Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Maine House Republicans force budget cuts that put seniors ...

Sen. Troy Jackson said, ?I never signed up to be the person who decides who lives and dies in this state, or to say ?I?m sorry, you don?t have health care anymore.??

In an initial vote of 74 to 69, Republican lawmakers in the Maine House of Representatives forced through budget cuts that will take away health care from more than 24,000 Maine seniors, children and working families, while also passing unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy. The vote in the Senate was 19 to 16, along party lines, too.

?The Republican budget cuts will do unnecessary harm to seniors and working families across our state,? said Rep. Peggy Rotundo, the lead Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. ?No Maine family should have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for medicine.?

The proposal will close an $80 million shortfall in the Department of Health and Human Services budget.

?This budget is riddled with disingenuous savings, hidden costs, and illegal proposals,? said Rep. Mark Eves, the lead House Democrat on the Legislature?s Health and Human Services Committee.

The GOP proposal reduces access to medicine and medical care for more than 5,000 seniors; cuts Head Start early childhood education programs for 216 children and child care credits for 1,400 families; cuts funding to home visitation programs that help prevent domestic violence for 750 families in crisis; eliminates health care for 7,000 19 and 20 year olds; and reduces funding for women?s health and family planning by $400,000.

The Republican budget also includes nearly $10 million in cuts that are in violation of federal law.

?This budget is riddled with disingenuous savings, hidden costs, and illegal proposals,? said Rep. Mark Eves, the lead House Democrat on the Legislature?s Health and Human Services Committee.

During the floor debate, Democratic lawmakers repeatedly called the GOP cuts ?unnecessary and harmful.? They argued that a more than $50 million surplus of existing revenue should be used to blunt cuts to seniors and children.

?No senior with Lou Gehrig?s disease should be forced to choose between their medicine and heating their home,? said Rep. Paulette Beaudoin, during the floor debate. ?We shouldn?t be taking money from the purse of an 84 year old grandmother with Alzheimer?s disease. It?s wrong and I won?t support it.?

Rep. Ann Peoples said ?I don?t believe a working parent in Westbrook should have to quit a job because they no longer have child care. Mainers should be working their way into the middle class, not falling out of it.?

Since Friday, nearly 4,500 Maine people from across the state signed an online petition that was circulated by Rep. Jon Hinck, D-Portland against the GOP budget.

Rep. Helen Rankin, D-Hiram, who saw multiple constituents sign the petition said, ?Without jobs or income parents must humble themselves to ask for help. There comes a time when you have to swallow your pride just to survive. After all is said and done, ?we are our brother?s keeper.? At least we should be.?

Republicans rejected nine Democratic amendments that would have prevented harm to seniors and children.

The GOP budget is the first partisan or ?majority? budget since 2005. It failed to earn two-thirds support, and therefore, won?t go into effect for 90 days following adjournment.

Earlier in the day the Maine State Senate Republicans voted along party lines achieving the same objectives that hurt the people of Maine.

?This budget cuts Head Start? why as a state would we make this a priority?? asked Sen. Justin Alfond. ?This budget is reckless?

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