Governor Janet T. Mills (D) Makes a Point at Last Night’s Maine Public Debate  in Which the Caustic Paul LePage (R) Charged Her With All Manner of Effectiveness.

Governor Janet T. Mills went to law school, but she didn’t go to an economics school, the caustic Paul LePage charged at the opening debate of the Maine fall election season last night on Maine Public television.

However, we do know that LePage went to the School of Hard Knocks.  We know that from his television ads where his life on the streets of Lewiston are well documented.  He left home at an early age to escape the abuse of his father. That hellish experience left LePage a too often foul-mouthed, bitter, old, white man who lashes out in frustration because that is how he lived on the mean streets of Lewison in his youth.  A vulgar mouth does not work in Maine politics.

Early this afternoon the office of Governor Mills, who did go to law school and clearly did not need to go to economics school, issued two significant reports that show that Maine is prepared to withstand significant economic challenges because of Governor Mills’ strong fiscal management.

The first report, the “Stress Test,” released by the Consensus Economic Forecasting Commission and the Revenue Forecasting Committee gleaned that the State, contains withstanding a significant loss in revenue due to a moderate recession, enough funding to withstand that, should a moderate recession occur.  Under Governor Mills, the account commonly known as the “Rainy Day Fund” has quadrupled to a record-high of $895,9 million.  This historic level reports 16.6% of prior year General Fund revenues, just shy of the statutory cap of 18%.

A separate “Structural Gap” analysis of projected revenues and expenditures conducted by the State Budget Bureau also affirmed Maine’s strong financial standing.  General Fund revenues and expenditures conducted by the State Budget Bureau also affirmed Maine’s srong financial standing.  General Fund revenues from Fiscal Years 2022 to 2025 are projected to exceed the level of funds appropriated, allocated, or otherwise committed by state law.  This means that Governor Mills has prevented a structural gap in the budget and, for the first time in at least two decades, ensured that Maine is forecasted to meet its financial General Fund obligations as approved by Maine voters and state lawmakers.

LePage, upon questioning by a reporter during the Maine Public debate last night, acknowledged that perhaps his behavior during his two terms as Governor of Maine was not what it should have been.  (Frankly, he was a horrible embarrassment to the State of Maine). He admitted during the debate that since that time, he has “learned a lot.”  He has been on a trip or a “pilgrimage” – of some sort. LePage had difficulty in describing it until he came up with the word “pilgrimage” to define his experience..

The State of Maine does not need a Governor who is on a “pilgrimage’ to a better place in his life – hopefully.  Pilgrims need not apply!  Let’s stick with Governor Mills. We like her leadership style. So do many Republicans who recently endorsed her over LePage and his past public “tantrums” and other bad public behavior.

One woman recently told this blogger she’d vote for LePage if he could keep his mouth shut:  “But he can’t,” she said.