the percentage on a million be any higher than a hundred.Has America come to the point where we should bring everyone down to a mediocre level rather than striving for more.
Right decisions–Gosh, how I wish I’d chosen to have wealthy parents and grandparents, so I could’ve been a trust fund kid!
What those charts show is that extremely wealthy people have been making out like bandits. They often have inherited money, and their “earnings” come from stocks and bonds (no hard labor involved), or else they are among the CEOs whose salaries have increased by a factor of 50 to 100 over the years while workers become more and more productive yet see pay cuts, the end of pensions, and layoffs.
So every rich person is a trust fund baby.Wow! I do see it gets you a high post in state government.Believe it or not unlike what the president tells you.Anyone can still go out and make his or her fortune if you so desire.It is just a matter of decisions in life.Americans need to get back to striving for the good life.Not waiting for a sharp talking politician or a neighbor to give it to them.
“all the taxes”, “penalized”, “bring everyone down”, “mediocre”, Gee! A little parnoid are we!? Above the common man are we?
But I see you’re serious, I’m sorry. And no amount of telling you that a loaf of bread costs a man making a hundred bucks the same as a man that makes a million. Who can more afford it? Who needs it more to provide for his family? Who needs it more to make America a better place to live for all? Who takes more advantage of the America that we have ALL bought and paid for?
Just do not believe in taking from others to pay my bills.
Before the tax cuts, the highest marginal income tax rate was 39.6 percent. After the cuts, the highest rate was 35 percent. The cute notion was that a grateful upper class would shower jobs down onto the rest of us. Or at least let them trickle down. A few? Maybe? Please? Didn’t happen.
Do you really mean “what is income distribution” as a question? The distribution of income among various percentages of Americans is illustrated in the charts I provided. The Bush special tax breaks caused a reverse Robin Hood effect in which money was vacuumed up from the middle class and the poor, and into the pockets of the ultra-wealthy.
I don’t think you understand the difference between macro and micro economics and your examples of individual effort and reward have nothing to do with economic policy.
Stop watching fox news and take a economics course.
The US government has spent trillions on R&D over the decades and that knowledge was handed over to private industry for free. Currently there’s about $180 in subsidies going to corporations and another $80 billion in local tax breaks and give aways. GE paid no taxes and 5,000 of the 47% that Romney talked about who pay no taxes are millionaires.
The issue is government policy that supports a sustainable economy. The reality is that in spite of all this assistance to US corporations they still lost the auto, steel, paper, and now they are losing the IT business.
If these titans of business are so great to earn your admiration, how is it that they can’t compete on the global stage?
Has demand for autos, steel, and paper decreased globally? No, so why don’t we have a significant market share? Don’t say labor cost or environmental regulation because the winners in this race, Germany, etc are all more unionized than we are. They have national healthcare and twice the welfare costs as us?
We have $8 trillion parked in offshore banks.
PoliticallyRight probably thinks you are lying too.
It basically the same thing Boss LePage has done, cut Maine’s security net for health care and when it shows a deficit wrail on about why! And then proceed to cut the budget even more to offset the deficit he created, what a friggin tool!
Why must you keep making these lame statements without a credible link to back up your claim?
The Repubs eliminated the top tax bracket and raised the threshold for Capital. Gains. How many times do we have to explain it to you?
That is not correct. Maine gets back more money than it sends in from the Feds than 40 other states. These facts are easy to look up if you’d rather spend some time getting the facts than repeating b.s.
Yeah, it’s vitally necessary to look after American corporate arms merchants by buying fighter jets from them to give to savages in Saudi Arabia.
Obama’s answer for gun control is take them away from Americans and give them to every other country.
Does this story have anything to do with President Obama or gun control? It’s no wonder we can’t get anything done when so many folks can’t stick to one conversation/topic at a time. Or is this just another attempt at deflection from anything connected to Mr. LePage’s demonstrated lack of leadership?
Mr Obama’s decision to divide the takers and the makers has everything to do with this discussion.As always the progressives need to find a a scapegoat to cover for their pickpocket programs that expect their neighbor to support.
sheer and utter nonsense, the rich have never been richer, have never paid less in taxes, the poor have never been poorer (since the depression), the middle class has been stagnant while CEOs pay and benefits have flourished. There used to be a time when the boss understood that it was the workers that made him money! Now the bosses want the money they used to share with their employees and let the workers be damned. They now see the workers astheir enemy. Their arrogance and greed will lead to the downfall of this country.
So if Obama steals every last penny of tax money from everyone he thinks should be stolen from and gives it equally to everyone he thinks it should be given to how will you be able to tell the poor from the middle class?
Would you like that future time better than the “used to be a time” you lament?
what a disingenous argument, typical right wing tripe, come on man if you can’t do better than that silly diatribe, then just don’t…
The question was…Which choice would you prefer…a middle class or no middle class?
Still a disingenous question! A right wing method of stating the extremes and calling them fact and scaring the lowest common denominator Fox news tyeps into submission. Maybe Obama, being half black is trying to take away your guns so he can force all white women to be coupled with black men so that the unitied state is all minorities! Is a damn silly postulation isn’t it! As silly your saying taxing the middle class to poor status, which is exactly what our black president is against. It’s about maintaining the middle class while making the rich pay more, in the 50 and 60s the rich paid almost twice as what they do now and the rich were STILL rich!
Why do you feel so strongly about protecting a class of people that will sell the US jobs to China or Vietnam for a few more pennies.
I don’t know where you’ve been all this time but it’s about time someone told you that the middle class has been hanging onto it’s status as “middle class” by the whites of its fingernails against the non-stop sucking sound pulling them into poverty. Plenty have fallen and plenty more are almost there.
Obama couldn’t care less about the middle class and you incorrectly assume to know where my allegiances are.
On the contrary I know full well that the middle class is stagnant, “hanging on” you called, I already said that ! Who doesn’t know it.. and you blame the govt! Come on dude, you know full well why the middle class hasn’t seen a betterment in 30 years! It’s because corporations and CEOs have sold the United States and it manufacturing power to others. Other places where workers work for 2 bucks a day. Romney even crooned about the days when a US company could lock it’s workers in a building and pay them what he wished (it’s in the 47% video). Real money is in making things, we have a service economy which rely on others to supply us with stuff we taught them how to make, and why is this? Greed! And NOT the greed of a poor man trying to feed his family. So your argument is false and saying things like “So if Obama steals every last penny of tax money” is a clear indication of where your allegiances lie. LePage will make up the difference on the backs of those who can least afford it, and you’re good with that. I know where you allegiances lie.
You really swallow the crap MSDNC tells you that the middle class will see no taxes? Wow
What in hell is the MSDNC? Hey if I gottah pay more taxes, so be it, IF we all pay our fair share so be it! We have two wars to pay for.
I pay my bills. But back to Boss LePage, he has been a disaster, we have lost jobs since he took office, he has done things with the budget that make no sense, and the more he messes it up the more everyone will pay for it. Your property taxes are going to go up, if you rent your rent will go up. Cutting $35m will have for reaching affects, for more than the $35 million. I can’t help but think of this guy as a bully and can’t but help see that he relishes the pain he causes.
Do you really believe Mr Lepage wants to cut 35 million? Do you really think he wants more hassles like this.Reality check is lepage has been trying to pay back debt like hospitals that have been used to balance past budgets.All the while calling out what fraud and abuse he can find from past admins.2 years of cleanup does not clean up 30 years of corruption.What has he done to change the budget so drastically?MSDNC is home to the soros puppet show starring Mr Ed I think Miss Maddow and tingles the clown Mathews.Good comedy and satire though.Still do not know where mubbles that was before maddow went?
That’s his problem…calling out fraud and abuse when there is none. That’s all he’s done is howl at the moon…
He hasn’t paid back the hospitals, he just talks. He hasn’t cut spending, he’s increased it.
This $35 million will produce a further decline in Maine’s economy and it the tax cuts he got passed stay in effect it will be worse in the future.
Lepage works for the likes of the Koch brothers. They are too stupid to compete so they have their hand in your pocket. We can bust all the unions and privatize everything. Pay teachers $5/hr and we will still fail to compete on the world stage. It is a race to the bottom.
The EPA started its war on American manufacturers decades ago. Congress joined in on the carnage with dollar signs in their eyes as they taxed, taxed more and taxed to death the very companies that provided jobs to middle class America. Unions exacerbated the cost to profit ratios companies were facing. Push after push, these private companies did what they needed to do and moved to where they could actually make money again.
Do I blame the government? Yes…I do.
I repeat…you do not know where my allegiances are.
the EPA, would you rather walk across the Androscoggin and the Keenebec? The Androscoggin was once the most polluted river in the nation… something had to be done. The Unions gave us 40 hours weeks, child labor laws, sick leave, vacation, weekends, safety on the job and so much more we take for granted (if the unions dissappera stop think and take a realistic look at where we’ll be 30 week, no benefits, and more people on welfare, like most Walmart and Mardens workers are already. Your allegainces are corporate/conservatism(whatever that means these days)
Have you taken your crusade to China? If the companies that moved there had to pay what the EPA and unions wanted them to pay here perhaps the jobs would move elsewhere…..again.
If we had focused on producing excellence instead of taking money from workers pockets we would have never lost that business. Unions as a political force were a hedge to raw greed. They lobbied for protections of important American industries.
Labor is a relatively small percentage of the cost of making steel or paper and most value added industries. The industries America lost were lost due to quality and productivity from lack of investment. Japan took the auto industry from us because they made quality cars of the type people want to buy. They didn’t destroy their unions to do it. They operate under tougher environmental rules and pay more in taxes.
The American auto industry lost hundreds of billions in profit because they failed to invest. It is the same story for steel and paper.
Apple invented the iphone because Steve Jobs persisted against the corporate culture of a quick buck. Let the Chinese assemble them, there’s no money in that for us, but there is in automating that process and we could take all of that back along with Samsung and everyone else, but we let Apple park their profits offshore and it will be Germany or Norway who automates this process.
The one thing that America had going for us is creativity and innovation, but that is useless without investment in R&D.
Meanwhile America spends a trillion dollars a year on the military.
Macroeconomics 101…guns or butter.
Omission of the parallel business analysis is quite clever of you unless you are ignorant of any governmental laws and regulations regarding investments which impacted the economic battleground.
This same scenario took place in Maine.It was a race between unions and government who could milk a company dry first.And we wonder why we are 50th? Right!
I worked in the Maine paper industry. Mills were pulling millions of gallons of water from the rivers, heating it to 115 and then dumping back loaded with thousands of tons of expensive fiber. The EPA did the industry a favor.
Maine paper mills lost market share to northern Europe. While American paper was destroying it’s unions, European mills who had already applied the best available technology took that market share on quality. This simply proves that American business cannot compete on the global stage.
Look around you. Global demand for steel, concrete and paper are increasing. We’re not winning that business because we didn’t invest.
More right wing talking points. The truth is that environmental regulation created a entire new economic segment in addition to reducing the health effects of pollution.
Your argument falls flat. Countries like Germany have tougher environmental regulations and higher taxes and they are beating us economically. Maine paper manufacturing lost market share to northern Europe because of quality issues. Japan took a huge bite out of our auto industry because of quality issues.
US industry is suffering from a lack of investment in new technology that can be sold on global markets.
I’m sure Germany would love to have a new nationalist.
Will you pay 50 bucks for a big mac.Union wages and benefits if paid by Mcd’s would warrant it.So when are you taking us to mcUnions?
Classic hyperbole, closer to the truth is that if Reagan had not let the neocon’s declare war on the unions we might still be talking about a 4 day work week.
Germany didn’t have to destroy it’s unions. They are beating us in every economic area because they invest for the long run and have not turned their economy into a giant gambling casino.
That is not at all what he is trying to do. If the business titans did their job and paid workers a decent wage there would be money to spend and economic activity. Germany is doing it.
There is a better way than your foreign models that has everything to do with setting American businesses free from governmental shackles, Of course, Obama will never do that because he knows they will disprove his theory of governmental power.
Complete BS 49% pay no income taxes.Through earned income credits some get checks back.Yet you ask your neighbor to pay more.How about an entitlements curtailment that might fix the problem.A month of not paying democrats for helping the poor.What about closing the government crack houses in bangor and making them walk for a change without pay.
LOL! another fox news addict…
…Yawn…. yeah, yeah we’ve heard that dribble before…
Everyone pays with a sales tax increase, even the blood sucking useless, drugged out, theiving, miscreant, minority, poor, elderly people (mostly democrats for sure) that you want to single out. …while you protect the very people who could care less about what you think and who would be impacted the least, they might have to step down to a BMW and wait till next year for that Benz.
Man you’ve bought the whole story, hook, line, sinker, rod, reel and boat!
So you feel entitled to others earnings?What do they owe you.
NO! I feel that America is the most unique society in the whole damn world! Where we all look out for each other, where we each help this society succeed based on their ability to do so! What you are preaching is Dickensonian at it worst! That the rich should not help to maintain this society based upon some accepted level of greed that you have somehow come to accept, and turn the poor out into the street lest it costs you a dime! I beleive those that make the most can afford to pay the most, that 1 % of this country should not revel in their self-rightousness unless they are comfortable with the suffering that occurs in this state, and there are those that suffer. They owe me nothing, I am asking for nothing, I get nothing. Other than what America AS A SOCIETY has provided me, schools for my kids, roads to drive on, a military to protect me and thousands of other things that I helped pay for. These things were not to benefit only the rich they are for Americans! America provided me these things the rich, and the poor Americans… In your mind the rich should be treated like some sort of aristocracy, and above helping to maintain “our” America to pay their fair share, well not until they have all they want, but want is never ending.
So mandating the successful pay 50-70% of taxes is fair.When 49% pay no taxes and get checks back through earn income breaks.Sorry i believe in helping those in need.Key word (need) not want.
Where did you get the “50-70%” from? The current rate is something like 32%, and would rise to 38%… The rich will still be rich. They will still have three houses, fine cars, and a daughter named Buffy or a son named Tad. I can be just as cynical and petty about “facts”…
If you cut it down to $250.000 probably more like 75% of all taxes paid.All i am saying we all should have skin in the game .Also i do not believe in asking anyone to pay more into a system of waste.Stop the waste problem fixed.For instance why are we sending billions to other countries while borrowing 45 cents on a dollar.Make any sense to you?Maybe we should grow a pair and tell them we are not paying it back.
I couldn’t agree more! But our politicians have no balls, or are on the lobbyist take. But both parties keep electing the same political type over and over expecting different results. The country was founded on a people’s govt where a blacksmith or a cobbler could be a senator. That it wasn’t how much money you had or how susceptable you were to pandering influences, it was about service. Those days are gone.
Hey timjy thanks for the lively conversation, BUT, I think we’ve bored too many with our ‘reparte’…later! Take care!
Obama is applying (trying) fundamental macroeconomic principles.
Get the economy going through investment.
It is working. If not for this the US economy would have crashed completely. Trickledown is what caused this. Nearly a trillion dollar gift to the rich and no jobs, no investment, and no hope.
American business is already subsidized and they still can’t produce economic activity.
As you know LePage inherited this mess. Wasn’t that Obozo’s excuse for the last 4 years?
No excuse, that same “problem” was the primary cause of the economic hardship (for most) and the suffering and deaths of people across the globe, not just here in Maine. The sad thing is that now that the whole country is slowly recovering, the actions of Mr. LePage have and will continue to hold Maine back…hopefully not in “last” position forever.
Where is the country recovering? I’m not seeing it and neither are the millions of people that Obama has removed from the job seeking numbers to drop his fake unemployment numbers. How about that fake lack of inflation? Long as you don’t count Gas or food or anything else that matters there is none right? LePage wasn’t even able to 1/4 of the things he wanted done completed. Our problem is we still had way to many fake republicans in the house and senate. How can he fix anything when the place is still full of Rinos. The good news is I’m sure your people will have everything running smoothly again in 2 years right?
Lepage inherited a recession caused by Bush, but he has made it worse, much worse. That $35 million is money that will not be spent in Maine.
There are things that can be done. Releasing bond money is a start. Energy surveys and insulating homes puts people to work and reduces consumption.
The natural gas pipeline could be accelerated.
The problem is Lepage is not working for Maine he is working for those who think that people don’t matter
Can this guy EVER take a good picture?
What happened to “Open For Business”??? All this slob does is cut and whine……cut and whine…….cut and whine. Go back to Jamaica!
That’s a long story to say the Governor is doing his job as required under Maine state law.
Roll all pay for State and Local jobs back so no one is paid more than the governor and we will be rid of all budget problems and property taxes will fall.
The governor should give the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson call, They have hundreds of millions to get these tea governors elected, maybe they will kick in a little to cover the damage they have caused.
There’s a simple solution. Maine workers can call in sick until the governor resigns. We’ll see how valuable working people are when they don’t plow the roads and teachers and police don’t show up.
I wonder if the snow plow driver, who has spent decades honing his skill, has a clue that while he’s scratching for a little overtime, the governor is planning ways to destroy his union and deprive him of his pension.
The governor does what he does because he can. He’s not moved by online petitions. There is no down side to his actions because working people won’t stand up for themselves.
Mr Soros is that you?The federal government not passing a budget for three years has created these uncertain times.Uncertainty makes business stop investing.When business stops investing the layoffs coupled with less tax revenue increases the pressure on state budgets.Believe it or not business does not have a money tree like captain redistribute and his merry band of progressives think they do.Answer stop the stupid social program increases and find ways to put people to work.
Working people will stand up for themselves if they’re allowed to.See WorkingAmerica.org
This whole conversation is just a bunch of BS. I’m guilty of it too. But, Look at the poster’s? They are arguing with each other, rather than the merits of what is said in the article, or even the article itself. It’s becoming a matter of “one ups manship”……..Isn’t that what they are doing in Augusta? I’ve posted two post, then I realized…….this is crap, we are no better than those whom we direct our criticisms towards…..in fact, we are doing the same damn thing.
At least it sounds like you are stopping to think. You are very correct about many of the posters here. Keep at it and help get some facts into the mix. They are often sorely missing.
Excellent observation the republicans and democrats are not here to help anybody but themselves ,and if we fighting amongst ourselves than we just continue to play into there hands.Nobody wins and we all lose.
A certain phrase about uniting or falling comes to mind quite often.
Guilty as charged.. I react to what “I” see as falsehood… BUT! This is a volitile topic, and singing Kumbaya is not the answer
I’d be interested to hearwhat your alternative to lively ….”one ups manship”…….might be?
Leave it to Democrats to complain about a governor choosing not to spend money the state does not even have. Duh!
Seems strangely coincidental that LePage cutting his wealthy buddies taxes and a shortfall in the collection of revenue are occurring somewhat in a logical progression.
If the Feds balance the budget and end up cutting spending it will effect all the states. The States at that point either raises taxes or cut spending, and then it comes down to the communities. No one can afford higher taxes. Taxing the so called Rich won’t make a dent. So what’s the answer?
Cuts should be across the board, NOT cuts that hurt the poor and sick, to save LePage’s rich friends…..!!!
It is sickening to hear the spendocrats always whining about the Sick,Poor and children.When they expect neighbors to pick up the tab for programs that fill their contributors pockets not helping the people that need it.Look at low income housing the dems darling is a perfect example.
The Affordable Care Act – Obamacare will pay the state 100% of the costs for the first 3 years, then 90% THEREAFTER and the IDIOT in charge – LePlague, will not take the money to help the CITIZENS of MAINE….. That is ABUSE and NEGLECT…!!!
I am sure our TP governor is looking at these cuts with a heavy heart. Especially the ones in social services! lol. He is probably giddy at the prospect of it all.
Cuts, Curtailments? What does it all mean? Why can’t the BDN spell out exactly what is going to be cut, curtailed, chopped, or, cancelled. If you’ve done it before, then enlighten those of us – in bold black type – who have read it so often, but remain as perplexed as those sweating it out under the ax. .
Neither Le Page or his translator, Adrienne Bennett, seem to have the foggiest notion about what’s going on. Her words conjure an impression of a frustrated and angry old man, bent over a warped old desk, mumbling incoherent invective as he scratches out “Poor,” “Medicaid,” “Unemployed,” with a quill pen. Sound familiar?
Meanwhile, the Democrats remain mute.
Why ever would anybody be willing to order this budgetary gastrointestinal bypass surgery if not for the fact that it’s the only right thing to do and that said person is actually willing to do the surgery?
Governor LePage deserves respect for his courage and commitment.
Translation: state workers and the poor in Maine, you are about to get your asses kicked again!
Austerity does not work! it only exacerbates the issue with less money being made and more people applying for assistance!
ADD A DAMN PENNY TO THE SALES TAX! PROBLEM SOLVED!
I agree everyone pays that way.
Reinstate the governors tax breaks for his rich buddies, the job creators who haven’t created any jobs.
feed Maine’s hungry. put the guvna’ on a diet.