While the state of Maine is doing well, many Mainers are struggling.

Here’s how that apparent contradiction breaks down.

After years of revenue exceeding expenses, Maine’s “rainy day” fund is full. This “budget stabilization” fund is a place where lawmakers can choose to sock away money for a situation like the Great Recession of 2008.

Right now, the fund has as much in it as is legally allowed, nearly a billion dollars, and Gov. Janet Mills has described Maine as “better prepared today to withstand an economic downturn than at any other time in state history.”

Excellent. Now it’s time for Gov. Mills and the Legislature to turn their full attention to dealing with the urgent issues facing Mainers.

You’ve heard about these issues: More and more Mainers not able to find or stay in stable housing, rents and home prices rising fast, and both the number of unhoused people and eviction rates increasing dramatically.

Wages have not caught up with inflation, childcare and health care costs are rising, and the overdose crisis is still hurting and killing people all over the state.

Gov. Mills is making some very positive moves toward dealing with some of Maine’s issues, including establishing the Office of New Americans, delivering funding for education and funding work to reduce homelessness.

But it’s not enough. One-time funding and half measures won’t fully meet our state’s needs. It’s time to make a serious and full commitment to solving the problems holding our state back.

And this budget also makes shortsighted cuts to programs that keep Mainers healthy and safe. These cuts will increase food insecurity, cost older Mainers money they can’t afford, make it harder for parents to work and support their families and put economic stability out of reach for many of our most vulnerable people.

At the same time, Gov. Mills is proposing we put even more money away. Last month she proposed setting aside more than $107 million. With the recent news that Maine will have $108 million on top of that, will she propose setting aside even more?

The instinct to hedge against insecurity is understandable. But this budget shows a greater commitment to the idea of saving than to the health, safety and financial security of the people of Maine, or the state’s long-term financial growth.

Instead, let’s make a commitment to the people of our state. Here’s what we could do right now with the money Gov. Mills wants to “save.”

With $25 million, we could create a rental assistance program that would help more Mainers find and stay in their homes.

With $10.8 million, we could raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, which would bring more people closer to earning a living wage. For $7 million, we could make childcare more affordable and help save desperately needed centers by improving how we pay providers. For $3.5 million, we could start moving teachers toward a $50,000 minimum salary. For $14 million, we could ensure that the people who support teachers and students don’t have to work for minimum wage.

With $13 million, we could close the Medicare coverage gap that discriminates against new Mainers.

With only $500,000, we could help the workers who care for our most vulnerable people go to college.

Even after all this, Maine would still have enough left over to fund dozens of recovery community centers for Mainers struggling with substance use disorder and to partially close the pay gap for state employees.

But we can only do these things if we commit to the people of our state, to the long-term stability of the programs we depend on and to a future where everyone has what they need to thrive.

Gov. Mills and legislators, we have the opportunity to give all Mainers what we deserve: a fair chance. I urge you to take it.

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