Better budgets than Baldacci’s

Explanations are in order if the Baldacci administration continues to be strongly committed to a $5.7 billion biennial budget that needs $447 million in borrowing simply to make it balance.

We haven’t heard any viable explanations, only repeated political pandering to Democratic cronies for passing a budget despite Republican objections and without Republican representation. The Democrats may hold a majority in the Legislature, but that does not equate to representing all of Maine. A large segment of Maine’s population, the majority in 16 Senate districts, was excluded from representation in this budget when the Democrats passed the budget with a simple majority. Those people deserve an explanation of the many components, largely political components, of this budget.

Gov. John Baldacci should be able, and willing, to explain why the 2006-2007 budget proposal was developed as it was if he understands it and believes in it. He persists in support of a budget Republicans find irresponsible, a budget that pushes the excesses of today’s government onto future generations, without realistically considering what that future might have of its own problems. If he has an explanation for that, why haven’t we heard it?

This administration continues to view the future with rose-colored glasses, an unrealistic expectation that revenues will continue to support a multitude of social service programs without checks and balances to know it can sustain itself.

There are a multitude of questions that should be answered, but we suspect we will not hear them from this administration. Perhaps more people should be asking:

Why is it necessary to borrow $447 million to balance a budget when negotiations could have reduced or eliminated that amount?

Why was a Republican offer to negotiate a responsible budget with a plan to reduce the deficit over the next three bienniums rejected?

Why does this administration believe it is responsible planning to thrust the state’s financial problems onto future Legislatures and future generations, rather than deal with them now?

Does the governor really understand at the end of the amortization period this bond debt will have cost the state $657 million?

Why does the administration believe it is responsible budgeting to remove funding and reimbursement plans from the budget to make it balance?

Why is it acceptable to expand the Medicaid (MaineCare) program with 52,000 new participants at a cost of more than $312 million, but without any identifiable means of increasing revenues to pay for it?

Why is Maine’s Medicaid enrollment the highest per capita in the country? And why is that acceptable?

Why was a state employees’ contract introduced late in the process, with a 6 percent two-year increase (in a deficit budget) and requiring all state employees to pay into the union?

Why were 4,000 state employees left out of a decision requiring them to pay a portion of Maine State Employees Association dues when they choose not to join the organization?

Why is this administration intent on adding another $1.4 million to union coffers?

Predecessors to Gov. Baldacci have considered and rejected attempts to force nonunion state employees to pay dues to the union. Why then with the Baldacci administration did that suddenly become feasible? Previous governors have participated in the budget process, understood it and explained it. Why did this governor make his appearance and participation in the budget process after his Democratic majority had pushed it through with a false adjournment to make it legal?

The governor should be prepared to explain his support of these tactics, if they can be defended as responsible actions. The Republican leadership is willing to listen to practical steps to improve state government and reduce the tax burden to Maine citizens. That hasn’t happened. The governor and Democratic legislators were able to pass a budget without Republican support or input. They contend Republicans chose not to participate. They know that’s not true, but they also are not willing to offer viable explanations to Maine citizens, and Republicans, to why this budget at this time is the right budget … for them.

We can do better and we should.

Sen. Paul Davis of Sangerville is the Republican leader of the Maine Senate and a four-term legislator.