Title
Governor John Baldacci's Weekly Radio Address: The Economy and Recovery - Saturday, June 26, 2010
Bureau/Division/Agency
Governor
Document Type
Sound
Exact Creation Date
6-26-2010
Duration
00:02:00
Language
English
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Rights Statement
No Copyright - United States. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
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Description
Good morning. This is Governor John Baldacci.
This week, we learned that Maine finished May with revenues beating projections by more than $15 million dollars.
With less than a month left in the current fiscal year, Maine is on track to finish $50 million dollars or more above budget.
And we’ve seen our unemployment rate fall to 8 percent in May, a slight improvement over April and last year.
In fact, in four of the last five months, Maine has shown job growth.
The economy is improving – slowly – but improving.
But there is a larger, more complicated picture we have to understand.
For many businesses, success for the entire year is determined between now and Labor Day.
Important parts of our economy depend upon tourism, and the ability of visitors to come to Maine and enjoy all our State has to offer.
As we continue our efforts to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression, we cannot underestimate its lingering effects.
Tourism depends upon people feeling confident about their jobs and the future.
Right now, we still face some pessimism and uncertainty.
And too many of our people lack work and even more are afraid that things could get worse before they get better.
As I look back over the last year, it’s clear to me that the Recovery Act, and the quick and responsible actions we’ve taken in Maine and the support of Maine voters – we’ve made the difference.
Without that action, this recession would have been much worse, and the effects much more difficult to overcome.
A little more than two weeks ago, Maine voters showed they understand the struggle we still face.
They approved a significant investment in job creation that will help our economy beginning almost immediately.
It will create good jobs, and set Maine on a course for future growth.
The investments in new energy research, roads, clean water and economic development will pay dividends for years to come.
But the hard work isn’t done yet. And the difficult choices are far from over.
Right now in Washington, Congress is considering legislation that would help our country to continue to recover from the recession.
And while there is broad support for the goals of the bill, there are concerns about federal spending and the deficit.
It’s a difficult balancing act.
I have talked to Maine’s Congressional delegation and I know that they are all working for what they believe is a good solution.
Nonetheless, I am preparing to take action if it is necessary and there is no action from Washington.
I have an obligation to make sure Maine’s budget remains balanced.
Beginning in July, my administration will begin to prepare to adjust State spending for 2011 to match available resources.
It’s possible we will need to consider new reductions in State spending to balance the budget, which could mean more cuts to an already tight State budget.
But we will not be proposing raising taxes.
For context, Maine’s budget for 2011 is $2.6 billion, the same as it was 10 years ago.
And the number of State workers has been reduced by 1,000.
When people talk about runaway government spending, they aren’t talking about it here.
So as our summer tourism season reaches its high points in the next few months, we will have a much clearer picture of the economy and what we can expect down the road.
Maine has started to recover from the recession.
And we’ve done it with smart investments, frugal spending and by holding the line on taxes.
If we make the right decisions in Maine, recovery will continue.
Our economy is showing that it can grow and that it can create jobs.
We need to continue to support working families, fighting for every job and help those who are unemployed.
And if we stay focused on those goals, we can overcome this recession.
Thank you and have a great weekend.