Posted on 07/18/2002 7:52:50 AM PDT by SheLion
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:07:59 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP ) Gov. Angus King warned Wednesday that Maine's projected $180 million budget deficit is growing and will probably be ''tens of millions'' of dollars worse than previously anticipated.
King said that lawmakers will have to meet in a special session this fall to deal with the deficit, which is expected to climb to more than $200 million over a two-year period.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Still, he went ahead, and still......he does not want to dump this million dollar project. Why?
House Republican leader Joe Bruno of Raymond joined Bennett in firing off a letter Wednesday afternoon, demanding that King call a special session before the end of September or set a date certain for lawmakers to return to the State House. Republicans have been irked by what they perceive as an inclination by King and majority Democrats to postpone the special session until after the November elections.
Since part of the solution to the budget shortfall likely will involve reducing funds for programs the GOP opposed in the first place and raising taxes or deferring tax cuts, Republicans maintain that Democrats fear there could be a political price to pay if the special session is held before the Nov. 5 elections. But House Majority Leader Patrick Colwell, D-Gardiner, said Democrats he has spoken with have no objections to returning to the State House before the elections and accused GOP leaders of dragging their feet in meeting with Democrats to reach a recommendation for a special session date. At the same time, he said, Republicans are complaining because the special session has not yet begun.
“I can see why the governor is frustrated,” Colwell said. “Frankly, we’ve been waiting three weeks for Rick Bennett and Joe Bruno to agree to sit down with Democratic leadership to roll up our sleeves and address this issue. It seems like the Republicans kind of want to have their politics and eat it, too.”
The governor was able to realize more than half of what was needed to balance the budget. But he will require legislative approval for transferring funds controlled by lawmakers, such as the laptop computer fund and the tobacco settlement fund, to find the additional money needed to finish the job.
Right, guv. It's much better to be known as the state that spent itself into oblivion.
Full-speed ahead into the glorious Peoples' Utopia! Who needs filthy commerce when we can just tax the 6 remaining people who aren't working for the government to death?
Hi Madame!
The Guv sure doesn't want to let go of that lap-top program. And now he signed that contract with Apple! LOL!
It's all nuts. He must be scratching his head trying to figure out how to get out of this one. He is backed into a corner, and he can't release funds from other "funding" without the say so of the lawmakers. wheeeeeeeee
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