Gov. Paul LePage is under fire for his characterization of how a new 3 percent surcharge to fund education will affect wealthy Mainers.
LePage was challenged on his facts by by an audience member during his town hall meeting Monday in Fort Kent, his latest stop in a campaign that he hopes will convince state lawmakers to repeal the surcharge approved by voters in November.
LePage spent Monday waging an all-day, multimedia public relations campaign against the perils of the education surcharge. It began with his weekly interview with Bangor radio station WVOM. Then came a lengthy press conference on taxes at the State House.
LePage then traveled to Fort Kent for a town hall meeting, where he appeared to assert that Mainers making $200,000 or more will be hit with an income tax of over 10 percent.
In a recording provided to Maine Public Radio by a member of the audience, a man can be heard attempting to correct the governor’s accounting.
“No, that’s not correct. The 3 percent of that is only on the incremental revenue above $200,000,” he said.
LePage did not appear persuaded.
“It’s the full $200,000. It’s 10 percent for the full amount, sir,” he said.
LePage seemed to insist that those making $200,000 will have their entire earnings hit with a 10.15 percent income tax — that’s 7.15 percent for the current top rate, plus 3 percent for the new education surcharge.
But that’s not correct, according to law approved by voters in November. According to the law, the education surcharge applies only to earnings above $200,000. Every penny at or below $200,000 will be taxed at the regular top rate — 7.15 percent.
“If you have income of $200,001, only one dollar is subject to the 3 percent surcharge. It’s only the income that’s over $200,000,” says Democratic Rep. Drew Gattine of Westbrook, co-chairman of the Legislature’s budget writing committee.
Gattine says LePage misled the Fort Kent audience by overstating the effect of the surcharge, and he says the governor’s comments follow a pattern of inaccurate statements.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “LePage doesn’t seem to understand education surcharge,” an article by contributing Maine Public writer Steve Mistler, please follow this link to the BDN online.
