A structural gap of $756 million for the next two-year budget should be no surprise to anyone.
The tax cuts touted by Gov. LePage and Republicans in the state legislature were meant to lead to revenue shortfalls. Now, not 100% of the structural gap comes from tax cuts. But a good chunk of it has.
Maine is just another place that’s carrying out the party’s strategy of cutting taxes then saying there’s not enough money to pay the bills.
Finance Commissioner Sawin Millett is very clear about what’s next:
[F]urther structural changes in the way in which general purpose aid [for schools], MaineCare [Maine’s Medicaid program] for our general population and revenue sharing are calculated and funded in the next biennial budget.
To clarify, this means less state money for schools, health care, and towns.
Much of those state reductions will lead to simply shifting the costs to local tax-payers or to people who have insurance right now.
With the legislative elections coming up, Maine people can have their say about these policy developments.
