Maine: Maine State Employees Association

February 27, 2009 - 08:30 pm

Savings small after Levinson Center transfer

By Abigail Curtis

BANGOR, Maine — State government officials told Mainers a year ago that privatizing the Elizabeth Levinson Center, which provides care for severely mentally retarded Maine children and young adults, was necessary to save money.

But as the center’s expected savings after privatization for this fiscal year have shrunk from $400,000 to just a few hundred dollars, officials now are saying that the primary reason to privatize the state-owned and state-operated facility was simply to get out of the business of providing direct care.

“We see the state’s role as quality assurance and quality oversight,” Jane Gallivan, director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disabilities, said Thursday.

Read More at Bangor Daily News >
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February 9, 2009 - 09:00 pm

NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

State worker benefit cuts focus of budget hearings

By Kevin Miller

AUGUSTA, Maine — State employees urged lawmakers Monday to revisit a cost-cutting provision in the governor’s budget that would require many state workers to pay a portion of their health insurance premiums.

The first day of public hearings on Gov. John Baldacci’s proposed $6.1 billion biennial budget was largely mundane as administration officials walked legislators through cost-saving proposals in about a half-dozen state agencies.

Faced with an estimated $838 million revenue shortfall, the Baldacci administration has outlined plans to eliminate more than 200 positions and reduce spending throughout state government during the two-year budget that begins in July.

The most lively discussion came late Monday when state employees got the chance to weigh in on a proposal to require government workers who earn $50,000 a year or more to chip in 5 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums.

Read More at Bangor Daily News >
There have been 25 comments posted in response to this story.

February 6, 2009 - 09:02 pm

NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

Lawmakers start to deal with budget

By Kevin Miller

AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers on Monday will begin the sobering business of deciding how to spread the economic pain around state government as they delve into a proposed budget that cuts funding to most agencies and eliminates hundreds of jobs.

Lawmakers have scheduled four weeks of public hearings on the Baldacci administration’s proposal for dealing with an estimated $838 million hole in the 2-year budget that begins this July.

Click to see a .pdf document of the public hearing schedule.

Those hearings, which are before the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, begin Monday in the State House and are expected to run through at least March 6.

Read More at Bangor Daily News >
There have been 31 comments posted in response to this story.

Wed, 09/24/2008 - 16:50

MSEA quick to point out inaccuracies in MHPC data

By Jessica Alaimo, PolitickerME.com Reporter

The Maine State Employees Association criticized the Maine Heritage Policy Center for circulating false information on its new Web site, www.maineopengov.org.

The Web site creates a searchable database of expenditures with state money and public employee salary.

The MSEA prefaces their statement by saying they support openness and transparency in government.

A release stated today:

There have been 41 comments posted in response to this story.

Tue, 08/12/2008 - 15:07

Pingree, Summers claim new endorsements

By Jessica Alaimo, PolitickerME.com Reporter

There were two endorsements in the ME-1 race today.

The Maine State Employees Association endorsed Chellie Pingree (D-North Haven).

The MSEA, part of the Service Employees International Union, has 10,000 people in Maine.

Donna Doore, chairwoman of the MSEA-SEIU Political Action Committee, issued the following statement:

There have been 40 comments posted in response to this story.

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