AUGUSTA — Somebody is making a list and checking it twice and it isn’t Santa Claus. Maine Finance Commissioner Sawin Millett said Monday that his office had recommended that Gov. Paul LePage consider freezing state spending by $35.5 million based on a forecast of declining revenues from sales and corporate income taxes. LePage is taking […]
budget
Posted inOp-Eds
Ezra Klein: GOP hasn’t found answers for Medicare
By Ezra Klein The Washington Post Talks on the austerity crisis have hit a peculiar impasse. The problem isn’t, as most analysts expected, taxes, as Republicans seem increasingly resigned to new revenue. It’s Medicare. And the particular Medicare problem isn’t that Democrats are refusing the GOP’s proposed Medicare cuts. It’s that Republicans are refusing to […]
advertisement
Posted inMaine, sj-web
New Maine budget figures will mean program cuts
AUGUSTA (AP) — The Maine Legislature’s outgoing Appropriations Committee, meeting for the last time, is getting a dreary update on state revenues. State finance officials on Thursday presented the committee with revised figures showing smaller revenues over the next 2½ years. It’s due in large part to the sluggish economy, which impacts consumer spending. For […]
Posted inRiver Valley
Selectmen discuss budget, consolidation with RSU superintendent
MEXICO — RSU 10 Superintendent Tom Ward told selectmen Tuesday night that declining local property values mean there may be more state funds for the district. He said the cost of education has steadily increased, but Mexico may be in luck due to a decrease in property valuation for 2012-13. “With Mexico’s property valuation decreasing […]
Posted inFranklin, The Franklin Journal
Hearing set on proposed Unorganized Territory budget
FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 4, on the proposed 2013-14 Unorganized Territory budget of $1.06 million. The hearing will be held in the commissioners’ office at 9:30 a.m. at the Franklin County Courthouse. The regular meeting of the commission begins at 9 a.m. The spending plan represents […]
Posted inOpinion, sj-web
National budget plan must inspire confidence
In one way, the so-called fiscal cliff threatening the U.S. economy is less dangerous than widely supposed. In another, it’s more. First, as many have said, the cliff is really a slope. At year’s end, the tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 automatically expire, and a deliberately brainless process of sequestration starts to cut […]
Posted inSpecials
Cheap doesn’t have to mean cheesy
One of the best gifts I received last Christmas was a pair of scissors! Now some may say if you’re spending so little on a gift, don’t bother but, the truth is I loved that gift. I’m always searching for scissors and just before holiday wrapping, mine went MIA. My son and his girlfriend, college […]
Posted inSpecials
Did you know? Make shopping list to save money
Making a list when holiday shopping can help you avoid spending more than your budget allows. Rather than be caught off guard, carefully make your shopping list and include everyone you intend to gift. Purchase one or two extra generic gifts just in case something comes up. It is much easier to afford holiday giving […]
Posted inSpecials
Holiday gifts on a budget
From family and friends to teachers and coaches, finding the perfect present for everyone on your list can be a daunting task. But with a little creativity, you can find a great gift without breaking your budget. Choosing the Perfect Gift The key to finding the perfect present? Taking time to consider what your loved […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage named in latest Millinocket suit over $216,000 school payment
MILLINOCKET — Gov. Paul LePage was named one of the defendants in the town’s latest filing in its lawsuit seeking $216,000 in state funding he denied to the town in a dispute over the funding of the Dolby landfill in East Millinocket. According to an amended complaint filed Sept. 12 at Kennebec County Superior Court […]