From the world of over-the-top, ridiculous, and unnecessary
spending comes an example from none other than the Maine Arts Commission.
The Maine Arts Commission gets tax payers' money from direct
funding by the legislature. It states that its purpose, although it claims it
struggles to meet this objective, is to "support the arts primarily through
artists working at the local level in a community context" by issuing grants
that need to be matched one to one. In other words it props up art, or what
could loosely be defined as art, which would fail in Maine or any other environment on its own.
You must be wondering why the commission warrants such a negative indictment
(Beside the fact that it is a State Agency). My cynicism about the arts
commission comes from watching this YouTube video:
This production called "Quarryography", by the Opera House
in Stonington, Maine was funded by your tax dollars in the
2008 fiscal year. How much of your money did the state spend on this "work of
art?" This production cost the Maine
tax payers $5000. If you think the Opera House was finished taking your money,
you are wrong. The next investor was, once again, you and your tax dollars in
the form of a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. That's
right: the YouTube video you just watched cost you $15,000.
"Quarryography" is only one example of a vast list of grants
issued by the State of Maine
for "art". Along with the grant to Stonington's
Opera House there were 99 other grants that totaled a massive $586,000 in
fiscal year 2008 and this nightmare perpetually repeats itself each year and
has since 1978. Not only does this toilet with our money in it continue to
flush each year, but some organizations are repeat grant recipients including
the Opera House. In fiscal year 2009 the director of "Quarryography," Alison
Chase received $13,000 for an art fellowship. Maybe she needed it to pay the
fines for all the OSHA violations in Quarryography's production. (Yah, right)
The madness does not end there. Your governor, John Baldacci
feels this sort of spending stimulates the economy: "The Creative Economy
is a catalyst for the creation of new jobs in Maine communities. People who create jobs
want to live in places that have a diverse cultural mix and an innovative and
educated workforce. Maine
will be competitive economically if we continue to capitalize on the synergies
between entrepreneurship, education, the arts and quality of life." A
sentiment even President Obama can agree on. His "American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act" included a grant that went to the Maine Arts Commission
totaling $293,100; that on top of the $816,500 in tax payers' money that is
channeled through the National Endowment of the Arts to the Maine Arts
Commission, each year, in the form of a "partnership grant". What goods and
services could projects like "Quarryography" possibly create? The answer to
that is in the net benefit the economy has gained through Obama's stimulus.
(Nearly zero)
File this away for the next time anyone says we cannot
afford a budget or tax cut.
Senator Lisa Marrache (D) - Waterville, was awarded a "Muzzle Award" as part of the Portland Phoenix' 12th annual "Muzzle Awards - A look at the dishonorable enemies of free speech and personal liberty in New England."
The Senator earned this distinction by trying to ram through legislation to shut down the website MaineOpenGov.org, which lists the salaries of Maine government employees, as well as state spending.
Marrache's bill was eventually defeated unanimously out of the judiciary committee.
The executive director of the Maine Turnpike Authority - Paul Violette "said he is also aware that many Mainers are probably questioning
the need for a new multimillion-dollar administration building. 'I can understand why some folks would say, 'Geez,' but when you run
the numbers, it made better sense not to lease.'"
For further insight into how the Maine Turnpike spends its money - look for all their employees salaries, and all the MTA vendor payments, to be posted soon on MaineOpenGov.org.
In the meantime - here is a preview:
Paul Violette - The Executive Director of MTA earned $129,674 in 2008. This is excluding overtime and benefits.
This is not the first time the company has employed Wright Ryan Construction of Portland to do major projects - they spent $6,820,081 with them in 2008.
The recent "tax reform" passed by the Maine state legislature, and signed by the governor made quite a splash. Even the Wall Street journal weighed in.
But there are those who disagree that this tax reform is a useful solution to Maine's oppressive tax burden. The Republican Party in Maine is running a people's veto against the reform (wonder where they got that idea).
And yesterday, Scott Moody, chief economist at The Maine Heritage Policy Center, released a research paper stating that the tax reform "It is a patchwork of increases, decreases, add-ins, and phase-outs that resembles a 'Frankenstein Monster".
Facing tough financial times, the State of Maine Legislature recently approved 20 furlough days for state workers to save the state nearly $14 million. Most of the shutdown days are near holidays. For instance yesterday, the Monday following Independence Day, most state workers stayed home to save some taxpayer dollars.
While these mandatory furlough days apply to most state workers. Some workers appear to be exempt, and will not be asked to stay home on those days. They will work as normal, and save the state nothing.
Some select workers, so called "tier 1" staff, will be exempt from these furlough days. HR staff for the state has said that the list of employees who are exempt, and will continue on their normal work schedule - is not available for general release.
The question is - who determines who is "tier 1" and "essential" enough that they should continue to work on days the state has designated furloughs to save you money? And, why wouldn't the state release to the public who that list of "essential" workers is?
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