I have just received though the mail (at taxpayer expense, of course) a "report" from my local Maine Senator, a Democrat, lauding the accomplishments of the most recent Legislative session.

The apparent centerpiece of this ode to Legislative prowess and largesse was a statement to the effect that the Legislature had borne down and through dint of excessive hard work and making very difficult choices had created a balanced budget for the upcoming two years.

The details may indicate an entirely different picture, depending upon how much of this glowing rhetoric one is willing to accept at face value.

For instance, the good Senator proudly explains that roads and bridges will receive special attention through approved bonds totaling over fifty million dollars over the next three years. She appears to be overjoyed at the prospect of burdening the already stressed Maine taxpayer with this large sum, plus accumulating interest. No mention of why borrowing more money was the only option, ignoring the fact that all of the money from the gas taxes, turnpike fares, registrations, etc. never seems to make it to the projects for which they are specifically designated but instead vanishes into the gaping maw of the General Fund.

Bonds are nothing more than borrowing money that the state government does not have, incurring more debt at a time when from the Governor on down our leaders deluge the public with tales of impending doom unless vital needs are addressed. Why has no effort been made to prioritize funding requirements such as maintenance for transportation infrastructure?

And no mention of the already infamous new beverage tax, passed very late in the Legislative session without any public input whatsoever with the resulting funds being targeted to prop up Dirigo Health which continues to be unable to support itself and has become a drain on the State Treasury.

As has happened so often in the past, the leaders of the Maine Legislature have "balanced the budget" by increasing the oppressive tax burden shouldered by the working people of Maine while the Department of Health and Human Services cannot account for over one hundred million missing dollars and expensive new computer programs eat up more millions and still do not work correctly.

And they expect the public to be grateful for this blatant mismanagement of funds taken from the citizen's pockets.

Can we afford this kind of runaway spending or is it time to install in Augusta politicians who are willing to exercise fiscal restraint and work within available revenues?

I am curious as to how many others have received this kind of "good news" from their legislators.

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