Approve Baldacci’s budget

While GOP leaders like Randy Bumps claim we have to reduce the size of state government and reduce the size of the state budget (BDN oped, March 17), Gov. John Baldacci’s budget accomplishes just that.

Now imagine you are a state legislator. It’s nearing the end of March and it’s time to pass a budget. The Appropriations Committee has worked on every detail of the budget for nearly three months and it’s time to bring the budget to a vote. Your job is to decide whether it works for the people of Maine and how you are going to vote.

You have some solid information in front of you. You know that despite Republican claims, the budget represents the smallest increase in state government spending in the last 30 years. At the same time, it still includes $250 million for new school funding. Under Gov. Angus King the average growth of the budget was at 5.5 percent. Under John Baldacci, spending growth has been cut back to 3.5 percent. Under Republican Gov. John McKernan spending rose by close to 6 percent.

For the first time in history the budget caps government spending at the state, county and local levels. This budget also includes:

. $210 million in immediate property tax relief to homeowners;

. $153 million in tax cuts to help business afford machinery;

. $51 million in income tax cuts for middle-class Mainers.

In addition, the budget continues critical investments to education, health care and job creation, including:

. $4 million in research and development to our university system;

. $1 million that matches a million- dollar Osher Foundation grant to create $2 million in scholarships for community college students.

The budget protects the Dirigo program and safeguards our commitment to Maine’s business community and our uninsured.

Evidently, Republicans thought tax breaks to individuals and small business owners were bad for Maine. Clearly, they thought education wasn’t worth the investment. And according to their votes, they think providing affordable health care to more Maine people isn’t worth the effort.

For years, Maine has struggled with an antiquated tax system. Under the leadership of Gov. Baldacci, Dem-ocrats passed legislation under LD 1 to lower property taxes. And what did our GOP leaders in Augusta do during this process? They said no.

All the while, the GOP refused to roll up their sleeves and offer any alternatives. In the end, 75 percent of the GOP voted against providing the average Maine homeowner with $328 in property tax relief. Republicans even voted against giving a $2,000 tax break to people who pay more than 4 percent of their income to property taxes.

Now Republicans in the Legislature want to derail the budget process by talking about how the process is unfair. This isn’t a new tactic.

During my time as Speaker of the House, leaders in both parties agreed to pare down a $120 million bond package to $90 million, then to $60 million and finally down to $30 million in an effort to get bipartisan support for its passage. We negotiated in what I thought was good faith, but at the end of the day, Republicans sat on the sidelines and said no. In the end, Maine missed out on transportation improvements, as well as investments in education and our environment.

If the GOP continues to hold up the process, Bumps is right – the biggest April Fool’s joke will be on the people of Maine. We deserve better. We can’t slow down $210 million in property tax relief, or balk at $250 million for children’s education. There’s no need to drag your feet when it comes to creating new jobs, or keeping our promise to provide affordable health care for small businesses and the uninsured.

Trust is something I have always thought needs to be earned. If the Republicans in the Legislature wanted to be trusted they need to come to the table and negotiate in good faith around the budget. We can’t hold Maine back and allow naysayer legislators to continue their habit of saying no. We need to come up with answers and we need to say yes to the people of Maine. Saying no just doesn’t get the job done.

Pat Colwell, of Bath, is the immediate past speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, served eight years in the state Legislature and is currently chair of the Maine Democratic Party.