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February 2, 2007
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Upcoming
Events |
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MBTA
March Meeting:
Securing Maine’s
Future
March 1, 2007, 5 p.m.
Marriott Sable
Oaks
South
Portland
For reservations or
information, contact the MBTA at (207)
622-0526
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LEGISLATIVE
ALERT
Help make the case
for a substantial transportation
bond
Governor Baldacci and the MaineDOT are currently in
discussions that will determine the size and scope of the biennial
transportation bond.
We need your help to make the case for
this investment in our transportation infrastructure.
Please do everything you can to let the Governor, your
legislators and the Transportation Committee know how important a
$150-200 million transportation bond will be for the safety,
quality of life and economy of Maine. For information on how
to contact the Governor, see the end of this message.
We
also need letters to the editor written to your local
newspapers. If you are willing to generate letters, please
contact Maria at the MBTA office at 622-0526.
To help make
the case, please use these talking points:
- With just $33 million in bonds issued in the last
biennium, Maine has fallen even further behind on critical
transportation investments. Projects in every region of
the state have been backburnered, creating safety concerns and
threatening the economic vitality of our communities. MaineDOT
is unable to fix any roads if the current funding scenario goes
on. If there is not a substantial bond, the highway program will
only consist of cosmetic paving and rehabilitation of only a
percentage of our bridges that are in extreme disrepair.
- We need a biennial transportation bond of at least
$150-200 million. In typical bienniums over the past
decade, the transportation bond has been in the $60 million
range, and one year it was $93 million. After two years of
funding shortfalls, double-digit construction inflation and an
anemic MaineDOT capital program, the importance of obtaining our
legislative leaders’ support for a significant transportation
bond can not be overstated.
- The bond must be substantial enough to address a
broad range of critical transportation needs — highway,
bridge, aviation, rail, marine and trail projects that Maine
communities have had to postpone for years.
Please make
your calls soon! If you have any questions or need any further
information, please call the MBTA office,
207-622-0526.
SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET
UPDATE
Appropriations Committee
votes down
recommendations of
Transportation Committee
You have heard the old saying “One step
forward, two steps back” – that could be used to describe recent
developments in Legislative action on the supplemental
budget.
On Tuesday, January 30, 2007, the
Transportation Committee unanimously submitted a letter to the
Appropriations Committee requesting an amendment to the Governor’s
supplemental budget. After hearing testimony, the committee was
impressed by “the dire condition of the state’s highway and bridge
system.” They were very concerned that a $14.2 million shortfall
in the Highway Fund would force MaineDOT to cut additional capital
projects from its already meager program.
In the letter,
the Transportation Committee requested that Appropriations
transfer $14.2 million from the General Fund surplus to cover the
shortfall. The committee had felt their request was
justified. However, the Appropriations Committee had already
committed surplus funds to other needs, such as paying back
hospitals for money owed to them to cover Medicare
costs.
Wednesday, January 31, the Appropriations
Committee rejected the Transportation Committee’s request and
passed the supplemental budget with no additional funds for
transportation.
We have our
work cut out for us.
First of all, I hope you will take a
moment to thank members of the Transportation Committee for their
thoughtful review during the supplemental budget process. We are
particularly grateful that they listened to the MBTA testimony,
and unanimously spoke out to not allow the additional $14.2
million in cuts to the MaineDOT capital program.
We hope you will also take a
moment to click on the Appropriations Committee link at the end of
this e-mail. Please check to see if any of members listed are in
your area and please pledge to work to educate them on the need for more funding for
transportation. We need to let them know
that by ignoring these critical
transportation needs, they are putting Maine citizen’s safety and
quality of life at
risk.
PLEASE ACT NOW TO HELP SUPPORT
TRANSPORTATION IN MAINE Contact Governor Baldacci and ask him to
support a transportation bond of $150-$200 million,
to support a strong, safe and transportation system
for our economy and our way of life:
Office of the Governor
#1 State House Station, Augusta, ME
04333-0001
Phone 207-287-3531
Fax 207-287-1034
Contact the
Transportation Committee to say "Thank you" for their
unanimous support for transportation
funding in the Supplemental Budget. Tell them you are
also concerned about the next transportation bond and will
appreciate their future support of a strong bond that will allow
MaineDOT to fix our roads.
Senator Dennis S. Damon (D-Hancock),
Chair
Phone: 667-9629
E-mail: dsdamon@panax.com
Senator
Bill Diamond (D-Cumberland), Chair
Phone: 892-8941
E-mail: diamondhollyd@aol.com
Senator
Christine R. Savage (R-Knox)
Phone:
785-4632
E-mail: csavage@midcoast.com
Telephone:
622-3096
Phone: 314-4588
Representative Douglas A. Thomas
(R-Ripley)
Telephone:
277-3017
Business Telephone:
277-3017
Representative Kimberley C. Rosen
(R-Bucksport)
Telephone:
469-3779
Business Telephone:
469-3779
E-Mail: Kurlykim40@aol.com
Statehouse E-Mail: RepKimberley.Rosen@legislature.maine.gov
Check the Legislature's Appropriations Committee. Are any of your local legislators on
this committee? Do you know any of them? If you answered yes,
please pledge to work with us over the session to educate them on
the importance of investing in our transportation
infrastructure.
Other ways you
can reach your legislators:
You can call their offices and leave messages for them:
House Democrats: 287-1430
House Republicans: 287-1440
Senate Republicans: 287-1505
Senate Democrats: 287-1515
Other ways to help:
1. Write a
letter to the editor
2. Write a
guest column for your local newspaper
As always, the MBTA staff is ready to help you. If you would
like to submit a letter or guest editorial, please contact Maria
Fuentes ( maria@mbtaonline.org or
call 622-0526). |
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