More Budget Cuts Proposed

by Mike Reynolds

Governor John Baldacci announced major cuts to the state budget totalling 63 million dollars to deal with a budget windfall due to the lagging economy. Among the biggest cuts are funding to schools and to the Department of Health and Human Services. The University of Maine System and the local Community College System took a combined loss of 7.5 million dollars. But both the Associated Press and MPBN are reporting that the majority of cuts will be to DHHS and funding to schools.

The governor tried to portray the cuts to schools as “difficult but necessary” and the local school superintendents would be better able to enact savings.

But what is truly bothersome is that cuts are again being made to services for individuals with mental retardation and other intellectual disabilities. This is on top of cuts that have sent direct care providers into massive restructuring less than a year ago. Governor Baldacci was adamant that no new taxes be created to close the funding gap. Baldacci stated that there is currently a 200 million dollar funding gap, that may rise to 400 million in the supplemental budget he is proposing next month to cover the next 20 months.

While no specific program cuts seem to be available, this comes right after the University of Maine has announced their Journalism and Public Relations major will be discontinued, according to a recent story on MPBN. The governor also stated that approximately $38 million dollars in cuts were proposed in local school funding, but that further cuts may be possible, given that revenue projections continue to be lowered given the economy.

While it is necessary to maintain a balanced budget, it is disconcerning that education and services to individuals with disabilities continue to be the first things to be axed when budgets are tight. While the budget will affect all residents of Maine, it does seem quite unfair that such large cuts are being proposed to individuals with disabilities, and so shortly after budgets and reimbursement rates were slashed for direct care providers. Unfortunately, given that the 41 states saw reductions in revenue, according to numbers released by the National Governors Association, individuals with disabilities across the country are fighting to keep their basic services to keep them productive members of the community.