LePage’s scheme to lower Maine’s income tax is more “trickle down” nonsense. He believes a sales tax hike won’t be needed because so many people will pack their belongings and head back to Maine that the increased economic activity will make heads spin. Unidentified budget cuts will handle any shortfall. Trust him.

LePage must not be familiar with the Kansas story, where Republican Gov. Sam Brownback was so sure that income tax cuts were a panacea. That experiment was such a failure that a Republican legislature voted to raise taxes even over the governor’s veto.

There’s little proof that taxes influence decisions to relocate. And Maine saw record in-migration last year, so how does that square with LePage’s thesis?

Lucy Dadayan, senior research associate for the Tax Policy Center, called LePage’s plan to phase out the income tax an election-year gimmick and “irresponsible given an uncertain economic outlook including a possible recession.”

Governor Mills has delivered real economic advancement for the people of Maine, while boosting the rainy day fund to a record high of nearly $500 million. Under Gov. Mills’ leadership the state contributed the promised amount of 55% of funding to schools, reduced the tax burden on seniors and lower income folks; increased funding for property tax relief by $7 million; decreased tax for public and private pensions; decreased income taxes by increasing deduction amounts; and has increased the Earned Income Tax Credit to working Mainers.

With Gov. Mills you’ll get fact-based policies that really work for the people of Maine.

 

Mary Ann Larson

Cumberland