Democrat politicians in Augusta will take every opportunity to spend more of your money, and most Mainers simply can’t afford it.
Last week, Speaker of the House Sara Gideon announced something we already knew: Democrats in Augusta are ready to raise your taxes and spend more of your money.
Democrats claim to represent the little guy, but their actions do the opposite. They increase taxes and grow big government. This doesn’t help the working people of Maine. The Maine media applauded the Democrats’ proposal as an alternative budget. But they failed to report the most important fact: it isn’t a real budget.
The Democrats submitted a single page that offers few specifics and even fewer price tags. That is a set of talking points — it’s not a budget.
My balanced budget is well over 800 pages and accounts for every single penny. Shame on the media for once again printing the Democrats’ propaganda and giving the plan absolutely no scrutiny whatsoever. It’s just more fake news.
I vetoed the last state budget, but the Legislature passed it anyway. They increased spending to $6.7 billion — that’s $300 million more over the biennium than I had submitted.
Now Democrats are on track to increase the budget over $7 billion and maybe over $8 billion.
The 128th Legislature is preparing to enact the largest government spending increase in Maine history. That is a legacy our families and businesses simply cannot afford.
As your Governor, I will do everything possible to confront the big-government, tax-and-spend Democratic mentality. I will ask Republicans in the Legislature to stand with me for fiscal responsibility and smaller government.
Speaker Gideon, Senator Jackson and their Democratic colleagues want Maine to have the highest income tax in the country. In total disregard for our economy, they are forcing working families and small businesses to finance their special-interest spending spree in Augusta.
These Democratic leaders fully support a 10.15 percent state income tax rate and will fight to maintain the 3 percent additional tax on small businesses championed by the special interests that control them.
Towns like Medway, Greenville and Cumberland soundly rejected Question 2, yet many Democrats now embrace this extreme tax hike against the wishes of the constituents who elected them.
In Freeport, Question 2 was also defeated, but their Democratic legislator is now demanding to raise their taxes. Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth voted against Question 2, but their Democratic Senator was front and center at this fake budget announcement, lobbying for Maine to have the country’s highest income tax.
Make no mistake, the Democrats’ budget favors special interests over the Maine people. If Speaker Gideon and Senator Jackson really want to do a budget that works for the Maine people, they should come meet with me.
I’ve already done the work for them. We can merge their one page into my 800-page budget. It doesn’t take much effort for them to meet with me. They just have to come down a flight of stairs to my office.
If that is too difficult for them, they can always take the elevator.
Paul R. LePage is the second-term Republican governor of Maine
