A Democratic State Representative published an op-ed bragging about the 2023-2024, Democrat-led state spending spree just hours before the Mills Administration quietly disclosed that the State of Maine is projecting a nearly one billion dollar funding shortfall for 2026-2027.
Without any Republican support or votes, Democrats created, approved, and signed into law the most recent two-year spending package, Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook) bragged.
What Gattine didn’t know when he was writing the post — or what he declined to acknowledge — is that Maine’s top budget officer now says the State must confront a $949.2 million “structural gap” for the next budget writing session.
“Democrats in the Legislature passed a two-year state budget with hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for municipal revenue sharing, K-12 public schools, free breakfast and lunch for students and salary supplements for early childhood educators,” Gattine said.
“[Rep. Laurel] Libby and her Republican colleagues brag about not voting for the budget,” Gattine said.
Just hours after Gattine attempted to take a victory lap for spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on left-wing pet projects, the Mills Administration quietly admitted that the state doesn’t even have the money to fund those projects.
In a terse letter to Gov. Mills and legislative leaders, Department of Administrative and Financial Services Commissioner Kirsten Figueroa disclosed what she referred to as a “structural gap.”
The $949.2 million shortfall includes a $636.7 million projected deficit in the General Fund and a Highway Fund gap of $312.5 million for the 2026-2027 biennium.
Those numbers come from the most recent four-year budget forecast report released by DAFS Acting State Budget Officer, Darryl Stewart.
According to Stewart’s forecast, general fund revenue is projected to grow during the next biennium by more than $336,000,000.
However, even that surge in government revenue won’t be enough to cover the spending spree Gattine and his Democratic colleagues continue to tout to voters.
In other words, the crisis-level deficit is being driven primarily by overspending rather than a lack of revenue.
“The final result – often called the structural gap – is the amount of money by which revenues would have to increase, expenses would have to decrease, existing laws would have to be amended, or some combination thereof would have to be achieved in order for revenues to meet expenditures, as identified by law,” Figueroa said.
Because Maine’s state constitution requires the passage of a balanced budget, the next legislature is going to have significant work to do to clean up the financial situation left behind by the 131st Legislature.
That work will include, at a minimum, repealing and reversing nearly $1 billion of the Democratic spending bonanza Gattine touted — or raising taxes massively in an attempt to come up with new revenues.
Here’s a screenshot of Gattine’s op-ed for posterity’s sake.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="31407 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=31407">24 Comments
Let’s get that axe ready folks …..something has to go !
No Janet we aren’t going to spend any more on your spending boondoggles .
Have a bake sale . Have a bottle drive . Wash Cars.
Find your money someplace else .
We can’t afford any more taxes .
THIS is your fault ,
the party of “gimme” has led us to this mess. Anyone who has voted for these dems and intends to keep voting for them are the ones whose taxes need to be raised. Dems are economic idiots.
Another out of state liberal, Poughkeepsie, NY, come to ruin this state after running from the lousy policies of his home state.
Gattine is the white, male (maybe) version of Rachel Talbot Ross. Both are reprehensible Marxists who shouldn’t be anywhere near the legislature.
Citizen’s initiative, all discretionary spending stops when over budget and any state rep who votes to violate this is removed from office and required to pay the difference or jailed. Gattine is a pompous idiot and should be shunned.
Cut, Cut, Cut.
There is neighbor who is worth millions and received $800.00 handed out a short time back
They have an ocean front home but no illegals living there.
Just hand out the $ Janet.
Any student soon to graduate high school or college…..find opportunities out of the state of Maine. It’s a one party rule dictatorship. Grannie Mills and her left wing communists in the legislature can’t blame the republicans for this one. Ooo, ooo,ooo…it must be President Trump and the Russians fault. Leave this cesspool while you can. You’re about to be taxed into oblivion. We’re the trailer trash of California. We’ve seen people and companies leaving there in droves. Democrats continue to prove how arrogant and despicable they are and yet the genius electorate keep voting these morons into office. As long as you can kill your babies who cares….right?
Well it is fall, so the money tree has no leaves left.
Benny Weaver:
“Let’s get that axe ready folks …..something has to go !”
Heads from bodies would be a good start.
Connecticut over taxes its citizens so they have a budget surplus. Not sure which situation is worse.
No money left to repair the Beach erosion in Southern Maine. Go luck Saco and OOB.
Only the insane will vote democrat on Nov. 5th,……
Once again another carpetbagger moves to Maine and immediately wants to tell us all how we should live. They have no problem spending our tax dollars on their left wing agendas without any accountability. We need a change in Augusta now and it must start on November 5th. Vote them out!
Take the “ free “ money from Joe Biden and the Democrats in Washington and start a bunch of expensive social programs , hire a bunch of political operatives and supporters , give the people a bunch of free stuff . Especially give lots of free stuff for illegals .
Nothing is free .
When the government money dries up , ( and sooner or later it always does ) switch the cost burden to the Maine taxpayers .
Good job Janet . Thanks for helping ruin the state with out of control taxes .
The only people who will be able to afford to live here will be the summer people from away.
Was that your plan Janet ?
VOTE DEMOCRATS OUT IN NOVEMBER …..SAVE MAINE
Everyone should know how this is going to turn out. Even if Republicans win the house and senate by some stretch of good fortune they will be vilified by the media in Maine for “cutting important programs” being heartless and cruel. Let’s face it this state is on the rocks and the ship is taking on lots of water!
Time to abolish Ranked Choice Voting (yeah, it’s RANK and stinks to high heaven) and break out the tar and feathers.
This is not being reported on any of the Maine news sites….
Take a look at the apartments these ILLEGALS are getting.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/10/watch-first-look-inside-furnished-maine-apartments-where/
This is where our monies are going… Giving ILLEGALS free housing for two years…
Why are REAL MAINERS not getting the same deal?
Blame Mills and the ‘Catholic Charities’ for Maine becoming a third world State.
America Government and lifestyle is a facade of competence, it has existed on perception rather than reality. That time is ending and may god help us
Socialist Democrats have destroyed Maine.
Maybe it’s time to destoy them!
Democrats are leaches!
this is all on the voters of Maine!! The definition of stupid, keep repeating the same thing over and over with the same results. this is what is happening Mainers vote in Communists and wonder why taxes go up. Think about this, Mills knew about the shortfall just like the Legislature and they both agreed to rescind the property tax cap, coincident. I think not. So guess who gets to make up the shortfall the towns, since the state will not cover the programs. Well done Mainers!!!
The democrats want all the money.
Maine votes should be weighted based on the amount of taxes we pay. Votes should follow a progressive system like this the same way taxes are progressive based on an individual’s income. Millionaires who pay 100X the average taxpayer income tax get’s 100 votes. That would put an end to the liberal spending spree in Maine.
CLOSE THE SCHOOLS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR.THEM. THE INTERNET IS A BETTER TEACHER THAN ANY OF THOSE PILL HEADS YOU HAVE ON THE BUDGET AS TEACHERS.
SCHOOL LUNCH, SCHOOL.BUSES, SCHOOL MEETINGS – ALL A HUGE WASTE OF MONEY THAT MAINE CANNOT AFFORD. SCHOOLS DO NOTHING BUT CREATE CONTROVERSEY BETWEEN TEACHERS PARENTS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE ALL EQUALLY PERVERTED.
DETERIORATING AND HEALTH HAZARD SCHOOL BUILDINGS SHOULD ALL BE BULLDOZED. ALL EDUCATORS UNIONS IN MAINE SHOULD BE DISSOLVED. DOUBLE-DIPPERS THROWN IN JAIL.
MAINE IS THE CUTTING EDGE STATE, AND WE NEED TO LEAD THE NATION IN THE ELIMINATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLING. THERE’S A WAR COMING UP, TEENS WHO FAIL INTERNET-PROVIDED STANDARDIZED TESTING SHOULD BE THE TOP DRAFT PICKS, ESPECIALLY THE MALES.