03/25/2008
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Staff photo by Andy Molloyfrom the Kennebec Journal
SENATE DISTRICT 24: Mitchell vs. Davis
Senate District 23: Weston vs. Messer
Monitoring usage, checking temperature of heaters can make a big difference
Elementary students meet the challenge and show their reading prowess
Dealer responds in lemon law case
Plenty of space for prayer
SENATE 24: Former lawmaker challenging Mitchell
Festival draws a crowd
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
SENATE DISTRICT 24: Mitchell vs. Davis
Senate District 18: Gooley vs. Woloson
AUTO DEALER RESPONDS: Dealership involved in lemon law dispute
STARKS: Police make drug arrests
Simple steps can save on hot water
Clinton due to resolve cops' funds
CROSS COUNTRY NOTEBOOK: Cougars thrive at Festival
Ellsbury stepping up for Sox
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
And the debate is just beginning.
Democrats are proposing to cut $1.2 million from the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability to help close the gap in the state's two year, $6.3 billion budget. The proposal would reduce staff from seven to two and move the operations to an existing fiscal review office.
Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, said the move is necessary to reduce the impact of cuts to human services as part of the $190 million supplemental budget.
"In the budget we've just been dealing with, there were very difficult choices," she said. "We're trying to save money by streamlining and merging where possible to restore money to some of the very Draconian human services cuts."
But many Republicans say the move is shortsighted.
"I think it's very troubling that anyone would think of using the state's budget woes as an excuse for eliminating the state's budget watchdog," said Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry.
The battle over the evaluation office will heat up this week when the budget gets to the full House and Senate. It's just one of the potentially contentious areas of debate that will come about as a result of the need to make up for falling state revenues.
House Speaker Glenn Cummings, D-Portland, who supports the cuts to the program evaluation office, said the budget could hit the House floor as early as Wednesday. But Thursday is more likely, he said.
In 2003, lawmakers created the program evaluation office, but it wasn't fully staffed until September 2005. Mitchell said the new proposal does not eliminate the office, but seeks to move two fiscal analysts to the Office of Fiscal and Program Review to conduct evaluations of government programs.
In 2003, lawmakers created the program evaluation office, but it wasn't fully staffed until September 2005. Mitchell said the new proposal does not eliminate the office, but seeks to move two fiscal analysts to the Office of Fiscal and Program Review to conduct evaluations of government programs.
It would eliminate the other five positions in the office, including the director, a secretary and three analysts. The office's current annual budget is $952,000, and the Democratic proposal seeks to cut $1.2 million from the fiscal year 2009 budget.
As it is now, the staff works under the direction of a bipartisan group of legislators that directs them to evaluate the efficiency of government programs. In essence, the office is a nonpartisan, independent group akin to the federal Government Accountability Office.
Across the country, 45 states have these types of government watchdog offices, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The Maine office has produced 11 evaluations, including an examination of bed space at the Riverview Psychiatric Center and a performance audit of the state Bureau of Rehabilitation Services.
That audit found more than $160,000 in misused funds.
Program evaluation office director Beth Ashcroft sent a memo to lawmakers on Friday that said her office has suggested fiscal savings totaling more than $2 million and have estimated future costs that could be avoided at more than $20 million.
In an interview, Ashcroft said her reading of the proposed language in the budget would take power away from the remaining analysts.
"To me, it's more than consolidating and shifting some of the functions," she said.
Mitchell said other parts of state government, including the State Controller's Office, have also been exposing inefficient or improper uses of state money. She pointed to an audit conducted last year that found four state cultural agencies used poor accounting practices.
She said overlap among existing state offices will be eliminated with this proposal.
"It really is an attempt to focus and streamline very scarce resources," she said.
Raye, who serves along with Mitchell on a committee that oversees the office, said he was "aghast" that the Democrats moved the proposal forward late Thursday night.
"To find something like this slipped in to the budget just before midnight," he said. "It's an appalling way to do business."
Former legislator David Trahan, a Waldoboro Republican, spent years trying to get legislation passed to create the office.
He said the fact that there was no public hearing on the proposal "robs the people of Maine" of their chance to weigh in on the subject.
Trahan said although some of the office functions will continue to be performed by two analysts, it won't be nearly as effective as what's now in place.
"It gets rid of a watchdog and replaces it with a lapdog," he said.
Cummings said the move is consistent with other efforts to streamline government. Since Gov. John Baldacci made it clear tax increases were off the table, as is dipping into the rainy day fund, Democrats had to make other choices, he said.
Putting two government review analysts in an existing nonpartisan, independent office is a good way to save money, he said.
"Overall, we can meet the goals without as much expenditure," he said.
Susan Cover -- 623-1056
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