The Maine Compass column, published on July 17, by Sen. David Trahan and Rep. L. Gary Knight, titled “Republican tax plan will generate jobs, benefit low-income families” is a column full of mathematical gymnastics.

How is a tax plan giving 43 percent of the benefit to those making more than $100,000 going to help low- and middle-income Maine families?

Do Republicans in the Legislature think that Mainers are going to “love these tax cuts”? Maybe so, if they are one of the 550 families owning estates worth $2 million, or if they are well-heeled and bring in more than $300,000 per year.

The fact is that the Congressional Budget Office has said that the similarly structured Bush tax cuts targeted to the wealthy have not generated their promised job growth or economic stimulus. Experience has shown they have not worked for most Americans and the economy.

But for those of us less fortunate, the Maine Republican tax plan guts property tax relief by 20 percent, or as much as $400, for at least 75,000 low- and middle-income Maine families.

Working Mainers may ask just how much Republicans wanted to help low- and middle-income families struggling to pay their bills. After all, Republicans rejected a measure to raise the minimum wage by only 25 cents. Republicans advanced bills that would take away rights from Maine workers. They pushed to get Canadian workers jobs in the Maine woods before Maine loggers.

One House Republican, Rep. Peter Rioux of Winterport, said employers favor Canadian workers in the Maine woods because they are more “productive,” they “work harder” and “they complain less.”

Whose side are they on?

 

Debra Whitehouse

Augusta

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