Uncertainty over whether Congress will provide federal aid to schools to avoid teacher layoffs has Maine school officials struggling with their 2011-2012 budgets.
At issue is whether federal stimulus aid for schools will end or not. Congress is considering proposals to provide up to $23 billion to local schools to avoide teacher layoffs.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins says she can't endorse that, unless Congress finds a way to keep the payments from adding to the federal deficit. "We don't have the money to give state and local governments," she says. "We are only going to be imposing a further burden on the taxpayers if we borrow $23 billion more to give to state and local governments."
Collins' Republican colleague, Sen. Olympia Snowe agrees. Even 2nd District Representative Mike Michaud, a Democrat, says he's concerned about the proposal. "I do have a concern as far as sending money back to help meet the shortfall made by local decisions," he says.
But 1st District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, says she supports the measure, even if it adds to the deficit. "I think our state's struggled long and hard this year to cut everywhere they possibly could, and education took very deep cuts," she says. "That's not good for the future of our country, it's not good for economic development."