The Govenor said 
Baldacci is an idiot and he could care less about the constituents!
Posted on 04/14/2005 8:27:36 AM PDT by SheLion
AUGUSTA - The already charged political atmosphere at the State House got kicked up a notch Tuesday after a cadre of Republican lawmakers challenged a key funding provision of the Democrats' majority state budget with a proposed people's veto referendum. Last month, minority Republicans in the House and Senate were unable to prevent passage of a two-year state budget bill that included a provision allowing Maine to borrow up to $450 million to fund ongoing government expenses without voter approval. Over GOP objections, Democrats pushed the budget through with a majority vote and then adjourned the regular session of the Legislature.
Because bills passed by simple majorities don't become laws until 90 days after the session ends, the early adjournment was called so the bill could take effect by the start of the next fiscal year, which is July 1. Lawmakers have since been called back into "special" session by Democratic Gov. John E. Baldacci to finish their work.
Before the budget passed, Republicans argued that the state could not afford to borrow such a large amount of money for current costs without making some effort to trim government expenses through elimination of state employee positions and program reductions. Late Monday afternoon, Republican Sens. Peter Mills of Cornville, Richard Rosen of Bucksport and Karl Turner of Cumberland, and Reps. Kevin Glynn of South Portland and Sawin Millett of Waterford sought to overturn the borrowing plan by signing on to a people's veto request. The application was filed with the Secretary of State's Office by Michael T. Healy, a former GOP House candidate from Freeport.
"This action will not close government down - and that is not our intention - but it will force the rewriting of the budget for the next [two-year budget cycle], hopefully, with participation from my caucus," Mills said. "[The borrowing] is one of the centerpieces of the budget, and it's the part the public seems to hate the most."
Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap said his office now has 10 business days to develop the language for the people's veto referendum question, which will be included on the petitions used by signature collectors. Supporters of the people's veto effort must collect 50,519 signatures of certified Maine voters to get the question on the November ballot.
"They have until June 28 to gather their signatures," said Dunlap. "It can be done, given today's technology and the ability of grass-roots organizations to get things done. It's not the hurdle that people sometimes assume it to be."
"It's very irresponsible, and they're playing politics now with people's lives," he said. "They're holding Maine's economy hostage by a referendum process. It's not in the citizens' interest, and it does not reflect well on the state, potentially ... It will have a tremendous negative impact at a time when we can least afford it."
Baldacci said the two-year state budget of slightly more than $5.7 billion is being used by municipal governments to craft local spending plans and by Maine businesses currently weighing their investment options and basing decisions on state-subsidized incentives such as the Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement program. Those pledges from the state, along with what the governor referred to as "more than $400 million in tax cuts" included in the budget, could be viewed with skepticism by Mainers who might question whether there is money in the budget to fund the measures.
"Businesses will be wondering whether the tax cuts are there or not there, and the uncertainty is going to impact on Maine's economy," Baldacci said. "My understanding is that this is supposed to be a people's veto - not a politicians' veto. It's expressly for people to utilize and to create a political process within the referendum process is very irresponsible."
Baldacci would not speculate how the state would prepare for the potential $450 million shortfall should petition circulators actually gather the required number of signatures. Instead, he delivered a slightly veiled assault on Republicans whom he accused of devising a kind of systematic attack on his administration as he prepares to seek re-election to a second term in 2006.
"Part of what's taking place is that people want to play politics before the season really begins, and it's kind of like 'We're not going to help him; we're not going to let him succeed on bonds or budgets or whatever because we don't want him to have any successes going into the November [2006] elections,'" Baldacci said. The Republicans "are not hurting me. They're hurting the state. We haven't been able to have a bond package two years come November - [we're] going down to their level because they didn't want me to have any successes."
Republicans should focus their efforts to effect change at the ballot box, Baldacci suggested in an apparent reference to rumors that Sen. Mills might run against him for governor.
"They have an opportunity - and I hear that there's an interest in that - so they can take it out in November and allow the people to vote for candidates they think better reflect their views and agenda," the governor said.
Mills said Tuesday he hadn't "ruled out" a run for the Blaine House in 2006 and rejected any suggestion that he was advancing the people's veto as a campaign issue.
"That's not what this is about," he said. "This is about a large group of people that have been meeting for a week or so who are concerned about a common issue."
In prepared remarks, Democratic leaders characterized the GOP people's veto push as "disappointing." Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, said the effort "violated the spirit of cooperation" and bipartisanship she thought had been achieved over the last three months. House Speaker John Richardson, D-Brunswick, wished the lawmakers in question had not taken "this unprecedented and irresponsible step" and asked the legislators to withdraw their request.
Republicans interviewed Tuesday shared Sen. Debra D. Plowman's concerns over the borrowing component in the budget that eclipses all other existing bond proposals and loan plans. The Hampden lawmaker said she had heard an earful at many of the town meetings in her district.
"People get very upset when you explain that we've just borrowed $447 million for 14 years to essentially just keep the lights on around here for the next two years," she said. "People are angry."
Sen. John L. Martin, D-Eagle Lake, predicted the Republican effort to seek a people's veto of the budget's borrowing plan was a "very bad omen" for what remaining work lies ahead for the Legislature. He chastised Republicans for failing to provide alternatives to the Democratic majority budget when votes were taken by lawmakers last month.
"They made no attempt in terms of cuts or other ways to handle the budget," he said. "They just went around saying they were opposed to taxes or other ways to raise revenue and never told anyone what it was they wanted to cut from the budget. I hope this is not a Republican response from a group of disgruntled legislators."
The Govenor said
Baldacci is an idiot and he could care less about the constituents!
This guy is an idiot too! Disgruntled legislators? How about "disgruntled voters???!!!
"unprecedented and irresponsible step"
Hmm, that's what they are saying about stopping the filibuster in Washington.
Do I dedect a severe hypocracy here?
Exactly.
When they are too gutless to cut spending, they raise taxes and tell us it's for our own good. Yea, right.........
And this business of the Dems going behind closed doors behind out backs is an outrage!
Maine ranks tops in taxes in U.S. again
Maine:$100M added by Dems to budget GOP leader decries 'open credit card'
PLEASE SOMEONE TAKE THE US SENATE TO MAINE TO SHOW THEM HOW REAL REPUBLICANS FIGHT
LOL
Funny, that's what the Democrats keep saying about GWB.
The sad fact is that even if Baldacci is an idiot, Maine's 'pubbies keep losing to him.The problem isn't just Baldacci, it's that the Maine Republican party has the intelligence, grace and moral authority of a pack of Chiuauas.
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