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As a U.S. Senator for Maine, I keep the interests of
Mainers first and foremost in the decisions that I
make in Washington, D.C. I return home each weekend
and when the Senate is not in session to meet and
speak with my constituents and listen to their
concerns. I can’t be everywhere at once, though, so
I rely on community leaders to relay vital
information about the needs of Maine communities to
me. Recently members of the Maine Municipal
Association came to Washington to meet with me about
matters of concern to communities throughout the
state.
The Maine Municipal Association (MMA) is a voluntary
membership organization representing Maine’s cities,
towns, plantations and organized townships. It was
founded in 1937 as a non-profit, non-partisan
organization for the purpose of strengthening the
quality of local government in Maine. The MMA
provides a wide variety of services to assist local
governments in effectively and efficiently
delivering quality services to Maine’s citizens.
It has always been the MMA’s aim to provide a
unified voice for Maine's municipalities and to
promote and strengthen local government and I know
from firsthand experience that they work tirelessly
to achieve this goal. During the MMA’s visit, I
spoke with members about such varied and critical
topics as education, energy assistance, tax reform,
and water services. I also listened closely to the
concerns of the representatives and discussed ways
the federal government can aid state and local
communities.
I told MMA members that along with
working to preserve our nation’s security, my
primary focus remains promoting economic growth and
creating new jobs in Maine, particularly in
communities that have been hard-hit over the past
several years. Although times are tough for many
Mainers, there is some cause for celebration. In the
past year, we doubled the number of jobs at Defense
Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Limestone, and
because of $8.8 billion in new Navy shipbuilding
funding, Bath Iron Works will have sustained work
for years to come. Congressional members must work
closely with members of the MMA to help foster
economic growth through sound, responsible fiscal
policy and a commitment to initiatives that have
proven to enhance economic development at the
community level.
Educational opportunities are a focus of mine as
well. When Congress passed the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it promised to
pay for 40 percent of the costs of implementing the
new programs. To date, Congress is only meeting 19
percent of those costs, making IDEA one of the
largest unfunded mandates. Maine is short-changed
$75 million each year in IDEA funding because of
this. To combat this shortfall, I have co-sponsored
the IDEA Full Funding Act of 2006, to provide
phased-in increases of authorized funding, designed
to reach the promised full funding in 2011 at $26
billion dollars.
As I discussed with MMA members, Community
Development Block Grants (CDBG) have again been
targeted for deep cuts in the budget with the
Administration proposing to cut funding in FY 2007
by nearly 25% from the enacted FY06 totals. I have
petitioned Senate Budget Chairman Gregg to restore
CDBG funding at $4.3 billion, and will work with my
Senate colleagues to ensure that this essential
program receives a higher budget allocation. Since
1998, Maine communities have received $23.4 million
in funding for economic development, housing, and
infrastructure projects and over that same time
nearly 3,800 jobs have been created through CDBG
funding. I believe that Congress will reject these
cuts for a second consecutive year, because we
simply must remain committed to a program that
serves such a diverse set of needs like housing
rehabilitation, supportive services, public
improvements and economic development projects.
Finally, I pledged to the MMA members to continue to
focus on Maine’s transportation needs. As a result
of last year’s Highway Bill, Maine will receive an
increase of over 30 percent in annual funding–$44
million per year until 2009. I will continue to
support large projects–such as the completion of the
Waldo-Hancock Bridge and Calais Border Station and
the continued development of the East-West
Highway–as well as the small yet vital projects in
communities across the state.
I am thrilled that members of the Maine Municipal
Association came to Washington, D.C. to speak with
me. Every year I enjoy meeting with this
distinguished group of Mainers because they are on
the front lines responding to their communities’
needs and dealing with challenges so they play a
vital role in keeping me informed. I look forward to
working with them and receiving their input as the
109th Congress progresses so I can
continue to work on the federal level to support
their efforts.
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