Last election cycle many of the people in Maine decided that they had enough of the despotic Democratic rule that has mired Maine in economic and social distress for over three decades. Accordingly, they voted in a Republican Governor, House and Senate for the state. As a popular saying goes, “And how is that goin’ for ya?”
To our continued misfortune, not all that well. The Governor, no matter how much the (now-minority) Democrats denigrate him for his supposed lack of intelligence, disingenuousness, dishonesty, and any other derogatory concept their industrious collective mindset can manufacture, has remained true to his promise to approach the state’s financial problems from a conservative perspective. And what is wrong with this strategy, you might ask?
Well, if you pay attention to the howls of protest from the assorted special interests groups that the Democrats have showered massive amounts of state aid upon over the years, the Governor is determined to collapse Maine’s entire health care system so that he can shovel money to his favored constituents. Sound familiar? It should, since this is exactly what our so-called President is doing on a national basis and has been the favored tactic of the Democrats for increasing their voter base. Liberals, you see, are always accusing their opponents of employing the tactics that they themselves use on a constant basis (it’s called projection and is a political tactic as well as a behavioral aberration).
But most important, this is budget-constructing time here in Maine and the Democrats are fanatically determined that no current programs will be cut or reduced in order to balance the budget – a requirement of Maine’s Constitution. No matter that there is simply not enough money to pay for greatly expanded programs. After all, the problem has been resolved under past Democratic leadership through a variety of accounting manipulations including a simple refusal to pay hundreds of millions of dollars owed to hospitals and other medical facilities that have treated Medicaid patients.
There are somewhere in the neighborhood (Department of Health and Human Services here in Maine has never been known for supplying accurate figures) of 18,000 adults not eligible for Medicare, all without dependent children, who have swollen the ranks of Medicaid to the point of overwhelming available funding and it is the Governor’s proposal to drop these individuals from the Medicaid program that has stirred up the hornet’s nest that is delaying the structuring of the next budget for Maine.
You see, Maine lawmakers do not have the luxury possessed by the Democrats in the U.S. Senate, who have blocked the preparation of a U.S. government budget for over three years now. Interesting what effect a balanced budget requirement might bring to our nation, eh?
But the truly disappointing thing to have emerged from the brouhaha in Augusta, Maine is the number of politicians who wear the label of “Republican” but who have broken ranks to side with the Democrats in their fight against cuts in Medicaid services to balance the budget. These are people who were elected by Maine voters in hopes that fiscal sanity might finally be brought to our state and the number of people enjoying the ride in the wagon might someday be reduced to below the number of those pulling it.
Fat chance, apparently. Obviously, being a “Republican” no longer guarantees a conservative approach to stewardship of the public’s funds. This has long been the case at the Federal level and the endemic corruption has worked its way down through the bureaucracy to state legislatures. The main purpose of the majority of elected officials appears to be to ensure their own reelection and the consequences of profligate and careless overspending be damned.
This is perhaps easily understood when you look at our elected officials at the Federal level; after all, their perks and unlimited opportunities to enrich themselves at the public’s expense have become overwhelmingly entrenched and seemingly endless. One might argue that here in Maine a legislator’s salary for a two-year term is meager – well under $5,000 for a “part-time” position. But the dirty little secret that the moguls of Maine government would like to keep well-hidden is that members of any legislative committee are in Augusta most of the time that the Legislature is not in session and are compensated handsomely through mileage and per diem payments. They make a lot of money that way, folks. Not to mention the opportunities to connect with the “movers and shakers” that run Maine State Government and line their own pockets while doing so (Maine Turnpike authority, anyone?).
The only way I can see to make an effective change is (a) term limits at all elected levels (Maine does have this restriction: 4 terms and out – but that does not prevent a House member from running for the Senate or vice versa), and/or (b) keeping a close eye on an official’s voting record and refusing to vote for someone who does not keep their promises.
Yeah, I know that is a lot to ask. But freedom ain’t free and if we keep on avoiding the cost we are going to find out in November just how much we are giving up.
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Going Along to Get Along
February 9, 2012Last election cycle many of the people in Maine decided that they had enough of the despotic Democratic rule that has mired Maine in economic and social distress for over three decades. Accordingly, they voted in a Republican Governor, House and Senate for the state. As a popular saying goes, “And how is that goin’ for ya?”
To our continued misfortune, not all that well. The Governor, no matter how much the (now-minority) Democrats denigrate him for his supposed lack of intelligence, disingenuousness, dishonesty, and any other derogatory concept their industrious collective mindset can manufacture, has remained true to his promise to approach the state’s financial problems from a conservative perspective. And what is wrong with this strategy, you might ask?
Well, if you pay attention to the howls of protest from the assorted special interests groups that the Democrats have showered massive amounts of state aid upon over the years, the Governor is determined to collapse Maine’s entire health care system so that he can shovel money to his favored constituents. Sound familiar? It should, since this is exactly what our so-called President is doing on a national basis and has been the favored tactic of the Democrats for increasing their voter base. Liberals, you see, are always accusing their opponents of employing the tactics that they themselves use on a constant basis (it’s called projection and is a political tactic as well as a behavioral aberration).
But most important, this is budget-constructing time here in Maine and the Democrats are fanatically determined that no current programs will be cut or reduced in order to balance the budget – a requirement of Maine’s Constitution. No matter that there is simply not enough money to pay for greatly expanded programs. After all, the problem has been resolved under past Democratic leadership through a variety of accounting manipulations including a simple refusal to pay hundreds of millions of dollars owed to hospitals and other medical facilities that have treated Medicaid patients.
There are somewhere in the neighborhood (Department of Health and Human Services here in Maine has never been known for supplying accurate figures) of 18,000 adults not eligible for Medicare, all without dependent children, who have swollen the ranks of Medicaid to the point of overwhelming available funding and it is the Governor’s proposal to drop these individuals from the Medicaid program that has stirred up the hornet’s nest that is delaying the structuring of the next budget for Maine.
You see, Maine lawmakers do not have the luxury possessed by the Democrats in the U.S. Senate, who have blocked the preparation of a U.S. government budget for over three years now. Interesting what effect a balanced budget requirement might bring to our nation, eh?
But the truly disappointing thing to have emerged from the brouhaha in Augusta, Maine is the number of politicians who wear the label of “Republican” but who have broken ranks to side with the Democrats in their fight against cuts in Medicaid services to balance the budget. These are people who were elected by Maine voters in hopes that fiscal sanity might finally be brought to our state and the number of people enjoying the ride in the wagon might someday be reduced to below the number of those pulling it.
Fat chance, apparently. Obviously, being a “Republican” no longer guarantees a conservative approach to stewardship of the public’s funds. This has long been the case at the Federal level and the endemic corruption has worked its way down through the bureaucracy to state legislatures. The main purpose of the majority of elected officials appears to be to ensure their own reelection and the consequences of profligate and careless overspending be damned.
This is perhaps easily understood when you look at our elected officials at the Federal level; after all, their perks and unlimited opportunities to enrich themselves at the public’s expense have become overwhelmingly entrenched and seemingly endless. One might argue that here in Maine a legislator’s salary for a two-year term is meager – well under $5,000 for a “part-time” position. But the dirty little secret that the moguls of Maine government would like to keep well-hidden is that members of any legislative committee are in Augusta most of the time that the Legislature is not in session and are compensated handsomely through mileage and per diem payments. They make a lot of money that way, folks. Not to mention the opportunities to connect with the “movers and shakers” that run Maine State Government and line their own pockets while doing so (Maine Turnpike authority, anyone?).
The only way I can see to make an effective change is (a) term limits at all elected levels (Maine does have this restriction: 4 terms and out – but that does not prevent a House member from running for the Senate or vice versa), and/or (b) keeping a close eye on an official’s voting record and refusing to vote for someone who does not keep their promises.
Yeah, I know that is a lot to ask. But freedom ain’t free and if we keep on avoiding the cost we are going to find out in November just how much we are giving up.
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Posted in corruption, elections, Maine, Political and Social Commentary | Tagged Conservative politics, economics, Maine government, Maine politics, Medicaid, minority democrats, special interests groups |