Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Maine State Retirement And The Unfunded Liability: A History Of Legislative Changes And Financial Trends 1991 – 2013, Christopher J. Hanks

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Maine has seen membership in the Maine Retirement System fluctuate from 1991 to 2013 while members receiving benefits has increased year over year. In an article published in the Portland Press Herald on July 24, 2010 titled Maine’s Unfunded Pension Liability Looms as Election Issue, the unfunded liability is reported as having increased from $3.1 billion to $4.4 billion through the recent financial crisis beginning in 2008.

The unfunded liability exists because of insufficient historical general funding and increases in retirement benefits without increases in funding numerous times.

Financing Maine's State Employees And Teachers Retirement System: Comparative Trends And Progress, 1982 - 2010, Moargan Beschle, Eric Davis, Tim Feeley

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Among the many tough choices states must make is how to address funding shortfalls in public employee pension systems. In public sector employment, pensions have long been a key component of the compensation system and an integral way to attract and retain talent in public service positions. The pension is considered a form of deferred compensation, which means that workers receive a salary lower than the going rate for their education, skills and job requirements in exchange for an enhanced retirement package (Bender & Heywood, 2010). State employees incur an opportunity cost by taking a lower-salaried state job over a …

A Comparison Of Maine’S Per Capita Spending, 1996-2006 To The Us And Other States, Ryan Boyd

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The Great Recession of 2008-2010 is showing that the states and national government have spent too much. We need the vision of Thomas Friedman to move beyond our spending and planning habits of the past.1

In 2016, expenditures compared to 2006 will look very different, unlike the previous similarities of 1996 to 2006. This retraction, due to the recession and our government’s embracement of concerns about debt from policy wonks such as former US Comptroller David Walker, debt will have a significant affect on many populations of our society. Maine has been noted as being a state that looks after …

Classifying Communities In Maine: A Comparative Analysis Of Fiscal Determinants, Amanda K. Rector

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Every day, municipalities around Maine are faced with decisions about the types of services to provide their residents and how to pay for those services. Some communities have an easier time of this than others. Hub communities that draw commuters and visitors must provide a broad array of services with an often limited property tax base. In many cases, communities are faced with difficult tradeoffs between cutting services or increasing property tax rates.

The Creative Economy In Small Places: Eight Cases And A Developmental Model, Jennifer L. Hutchins

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Eight case studies across New England offer understanding of the role of the creative economy in the community and economic development of rural towns and small cities. The cases include Providence and Pawtucket, RI; Burlington, VT; and Portland, Bangor, Norway, Dover-Foxcroft, and the St. John Valley, ME. Ten elements or “building blocks” are observed to be important, leading to an explanatory model for the development of the creative economy in small communities. These elements include creative people, education centers, cultural and natural amenities, business engagement, infrastructure, leadership, networks, strategies, time, and money. The creative economy in the eight communities has …

Regionalizing Government In Maine: Opportunities For The Future, David Alexander, Alan Baldwin, John Carroll, Elizabeth Chapman, Dorraine Diebold, Lisa Harvey Mcpherson, Daniel Stevenson, Earlene Wilson

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

In keeping with his promise to make government work better for the people of Maine, Governor Angus King commissioned the Task Force on Regional Options for Better Government. The Governor charged the task force with recommending some alternative regional arrangements for the delivery of government services currently provided by state or local government. The task force evaluated three services in which regionalism offered some advantages: economic development; demand response transportation; and municipal management information systems.

Funding The Gulf Of Maine Program, Craig Freshley

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This report identifies and analyzes non governmental funding options for the Gulf of Maine Program