Press release from House GOP:
House Republicans Blast Democrats' Plan to Abolish OPEGA
Say politics, not budget savings, is the real agenda

AUGUSTA - As the budget debate moves to center stage in the Legislature, House Republican leaders today urged the Democrats to strip out a provision that would abolish the independent agency that investigates and exposes government waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. The watchdog group - the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) - has been targeted for shutdown as part of the majority party's plan to reduce the state budget by $190 million.

"It seems clear that the Democrats trying to kill OPEGA don't like independent investigators exposing wasteful spending and shoddy management," said Rep. Bob Crosthwaite (R-Ellsworth), the assistant leader of House Republicans. "If I were a liberal Democrat, I'd like to get rid of OPEGA, too."

Maine's Republican legislative leadership continues to exhibit a significant lack of unity. This issue has become one of the 'givens' of Republican politics in this state, and unfortunately it continues to interfere with the Party's ability to counter the economic maelstrom wrought by Maine Democrats over the last three decades. The schism between House and Senate dissipates the message coming out of both camps, and the opportunity to leverage the will of the people of this state against an entrenched majority party remains out of reach.