A coalition that objects to proposed MaineCare cuts in Gov. Paul LePage's supplemental budget wants lawmakers to raise taxes on the Maine's wealthiest residents to cover welfare costs. Engage Maine, a group of organizations committed to progressive public policy, says the governor's budget priorities are wrong and will hurt low-income and elderly Mainers. One Democratic leader welcomed the coalition's efforts, but Republicans say they're not about to reverse the tax policies they were able to enact last year.

Dr. Robert McAfee is a retired Portland surgeon and the former chairman of the Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine. While other states used their portions of a huge settlement from the tobacco companies to balance their budgets, McAfee said Maine took a different route by establishing the Fund for Healthy Maine. But under Gov. Paul LePage's supplemental budget, McAfee says Maine's fund to promote healthy lifestyles will take a turn for the worst.

"We now see that fund raided to balance the budget, which makes us no better than any of the other states who spent the money in the first place on fixing potholes," McAfee said.

During his State of the State address, the governor reiterated his belief that Maine can no longer afford its current array of health care programs funded under MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program. Claiming the state will go broke in April because of the escalating costs associated with the MaineCare program, LePage has proposed $221 million in cuts to put the state back on a solid financial footing.

Republicans and Democrats have challenged the administration's budget assumptions in general, and the Healthy Maine Fund in particular. The budget removes more than 50 percent of the program's funding and takes nearly $30 million from programs that fund smoking prevention and substance abuse.

McAfee, a past president of the American Medical Association, says Maine cannot afford the consequences that could result from funding loss. "We know see in this budget proposal, money taken away from that, from those very precious prevention dollars, because if we do not invest in prevention we will have no loss of risk in the future."

At a State House press conference, Engage Maine was joined in opposing the MaineCare cuts by Catholic Diocese of Portland spokesman Marc Mutty. He said Bishop Richard Malone views the MaineCare crisis as a symptom of the country's failure to address the need for universal health care.

"The consequences of our failure to address these compelling needs must not be borne by those who are least able to absorb it--the elderly on fixed incomes, those with chronic illness unable to meet their families needs, those unfortunate workers unable to find meaningful work in a down economy and all others through not fault of their own, rely on our compassion and good will to assist them in their hour of need," Mutty said.

Ben Dudley, executive director of Engage Maine, says his coalition is recommending that the Republican tax cuts that were included last year as part of the state's two-year budget be repealed to generate an additional $72 million a year. He says other savings can be found through more aggressive case management at the Department of Human Services, and by ensuring that outstanding money owed to the state by other insurers is collected.

"We should restore Maine's 2010 tax rate for people earning more than $200,000 per year, and ask the top 1 percent--those who earn, on average, more than $733,000 a year to pay their fair share with a new plan that ensures their tax rate isn't lower than that of Maine's working families," Dudley said.

But a tax increase is not in the cards, according to Republican House Speaker Bob Nutting of Oakland. "The idea of taxing Mainers more to solve this problem that has been ongoing ever since I can remember is a recipe for disaster, frankly," Nutting says. "We need to correct the problem, and the problem lies in the (Department of) Health and Human Services."

House Minority Leader Emily Cain, an Orono Democrat, says the coalition's efforts are welcome.

"It's great to hear groups on the outside trying to help us solve that problem," she says. "Right now we're taking the input, looking at everything, but the bottom line is getting to a solution--a bipartisan solution--that doesn't cause the harm that the initial proposal will."

Members of the Appropriations Committee are preparing to work on the budget cuts over the weekend.