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Radio Address


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*Democrats are adjourning the legislature 3 months early to avoid any limits on spending*


"Taxpayer-funded, free Community College for non-residents and non-citizens is a prime example of irresponsible spending while many Mainers go without"

 

This is Representative Mathew McIntyre of Lowell with the Weekly Republican Address.

The sad and troubling Maine state budget has been in the news for months.

After years of record tax collections and overspending by Democrats, Maine now has close to a half-billion-dollar shortfall.

Rather than look for ways to reduce or streamline spending, Governor Mills has proposed new and/or increased taxes on pensions, tobacco products, cannabis, gallons of paint, drug prescriptions, online streaming services, and even ambulances.

Legislative Republicans, during earnest, good faith negotiations sought modest concessions to help address the MaineCare-driven shortfall.

These include government program audits, work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults and time limits on the use of general assistance for housing expenses, particularly for illegal immigrants. 

MaineCare is an important program that needs to be sustainable for those who truly need it to survive.

It is now clear that Democrats will not prioritize, reduce or maintain spending at current levels.

In the midst of a budget shortfall, they plan on increasing spending by over $1 billion dollars first, and then raising taxes later this spring.

To do this, they will again abandon the longstanding bipartisan budget process envisioned by the Maine Constitution and shut down the government three months early!

This requires pretending that our work is finished long before hundreds of bills have been printed, referred, heard, or acted upon.

After adjourning, Governor Mills will call the legislature back into special session.

This perverse constitutional loophole will allow them to spend your money “with impunity,” and without any restrictions.

Later this spring, Democrats will raise taxes and fees to cover the shortfall because the budget they passed is not balanced.

IT DOES NOT FUND MAINECARE in the second year.

A perfect example of their lack of any kind of fiscal responsibility is in the area of the free community college program. 

Introduced in 2022, Governor Mills has proposed making the program permanent by including it in her two-year budget.

No Republicans supported this.

But here is the kicker.

 

*Out-of-state students can come here for free!*

*Foreign students can come here for free!*

*Illegal immigrants… free!*

*Maine taxpayers foot the bill.*

 

Regardless of whether or not you support the free community college program, it is WRONG to ask poor Mainers to pay for non-resident and noncitizens when they are struggling to pay their own bills.

Republicans have tried repeatedly to get Democrats to limit the program to Maine residents and citizens. 

Democrats will not do that.

This is one of many examples of the reckless, unrestrained spending that Democrats are engaged in.

Democrats are about to adjourn the legislature so they can spend as much of your money as possible.

Then they will raise taxes disproportionally on the poor and working class Mainers.

Republicans will continue to oppose reckless spending and higher taxes.

Please help us inform the rest of Maine by subscribing, sharing, and following us on Facebook, X, TikTok, and Instagram.

This has been Representative Mathew McIntyre with the Weekly Republican Radio Address.

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McIntyre
Representative Mathew McIntyre

served in the US Navy for 7 years, before being honorably discharged in 1998. In the Navy, served as a nuclear propulsion machinist, including wartime service in the Persian Gulf. In 1999, McIntyre joined the United States Secret Service and retired from that team in 2020.

Mathew is a lifetime member of the VFW and the Lowell Volunteer Group, demonstrating his dedication to veterans and community service.

McIntyre holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Excelsior University.

He is married to Kerry, and in his spare time, he enjoys woodworking.





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