Carol Weston Hails Republican Budget as “A Plan for Today and Tomorrow”

AUGUSTA – As legislators continue negotiating a 2008-2009 State budget, Senate Republican Leader Carol Weston, of Montville, has praised Maine Republicans’ proposal as the responsible plan to guide Maine safely into the future.

In creating their budget proposal, Maine’s Republican legislators identified the three key principles any successful budget must reflect: limited state spending, no new taxes, and the groundwork for a financially secure future—a budget plan Sen. Weston compared to building a house; you have to lay the foundation first, before you build upwards based on what you can afford.

“Maine is one of only two states in the entire country dealing with a deficit,” the Senator noted. “We don’t have to settle for being the low man on the national totem pole. Our budget prioritizes government dollars and identifies areas where we can achieve long term savings. This commitment has been lacking in previous years, but, with 2/3^rds of the Legislature needed to approve a budget, Maine’s Republican legislators can make real progress.”

The first principle, limited state spending, is achieved with a budget that remains under the State’s LD 1 spending cap. By adhering to this cap, the Republican budget would set the precedent for moderate growth to reflect the slight increase in the cost of running the State. Spending beyond what is needed, particularly during Maine’s current financial situation, is in direct contrast to the Maine Republicans’ responsible plan.

No new taxes, the second budget principle, set the Maine Republican budget apart from all other budget proposals presented this session. Some legislators have suggested general fund tax increases, meals and lodging tax increases, and sales tax increases as a way for the State to collect new dollars. None of these increases, or any other tax increase, are found in the Republican plan. With the second highest tax burden in the nation, Maine Republicans feel there is no reasonable argument in favor of any tax increase.

The third budget principle, and a major priority for Maine Republicans throughout the legislative session, is to lay the foundation for a better future for the people of Maine. Past budgets have created an upward spending trend to accommodate ballooning costs of certain programs. The Maine Republican plan proposes ways to address three budget busting programs; education, Medicaid, and taxpayer funded benefits; and identifies ways to level off the amount government spends on them. These three programs represent Maine government’s unchecked spending, making it impossible to provide needed tax relief for Mainers.

With the opportunity to finally influence the budget outcome, Maine Republicans have taken up these issues in their own budget proposal to ensure a more affordable and successful future. Their budget plan would hold the line on future taxpayer funded benefits, which have already created over $7 billion in debt. The budget also makes strategic reforms to the Medicaid program, making it more affordable without reducing access to quality care for Maine’s most vulnerable citizens. To reduce administrative costs in education and increase administrative efficiencies, Republicans also propose to create a procedure to rein in these high costs over a reasonable amount of time, without jeopardizing education quality or the unique character of Maine’s various communities.

“The cost of education administration has been increasing for years as student enrollment steadily declines,” Sen. Weston explained. “Add to that State mandates local communities are forced to comply with, and it becomes clear that business as usual isn’t providing relief. Our goal is to achieve necessary cost savings without strong-arming local communities, a very important balance.”

Maine Republicans have stressed the three key principles of their own proposal; limited state spending, no new taxes, and the foundation for a financially secure future; as requirements for their support of any budget. “The Republican budget is a plan for today and tomorrow,” Sen. Weston said. “We have been going down the wrong path for far too long. Our budget is a successful plan for a new direction.”

Sen. Carol Weston represents District 23, which includes all of Waldo County. She can be reached in Augusta at 287-1505, in Montville at 589-4481, or by e-mail at cweston@fairpoint.net.

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