Gov. Baldacci to contest cuts in Bush budget

AUGUSTA – Gov. John E. Baldacci will join a coalition of governors meeting with President Bush later this month to contest federal budget cuts that could cost Maine tens of millions of dollars.

“This is not a done deal,” the governor said Thursday. “This is [the president’s] proposal, and his administration has to work through a process to make amendments to this budget.”

The president’s proposed $2.57 trillion budget, released Monday, makes deep cuts in key programs, including Medicaid, and targets others for outright elimination. The president hopes to decrease the growth of benefit programs by $137 billion over the next 10 years.

The Baldacci administration was still assessing the aggregate impact of the new federal budget on Maine, but the governor told reporters it was clear the state would have to prepare to operate with less from Washington in the years ahead. Baldacci was not ready to accept some of the president’s proposed cuts to Maine which include:

. $34.2 million to state Medicaid programs.

. $7.8 million in educational funding.

. $5.1 million in community grants for Homeland Security programs.

. $4.7 million in funding for water quality programs.

As part of the National Governor’s Association meeting in Washington on Feb. 28, Baldacci will join state’s congressional delegation – U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and U.S. Reps. Michael Michaud and Tom Allen – in attempting to minimize the federal budget’s impact on programs in Maine.

“This [budget] doesn’t appear to be encouraging for the state, or any of the states,” Baldacci said. “We’ve got to do a couple of different things. First, we have to fight the cuts and the reductions and work together with the delegation and other delegations. But at the same time, we’ve got to recognize there will be less money from Washington, so we’re going to have to work together more.”