Elephant in the House
To the editor:
Since the 2010 elections, Maine citizens have been repeatedly insulted and embarrassed by actions and statements of Governor LePage that have been widely publicized. As painful as that may be for most of us, there are much more serious threats resulting from the Republican sweep of the Maine legislature that do not get as much attention.
Citizens need to be better informed about voting records of the Republican majority who made decisions that adversely affect so many Aroostook citizens. In the Aug. 29 edition of The Star-Herald, local incumbents Tyler Clark and Mike Willette “tout strong voting record in Augusta.” Their statements echo each other and Republican values heard across the nation in this election.
As the candidate for House District 6 challenging Tyler Clark, I have a different view of these “accomplishments.” On labor, for instance, Tyler voted against LD 447 to increase the minimum wage for Maine workers to $8 per hour. He voted “yes” on LD 1725 which delays and reduces unemployment insurance benefits and “yes” on LD 1207 that repeals the law allowing agricultural employees such as those at DeCoster Egg Farms to have union representation. He voted “yes” on LD 1913 that restricts some of the critical benefits formerly paid to Maine’s most injured workers. All of these votes significantly reduce the ability of workers to put money directly into the local economy, and to support the businesses they would be spending money at.
Reductions to Medicaid and reform of the pension and welfare systems mean those no longer able to pay for the things they formerly could buy at local businesses will be impoverishing the whole community. A retired teacher says, “So maybe I’ll get up to $100 a year in income tax cuts. But with cost of living adjustments eliminated for three years and then capped at 3 percent on the first $20,000, I’ll have a lot less to spend in the local economy.”
Tax cuts, the most lauded “accomplishment” of this legislature, are the most grievous to the well-being of local economies. An MPBN broadcast reports that “Garret Martin, the Executive Director of … Maine Center for Economic Policy, says … the few extra dollars in their pockets from tax cuts will be needed to pay for the cost of services that will be shifted back to counties and to local municipal governments.” This means higher property taxes and reductions in local services that we are already seeing in Aroostook. And evidence shows that tax cuts do not create the promised jobs; instead they create greater wealth for the wealthiest. Find out for yourself before you vote: “Do tax cuts create jobs? No, just deficits.” (http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2011/05/03/do-tax-cuts-create-jobs/).
Who will benefit the most from these “accomplishments?” Could it be the elephants in the House, and in the Senate, and in the Governor’s office?
Darrell Adams
Mars Hill
