State, cut from within

Gov. Baldacci announces an immediate reduction in state spending in order to close an estimated $38 million budget shortfall. Unfortunately, the governor’s spending reduction is nothing more than the state defaulting on its obligations. The huge reductions in funding to schools and community-based mental health agencies allow the state to push its spending reductions onto the shoulders of others, all the while maintaining state employment levels.

How nice it would be if we could all cut our personal spending by simply not paying our bills. That is what the governor is proposing.

Over the course of this administration we have witnessed a large number of financial mishaps that have cost the people of the state hundreds of millions of dollars. The cost overrun on the MaineCare billing system implemented in January 2005 is currently around $60 million and the system still does not do everything it is supposed to. The cost overrun will climb as the state has decided to scrap the system in the next two years and purchase one that actually works.

Then the recent case of the $20 million bad investment. This is chalked up to following bad advice. All of these problems and yet no one is ever held accountable. The governor states he will cut costs while maintaining current levels of state employment. It appears the chief mission of the state is to ensure its own existence, regardless of the cost or effect it has on anyone else.

I call upon citizens to contact their legislators and demand that the state take a long hard look at itself before passing the burden of its incompetence on to others. Our tax burden remains high while services to those who truly need government are being cut. It is time for the state to look inward for cuts and not have others pay for their mistakes.

Buddy Angst

Bangor