On page 5 of today’s edition, following the time-honored tradition of citing another newspaper’s reporting to justify their own mis-uninformation, The Ostrich carried this little item about Governor John Baldacci and his budget stewardship:
Adjusted for inflation, the fiscal 2010-11 general fund budget of $2.69 billion is less than the budget Baldacci inherited when he became governor in 2003.
True, as far as it goes, which is not nearly far enough. The general fund budget is less than half of total state spending, as we’ve reported over and over, most recently in this item.
If we told you that we spent far less on new vehicle purchases this year than we did ten years ago, would that convince you that our family spending is less than it was then? We don’t think so, Tim.
So here we come again, reminding you over and over. The reporting by “traditional media outlets” is at the best incomplete, and at the worst, intentionally culpable in misleading the public.
Want proof? Look at the data here. It’s up to date as of last month, and what is shows is that Maine’s total spending in 2003 was $5.68 billion, and in 2010, it is $7.73 billion.
You can say whatever you want about general fund spending, but there is no denying that Maine government is spending 36% more now than it did seven fiscal years ago. Trying to suggest otherwise by selective choice of numbers is the worst kind of mis-uninforming.
It’s almost as if we need a government watchdog acting on our behalf to make sure we get the facts we need to understand what is really going on.
Nominees, anyone?
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