Federal Expenditures in Maine, 2007
On Wednesday (October 2), the Census Bureau released the 2007 data on federal expenditure by state–called the Consolidated Federal Funds Report. All data is expressed in federal fiscal years. The report shows federal expenditures in Maine climbing 7.9 percent to $11.85 billion in 2007 from $10.979 billion in 2006. Maine’s growth rate exceeded the national average of 4.3 percent.
Driving this trend is the growth in “Retirement and Disability” category which grew 7 percent to $4.254 billion in 2007 from $3.977 billion in 2006. Maine’s growth rate in this category also exceeded the national average of 5.9 percent. Another tell-tale sign of Maine’s rapidly aging population. See attached chart for federal expenditures in Maine by category.
“Grants to State and Local Governments” was another fast growing category at 4.6 percent versus the national average of 0.4 percent. The majority of this category is made up of matching funds for Medicaid.
