LePage tells Insurance and Financial Advisors: Maine’s Budget Not Balanced

Baldacci-Mitchell Budget Shorts Maine’s Hospitals $400 Million

Portland, Maine — At a candidate forum this morning, Paul LePage, the Republican candidate for Governor, challenged that notion that the Baldacci-Mitchell Budget is balanced.

“It is easy to say your budget is balanced if you don’t pay your bills,” said Paul LePage.” And under the leadership of Governor Baldacci and Senate President Libby Mitchell, we have short changed our hospitals by $400 million dollars.

“Hospitals are major employers in communities throughout Maine and when the State does not pay its bills, working Maine families end up paying instead,” added LePage.

Recently reported budget woes and job losses directly tied to the state’s failure to pay its bills include:

·         A $1.4 million operating deficit at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth and an accumulated four-year deficit in state payments of $12.8 Million.

·         Central Maine Healthcare in Lewiston recently laid off 35 employees in Lewiston as part of a cost cutting measure citing $56 million the state owes in back MaineCare payments.

·         Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockport reportedly cut 19 positions in part because of the $7 million owed the facility in back MaineCare reimbursements.

“With the state not paying its fair share,” explained LePage, “Hospitals have been forced to put Maine people out of work and charge private payers higher prices to make up the difference.”

“For my opponent, balancing the budget with IOUs and gimmicks is just business as usual.  It is not how we do business in the private sector, and I will fight to change the practice in Augusta.  As Governor, I will get our fiscal house back in order.”

Paul LePage’s comments about Maine’s budget came at the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Southern Maine Chapter’s gubernatorial forum.   The event was at the Holiday Inn West on Riverside Street in Portland on Thursday, October 7, 2010.

Read more at Paul LePage for Governor