Maine is just coming out of a severe budget crisis, and government services remain below their levels before the 2001 recession. Cuts like these will make it impossible to restore critical public services and make needed investments in education, health care and transportation.

Roads were not being kept up, higher education was taking a large hit. It was not just the usual suspects. It even caught the eye of the chambers of commerce. They wanted to check the growth of government, not shrink government. We in Maine have a unique opportunity. Just look at Colorado.

This targets everything that gets a public dollar.

The financial crisis of local governments has reached alarming levels and could lead to bankruptcy of government credit and undermine social stability.

It is not over yet. It is a growing crisis. We need a break in weather, we are monitoring and we are responding.

You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.