Maine’s economy shrinks under GOP control
By Rep. John Martin
(D-Eagle Lake)
It is no secret that things have gotten harder for Maine families to make ends meet over the last few years. Maine was the only state in New England where the economy shrunk last year and one of just seven states in the whole country to backslide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Those of us in northern Maine didn’t need a national report to tells us things have been tough. What’s most frustrating is that while much of the country has been making the slow climb back, Maine still lags behind.
Unfortunately, Republicans in the legislature have not helped Maine families to move forward. Their policies have hurt Maine’s economy, shifted more costs onto local communities and left middle class families behind.
Maine still has 50,000 people still looking for work. We were recently rated dead last in the country for personal income growth and we have the second highest foreclosure rate in the region.
The American Dream is harder and harder to attain.
Democrats believe that we need to improve our state’s economy by making smart common sense investments that support small businesses, job training and public education. We need to prop up our local economy, not put more strain on it. Instead my Republican colleagues have supported policies that shift costs to local communities making it difficult for hard working Maine families to get by.
Their policies have undercut funding for our roads and bridges, reduced state funding to our local communities, cut benefits for workers who are hurt on the job, eliminated prescription drug coverage for low income seniors and cut thousands of our low income Mainer’s from health care, all while giving tax cuts to the very rich.
If that wasn’t enough, those of us in rural Maine are struggling with the disastrous results of the ill-conceived and rushed through Republican health insurance rate hike law that has resulted in sky rocking premium increases for individuals and businesses throughout Aroostook County.
An independent survey has shown that older Mainers and individuals and small businesses in rural areas are now paying more for insurance while younger, healthier Mainers in urban areas are offered lower rates. However those lower rates have often come at the expense of significantly increased deductibles, and reduced coverage – some that won’t even cover maternity expenses.
Thanks to many of the policies passed this years, if you are 50 years old and work at a small business or are self-employed, you are likely to see your health insurance rates rise significantly. There won’t be funds to fix the already deteriorating roads you use. Your parents may no longer have help paying for their prescription drugs, and due to reduced state funds, your local property taxes are likely to rise.
Worse, if you are hoping for relief from the much talked about Republican tax breaks don’t hold your breath. Most of the $434 million in yet to be paid for tax cuts don’t start until next year and two out of every three dollars will go to the wealthiest 20 percent of Mainer’s leaving little for Maine’s struggling middle class.
The plain truth is this Republican led legislature has made it much harder for the average Mainer to get by. I hope that when the next legislature convenes in January we focus on creating jobs and opportunities for Maine workers. I know that my Democratic colleagues and I will be working to help Maine people climb into the middle class not putting forth policies that push them down and out of it.
