On November 4 Mainers will be voting on 3 statewide referendum items. Here they are with some links to more information about each of them:
Question 1: People’s Veto
Do you want to reject the parts of a new law that change the method of funding Maine’s Dirigo Health Program through charging health insurance companies a fixed fee on paid claims and adding taxes to malt liquor, wine and soft drinks?
An article from Portsmouth Herald about Question 1
Another article from Portsmouth Herald on Question 1
Question 2: Citizen Initiative
Do you want to allow a certain Maine company to have the only casino in Maine, to be located in Oxford County, if part of the revenue is used to fund specific state programs?
An article from the Lewiston Sun-Journal about the proposed casino
Oxford Highlands Four Seasons Resort-Spa-Casino Vote Yes on 2 web site
Question 3: Bond Issue
Do you favor a $3,400,000 bond issue to support drinking water programs, to support the construction of wastewater treatment facilities and to leverage $17,000,000 in other funds?
Information about the bond issue from Maine Wastewater Control Association
I’m confused about question 1. What does a yes vote mean and what does a no vote mean? Specifically about the beverage tax?
A ‘no’ vote means we will pay increased taxes on flavored water, juice drinks, beer, wine and soda to increase revenues to help fund the Dirigo Health Program. A ‘yes’ vote means the voter rejects the increases. The links to the articles provide insight to both sides of the discussion.
It will be interesting to see how the vote in MA goes to get rid of their income tax all together. I’m sick of taxes!
Does a yes on question one just get rid of the additional taxes on drinks, or does it get rid of the tax on drinks and paid health insurance claims as well??? Is the State of Maine going to be happy when they get all our money, or will they want more still??
FED UP WITH TAXES? THEN VOTE YES ON #1
Yes on 1 will remove the additional taxes placed on beverages and also taxes that were placed on health insurance claims within this state. These additional taxes were put in place with little or no public input or media attention to them about 6 months ago-thanks Augusta throw some more on the broken backs of the hard working people in this state who are struggling to keep there heads above water.
A no vote will increase the beverage tax, a yes vote will keep the taxes on beverages the way they are.
A no vote will help to finance Dirigo Health an attempt by the Governor to make health insurance available and affordable for Mainers. An ambitious project that has saved tax money by not having to pay for emergency room visits by the uninsured.
The project was alittle too ambitious, but it can work and when the financing is in place more people will be able to join making it more pliable.
I hate taxes as much as anybody, but they are a necessary evil.
George
Regarding Question 3, here is some information from Steve McLaughlin, P.E., Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Maine DEP
From: Steve.A.McLaughlin@Maine.gov
Subject: RE: Ballot Q3 information needed
Date: October 15, 2008 11:00:40 AM EDT
To: diane.brandon@gmail.com
Cc: Roger.Crouse@maine.gov
Ms. Brandon,
Thank you for your interest in the environmental ballot question. I
manage the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) at the DEP which
provides low interest loans to communities and sewer districts for vital
improvements to their sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities.
The CWSRF has been in existence since 1988, created as part of the
federal Clean Water Act. Since 1989 the federal government and states
have partnered to capitalize the fund. For every $1 the State provides,
the federal government will contribute $5. The bond question will be
the state match, with $1.7 million going the CWSRF and $1.7 million
going to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund which is managed out of
the Department of Health and Human Services.
On the wastewater side, Maine has deteriorating infrastructure. Since
wastewater treatment plants were built with state and federal grant
money in the 1970′s and 1980′s, they have started to wear out and are
reaching the end of their useful lives. Some sewer systems are 60 to
100 years olds and are leaking, allowing ground and runoff storm water
to enter the sewer systems. There are currently almost $300 million in
documented wastewater infrastructure needs in the next five years.
Communities must be able to have funds to keep their systems in good
condition to prevent discharges of raw or inadequately treated
wastewater. Also, as plants reach their design limits on flow,
communities must enlarge treatment plants to allow new businesses to
come in, providing needed jobs for the community. Many larger
communities also have combined sewer overflows (CSOs). These sewer
systems have both sewage and street storm runoff that go into the same
piping system. During rainstorms, the sewer systems can’t handle all
the runoff, causing raw sewage mixed with storm water to discharge to
our rivers and bays.
The CWSRF provided loans for 20 year terms at an interest rate that is
2% below the best rate that communities could get from the regular loan
program at the Maine Municipal Bond Bank. This saves communities and
districts about 20% over the live of a 20 year loan. That adds up to
millions of dollars of savings to sewer users. Since the beginning of
the program, we have loaned almost $500 million to communities. Each
year the CWSRF currently has enough money to provide, on average, about
$25 to $30 million per year, assuming we get the state match to bring in
the 5 to 1 federal money. We presently have about $19 million per year
available from repayments of existing loans. However, with the great
amount of needs in wastewater infrastructure, we need all the new money
we can get. That is why the bond issue question is so important.
I hope I provided you with useful information to help you decide on this
crucial environmental issue. For information on the drinking water
infrastructure, Roger Crouse, from the Drinking Water Program could
assist you. I have included his email address in the contact. If you
would have more questions and would like to talk to me about them, you
may call me at 287-7768.
Steve McLaughlin, P.E., Engineering Manager
Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
From: Steve.A.McLaughlin@Maine.gov
Subject: RE: Ballot Q3 information needed
Date: October 17, 2008 10:51:49 AM EDT
To: diane.brandon@gmail.com
Dear Diane,
I understand some voters’ reluctance to spend money in these times.
However, we have already put off needed water and sewer infrastructure
work for too long. How long can a homeowner put off fixing her leaking
roof before much worse damage is caused to the interior? How long can
she put off dealing with that bulging foundation before it collapses?
The foundations of our wastewater and drinking water systems are nearing
collapse. Remember that bridge that collapsed in Minnesota? We cannot
put it off.
To answer your specific questions:
If this goes down, will the state still spend the money, or will it mean
the projects are delayed until the economy is better? Without the state
money, we cannot apply for the 5 to 1 federal match. Therefore projects
that would have used that money for low interest loans would be delayed.
In the past several years, construction costs for this type of work have
been increasing about 8-10% per year. With the present economy,
construction increases may not go up that much, but we don’t really
know. If getting these funds are delayed two years, the cost of
projects will go up between, say 10 and 20%. That is added to the sewer
users’ rates. Also, because the economy has slowed, construction
projects have been put on hold and contractors are getting hungry.
Right now cities could get good bids for wastewater and drinking water
projects. Once the economy picks back up, more projects will start and
bids will be higher.
What are some of the projects this money will support? Are any so them
in York Count? In Elliot? In our watershed? Is there a list of
recently funded projects on the web?
I don’t know which projects will be getting these specific funds because
if the bond question passes in November, we will not be able to apply
for the federal funds until 2009. It will depend on the timing of
projects and who will be ready to go to construction when the funds
become available. However we have about $60 million of projects
state-wide that are planned for next year. I don’t know if there will
be projects funded from this money in York County, but I can tell you
that we just made loans to Old Orchard Beach and York Sewer District for
needed pump station and sewer work. Here is a list of York County
communities or sewer districts that received low interest loans for the
CWSRF since 1990:
Berwick Sewer District $600,000
Kittery (2 loans) $5,323,000
Limerick Sewer D. $135,000
North Berwick S.D. $362,000
Sanford (2 loans) $20,328,000
South Berwick (2) $5,900,000
Wells S.D. (2) $3,050,000
York S.D. (4) $12,565,500
Total $48,563,500
Note that The loans to the three Berwicks improved water quality in the
Piscatqua River that directly impacts the people of Elliot. The loans
to Kittery were used to rehabilitate the sewer system to eliminate CSOs
and, I believe, to eliminate an old treatment plant in Admiralty Village
that was contributing to shellfish closures. That was a number of years
ago.
Keep in mind that new funds that come to the program each year will
continue to revolve forever as loans are made, repaid and reloaned,
always with subsidized interest rates. These funds will continue to
save sewer users for years to come. But we need to get the money first
by voting yes on November 4!
I hope I gave you sufficient information to convince your friends and
neighbors.
Steve McLaughlin, P.E.
Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Maine DEP
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