Once again, Gov. Paul LePage and his allies continue their war against progressive taxation. In their economically senseless drive to further endorse the utter failure of trickle-down economics, they wish to remove even more state-gathered revenues from the hands of municipalities and towns.

This approach is obviously beneficial to the people in wealthy towns — Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth and, oh yeah, Readfield. Meanwhile, towns and cities will continue to lose state revenue-sharing, money that is owed us. We gave up the right to certain local revenues for a 4.2 percent share of the state general revenues. In addition, cities like Waterville, by state law, must also bear the cost of tax-exempt properties. The list can go larger. Solutions are possible.

I say the state owes us the tools and revenue if they are to push costs down onto the cities and towns through the ,property tax. “Cut, cut, cut” is an endorsement of disinvestment. It is an endorsement of the continuing shift of wealth to a few individuals leaving those remaining to fight for the crumbs off the table. We are the peasants and a very small number are the royalty.

I remember clearly when LePage was Waterville’s mayor. When state revenue-sharing funds were cut, the mayor fought the cut. Apparently he was only oppposed when Democrats do the cutting. For him, I guess that’s different now. It still feels like hypocrisy to me.

Stephen Aucoin

Waterville