For a state with citizens screaming for tax reform, our legislators seem to be making precious little progress overhauling the tax code.
The latest example of our Legislature’s attempt comes up for referendum vote at the polls next Tuesday. Of course, also on the ballot are four bond questions, all intended to service vital needs and all using money we, as a state, don’t have.
We support a “Yes On 1” vote, repealing the so-called tax reform package. It is not that we are opposed to reform, far from it, but this really isn’t reform, it is a tax shift.
This so-called tax reform is perfectly in line with the traditional Maine way of raising taxes – that is, by calling it a fee or a surcharge, anything other than a tax.
Under this new program, most people will see their income tax go down, which, in a vacuum is a good thing, but with new taxes levied on enough goods and services that we are extremely skeptical this system is really going to be revenue neutral as promised.
Look at it like this: Let’s say we let you into the movie for free, but for your free ticket, you are required to buy a soda, and some popcorn, and pay a fee if you want to sit down during the movie, and we throw in a minor surcharge to turn the lights down during the show.
Vote this package down and throw it back to the legislature with a demand for sensible government.
If the household budget is tight, you’ve got to find a way make a little more or make do with a little less. That’s what most Mainers deal with every day, every week, every year.
We can’t quite figure out why our legislators as a group, proud Mainers one and all, can’t figure out a way to make that work on a statewide level.
We need tax reform, real tax reform. We don’t need gimmicks, we don’t want slogans, and we don’t want some rocket science formula. It shouldn’t be hard.
We don’t support a tax increase or a tax shift, especially not without a corresponding decrease in spending to get us out of this budget hole we’re in.
