What with Medicaid expenses predicted to exceed the state?s
budget by $250 million, tax revenue down with record unemployment at 11.2%, economic forecast predictions of lower than expected tax collections, and
little-to-no appetite to actually cut government spending, the state needs
money.   

 Charged by the state?s constitution to keep the state?s
budget balanced, perhaps the governor should contemplate a proposal in Maine.  (She is after all getting
away from all this annoying business by vacationing ?someplace warm? this
week and should have time to contemplate new ideas).  Folks willing to give the
government more money can just have additional funds automatically deducted
from their bank accounts.  Here?s
what the Portland Press Herald reports today:

(Rep. Terry) Hayes, D-Buckfield, is working on legislation that would let
Mainers have money withdrawn from their checking accounts each month to be sent
directly to Maine Revenue Services.

She’s calling it a tax because she wants the money to be eligible for
federal matching funds. But it would be up to you to decide how much money is
taken from your account each month.

Hayes said she sat down with her husband and calculated that they pay about
$50 a month in sales taxe already. They are in a position to afford to pay
about $20 more a month, so she would sign up to have that automatically
deducted to go to the special fund.

“I would like to create an opportunity to make an additional
contribution,” she said.

The legislation, which is still in draft form and has not been assigned a
document number, would specify that the money could go only to help those who
are mentally ill or elderly, she said.

Joe Coletti tried to give the state more money last year and
discovered that voluntary taxing is not allowed in North Carolina.  When the General Assembly reconvenes in
May (no doubt to a big budget hole), they could introduce the Maine idea ? see
if all of those folks touting the need for more and more tax money will put their
money where their mouths are.