(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), the nation’s premiere taxpayer watchdog, in conjunction with The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC), a Maine-based nonpartisan research and educational institute, will release the 2007 Maine Piglet Book: An analysis of Excess Government Spending in Maine at a press conference on Thursday, March 22.  It is the sixteenth report in CAGW’s Piglet Book series, which exposes wasteful spending by state governments.

What:    Maine Piglet Book Release

Who:     Citizens Against Government Waste and The Maine Heritage Policy Center

When:   Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. EDT

Where:  Augusta State House, Welcome Center

Featured speakers will include: MHPC President and CEO Bill Becker, MHPC Vice President of Policy and Chief Economist J. Scott Moody, and CAGW Vice President of Policy David Williams.  

The Maine Piglet Book combines elements of two perennial CAGW publications, the Congressional Pig Book and Prime Cuts, with The Maine Heritage Policy Center’s knowledge of the Maine state budget.  The Maine Piglet Book touches on many areas in the state budget where wasteful spending can be eliminated, providing a valuable resource to legislators and concerned taxpayers.

From Maine’s $56 million Medicaid claims computer fiasco to the 426 state employees who make more than the governor’s $70,000 salary to the almost $1 million spent on landscaping at the state office building, the Maine Piglet Book offers enough examples and analysis to make any Maine taxpayer cringe. 

Hard copies will be distributed at the press conference.  The report will also be available online at www.cagw.org and www.mainepolicy.org.  For answers to further questions, to schedule an interview, or to order a hard copy, please contact Alexa Moutevelis (202-467-5318, amoutevelis@cagw.org) or Jason Fortin (207-939-0038, jfortin@mainepolicy.org).

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.  The Maine Heritage Policy Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization that formulates and promotes free market, conservative public policies in the areas of economic growth, fiscal matters, health care, and education – providing solutions that will benefit all the people of Maine.