DECA students appreciate support
To the editor:
I would like to send a huge thank you to the businesses who supported and sponsored the students of Caribou DECA so that they could participate in the National Competition in Florida. These businesses not only support Caribou DECA Club but I know that they support and sponsor other clubs throughout the year. Without their generosity, our students and children would not be able to be to participate in so many activities.
I am so proud of not only my son Ricky, also Dustin, Colby, Madison and Bria. They worked very hard this year and they did a wonderful job! I would also like to send a big thank you to Mr. Nonken who gave of his time and dedication to these students. They are lucky to have you!
Again, thank you to all of you. I know this mom and the students are very grateful!
Kim Rohn
Caribou
Disturbing cuts to mental health care
To the editor:
As a concerned citizen and community mental health volunteer, I am all too familiar with the limitations of the mental health system in Maine and across the nation. The good news is that we are making great strides in every area, from building awareness, breaking down barriers and coordinating care, to de-stigmatizing the many shapes and sizes of mental illness.
Cuts to mental health services that are being considered by the state Appropriations Committee are disturbing. The enactment of the budget, as proposed, will have a lasting adverse impact on the quality of services available and the great strides we have made providing better access to care close to home. Those likely to be the most affected are people and families without public or private insurance, those who are already marginalized.
Considering the mental health-related stories in the media – school shootings and the airline crash in the French Alps – the need for better mental health services has never been more apparent. If the state of Maine has the foresight to provide adequate care to those suffering from mental illness, the rewards of strong vibrant healthy communities will pay dividends for years to come.
Nancy St. John Pond
Cape Elizabeth
A better deal for Maine
By Rep. Roland “Danny” Martin
(D-Sinclair)
Maine winters are always cold, but this one felt particularly long, with freezing days and heavy snow. I was very thankful that plow trucks were sanding and clearing our roads, making our drives a little less treacherous.
Revenue sharing helps towns maintain vital services like these along with schools, fire and police departments. For more than 40 years, this agreement between the state and municipal governments has helped keep property taxes in check by providing funds to support public works programs, education for students and other local services.
Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my previous column on the biennial budget, our governor proposes doing away with revenue sharing, which would raise property taxes or cut these critical services. His budget also proposes complex changes to our state’s tax policy, some of which I have serious reservations about.
As Democrats, we prioritize keeping property taxes low and maintaining critical services in communities. That is why we recently released our counterproposal: A Better Deal for Maine.
Our plan would increase funding to revenue sharing to $80 million, unlike the governor’s plan which flat-funds it at $62 million in the first year and eliminates it in the second year and into the future.
Homeowners already have enough to deal with without having to worry about their property taxes being raised. Not only would the governor’s budget most likely result in higher property taxes, it would also eliminate the Homestead Exemption for residents under 65.
LePage’s plan does double the exemption for older homeowners, but we believe that all Maine residents should benefit from the Homestead Exemption. Under the Better Deal, the Homestead Exemption doubles for everyone who is eligible to receive the tax break. This provides $120 million annually in direct property tax relief to Maine residents.
We also want to increase the Property Tax Fairness Credit by more than $57 million a year. The Property Tax Fairness Credit replaced the Circuit Breaker program and reimburses eligible Maine taxpayers a portion of the property tax or rent paid during the tax year on the Maine individual income tax return whether they owe Maine income tax or not.
Income tax has also been a topic of great discussion. The governor proposes lowering income tax rates and eliminating most income tax credits and deductions. Under his plan, 50 percent of the tax cuts go to the top 10 percent. Under the Better Deal, 98 percent of income tax relief goes to the bottom 95 percent of Mainers.
You might be asking, with additions to exemptions and funding revenue sharing, where does the money come from? Well, the good news is that our plan is fully paid for.
Our plan does not create a future $300 million budget hole by giving large tax breaks for wealthy Mainers and large out-of-state corporations. Our plan cuts income tax levels for the vast majority of Mainers while asking the wealthiest 5 percent to pay their fair share. LePage’s proposal also eliminates the estate tax. Currently, estates under $2 million for individuals and $4 million for couples are exempt from the tax. That elimination will leave holes in our budget and do nothing to strengthen our middle class.
We have included some aspects of the governor’s proposal in our plan. We also support broadening the sales tax, which is very narrow and relies heavily on cars and building materials. The tax code was put in place in the 1950s and does not reflect our current service economy. The proposed changes will moderate the revenue swings we now see and move some of the burden to visitors.
Our plan does, however, keep in place the current 5.5 percent sales tax rather than increasing it to 6.5 percent as the governor proposes. Both plans keep the lodging tax rate at 8 percent.
Our plan is about growing the middle class and protecting our most vulnerable citizens. I am proud to support this fiscally responsible plan that supports Maine’s working families. Contact me at Danny.Martin@Legislature.Maine.Gov for more information.
