Wake up, folks. You’ve been playing Rip Van Winkle long enough.
Maine government isn’t paying its bills to towns and hospitals, and they’re becoming extinct.
As a recent western Maine state senator, I saw firsthand the “fiscal devastation wrecked” on the Franklin County town of Madrid, when state government failed to pay the town its lawful amount of tree growth tax and school subsidy.
Madrid citizens had me process legislation that deorganized the town. Townspeople then lost control of roads, schools, etc. When the state didn’t pay its fiscal obligations to the town, Madrid died.
And the parade goes on. Augusta’s “gall of government” is about to require the town of Atkinson to become extinct because its citizens can no longer afford its tax burden. And, the towns of Cooper and Centerville have inquired about shutting down.
Maine folk who don’t live in Madrid, Atkinson, Cooper and Centerville don’t give a hoot when those towns die, but perhaps they’ll care about another area where Maine government isn’t paying its bills – hospitals.
Maine hospitals are owed $90 million for services provided in the MaineCare program. And legislators are proposing cuts in the funding, while adding 75,000 more folks to the program. A sure fire hospital death certificate. Better begin caring. Soon there won’t be local hospitals to care for your health.
There’s a way to hasten the demise of more towns and hospitals, a way you can add to Maine’s ever-expanding social programs and taxes: vote Democrat.
John W. Benoit, Rangeley
Send questions/comments to the editors.
