Nearly everything we value is taxed today. So it was good news when the Legislature rejected a bill that would have taxed Poland Spring for the water it bottles and sells.

To do that, the Legislature would have had to take away the right that all of us have to the water underneath our property. And you are naïve if you think it wouldn’t take them long after taxing Poland Spring to start taxing all of us for that water.

Consider what Sen. Ben Chipman of Portland, a supporter of the tax, said: “It’s a resource that has a value. Obviously, it’s selling for a good amount of money and is producing good profit for the company, but the state of Maine gets nothing for the water.”

Well, Maine gets nothing for my water either. Poland Spring employs more than 800 people mostly in rural areas, pays income taxes, fuel taxes and other fees to operate in Maine. They are also generous with contributions to many groups and projects, focused on the areas where they have facilities.

If you think I am wrong about the state taxing our water, consider what they are taxing now.

Think the money you make is all yours? Nope, both the state and federal government takes some of it. How about your property? Is it really yours? Well, no, because if you don’t pay your property taxes the town will end up owning your property.

What about all those things you buy in the store? Yup, they tax most of those too. They’ll even try to take away some of your inheritance. If you want to enjoy a state park, which you paid to create and maintain, you have to pay again. And if you want to travel on the turnpike, even though you paid for it, you will still have to pay.

And on and on it goes.

The Legislature decided to let us gamble on sports, but of course they are going to tax that. They love to tax our fun.

Well, you can still access the State House to listen to the legislature for free. I think they know they would see very few of us if we had to pay for that.

Even worse than this is the fact that the previous governor and legislatures cut back on the state revenue that was supposed to come back to the towns, especially revenue-sharing and school funding. Because of that, today more revenue comes from the property tax than either the sales tax or the income tax. And many Mainers struggle to pay their high property taxes.

Now don’t get me wrong. There are many things local and state governments do that are very good. We have lots of needs in Maine, and some are still going unmet. I’m particularly concerned about the awful condition of the roads I’m traveling on.

And I’m especially concerned about the future of our rural Maine towns. Too many have lost their schools and their medical care, which pretty much eliminates the opportunity to attract new residents.

But I’m inspired by all the Mainers who have stepped up to address our problems, from lack of food to drug addictions. We should all be worried about major changes such as climate change. And we should be doing what each of us can to address these problems.

Unfortunately, as government grows bigger, our personal resources are reduced, making it harder to contribute to the wonderful programs and groups that are addressing our problems.

You, as an individual, can help us resolve these problems. It is very important that you get to know your state senator and representative and keep in touch with them as they wrestle with all of these problems and issues.

There are also many ways for you to volunteer right in your community to help others, even if you have no money to spare.

And, at least for now, you can still enjoy your water without paying a tax. Please thank your legislators for that.

 

George Smith can be reached at 34 Blake Hill Road, Mount Vernon 04352, or georgesmithmaine@gmail.com. Read more of Smith’s writings at www.georgesmithmaine.com.