Senator Raye Encouraged by Maine Republicans’ Forward Looking Budget Plan

AUGUSTA – As other legislators continue searching for a state budget to rally behind, Senator Kevin Raye, of Perry, has joined his colleagues in the Maine Legislature in support of the Maine Republican plan to create a more efficient and affordable government.

The Maine Republican budget was crafted based on three key principles the legislators have held up as a framework for a successful state funding plan; limited state spending, no new taxes, and a better future for the people of Maine. These three principles lay the foundation for a responsible state budget that addresses today’s priorities, and the groundwork for a sustainable government in the future.

Sen. Raye stressed the need for a plan that tackles Maine’s short term challenges while looking ahead at the same time. “The old way of doing things hasn’t worked,” he said. “Maine is one of only two states in the nation with a deficit, and we have the second highest tax burden in the entire country. We need a new plan to solve these problems. The Maine Republican budget is a plan to improve our national standing, and increase the quality of life for all Mainers.”

The first of the Maine Republicans’ budget principles, limited state spending, is achieved with a budget that remains under the State’s LD 1 spending cap. By remaining under the cap, Maine’s Republicans have created a budget that forces government to live within its means, a challenge Maine’s families face every day. The Maine Republican budget contains no unnecessary spending. In adhering to this cap and limiting spending, the Maine Republican budget would set the precedent for moderate growth to address the slight increases in the cost of running the State in the future.

No new taxes, the second budget principle, are a feature unique to the Maine Republican budget plan. Other budget proposals would raise as much as $131 million in new tax revenue, and some legislators are calling for increases in the sales tax and the meals and lodging tax. The Maine Republicans’ budget plan contains no new taxes or tax increases. In light of the tax burden facing Mainers each day, Maine’s Republican legislators find no justification for any tax increase.

The third Maine Republican budget principle is the need to crease a better future for Mainers. This idea led the legislators to develop a budget that tackles three of the State’s most expensive programs; education, Medicaid and taxpayer funded benefits. Without addressing these costly programs, Mainers will never experience the tax relief they have called for time and time again.

In light of the 2/3rds requirement to approve a budget, Maine Republicans are now in a position to impact the funding plan as negotiations progress. In tackling the three budget busting programs, Maine Republicans are laying the foundation for a more efficient and affordable government in the future. The cost of education administration, for example, has been increasing for years, as student enrollment steadily declines. To reduce this cost, and create efficiencies in administrative services, Republicans have proposed to create a successful education reform plan that would rein in these high costs over a reasonable amount of time, without jeopardizing education quality or local control. Strategic and innovative reforms to Medicaid, a government program whose budget has more than doubled from 1999-2004, are also a feature of the Maine Republican budget. Their plan would achieve significant savings without cutting a single person from the program. Taxpayer funded benefits, another costly program, have already created over $7 billion in debt. The Maine Republican budget holds the line on this obligation, and stops the financial bleeding it has caused.

Maine Republicans have stressed their three budget principles; limited state spending, no new taxes, and a better future for the people of Maine; as the pieces to a responsible funding plan that looks ahead.

“Our budget plan tackles Maine’s fiscal problems, holds the line on taxes and spending, and ensures a successful future. We can all expect relief and future prosperity with our responsible plan to fund state government,” Sen. Raye said.

Sen. Kevin Raye represents District 29, which includes all of Washington County and parts of Hancock and Penobscot Counties. He can be reached in Augusta at 287-1505, in Perry at 853-9406, or by e-mail at senatorraye@downeast.net.

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