GOP budget jeopardizes economy, seniors, and children

Posted: May 10, 2012 | Appropriations and Financial Affairs, Senator Hill

 Democratic lawmakers blast GOP for extreme power play

AUGUSTA– Maine Republican lawmakers today unveiled dangerous and irresponsible budget cuts that will hurt Maine’s economy, vulnerable seniors, working families, and children, while giving away additional unfunded tax cuts.

“The Republican budget is extreme and irresponsible,” said Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, the lead House Democrat on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee.  “The Republicans are making dangerous cuts that will harm seniors, children, and people with disabilities, while passing more unfunded tax cuts.”

Republicans worked with Governor Paul LePage on controversial proposals including cuts to programs that provide low-income seniors with affordable medicine and access to doctors, childcare for working parents, and access to health care for women and veterans.

Earlier this week, Republican lawmakers worked on the budget without Democrats and behind closed doors with Gov. LePage and his staff, who provided them with secret documents that were not immediately shared with Democrats, the public or the legislative fiscal office.

“The Republicans worked unilaterally on a budget that irresponsibly shifts and shafts health care costs,” said Senator Dawn Hill of York. “Democrats believe that responsible and reasonable changes can be made without hurting our economy or shifting costs onto more Maine people.”

The budget cuts also included programs that help protect families in crisis from domestic violence, provide support to children with developmental disabilities, and programs that support veterans.



“The GOP argument that this budget is about closing an emergency gap lost all credibility when they started using harmful cuts to give away free money,” said John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, who serves on the committee. “We’d all like to have more money in our pockets, but none of us would want to take it from our grandmother’s purse or our children’s piggy banks.”