Here we go to the polls again. The citizens of Maine should ask themselves, why do we bother electing anyone? We have the citizen referendum. We can run government from the ballot box.

I’m being condescending of course. The whole idea of having a republic of elected officials is to remove the masses from voting on complex issues they don’t have time to study and understand. Legislators have the time and duty to listen to expert opinion and consider the long-term implications of the laws they pass.

Having laws and tax bills run their normal course through the legislation also helps protect the minority rights from being trampled on by the majority vote. As in Question 2, which raises taxes on the wealthy to fund our schools.

In my opinion it’s immoral ask one citizen to raise taxes on another. We are promoting class warfare and the majority of us will pass Question 2 without any thought to the minority. That fact alone is why it shouldn’t pass. My concern isn’t the additional tax on wealthy, only that you as a voter take the time to realize why government should remain in the hands of our legislators. We’re not a democracy, we are a republic and we’re doing ourselves a great disservice by allowing issues like Question 2 to be on the ballot. I would like to leave you with a famous quote from one of our Founding Fathers to consider.

John Adams said, “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”

John Hopkins

Manchester

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