LEPAGE MISLEADS PUBLIC ON BUDGET

Extra fifty cents on dinner tab pales in comparison to LePage’s property tax spike

AUGUSTA—Democratic Leaders issued the following statement criticizing Governor Paul LePage for misleading the public about the state budget.

Earlier this year, Governor LePage proposed a budget that would have shifted more than $400 million in taxes on to cities and towns and gutted funding for public education, including early childhood programs like HeadStart. Additionally, LePage cut funding for programs that assist seniors and people with disabilities in paying for their medication. Instead, LePage’s proposed cuts would fund the tax breaks for the wealthy passed by LePage and the Republican-led Legislature.

“Governor LePage is counting on the people of Maine to have amnesia,” said House Speaker Mark Eves, D-North Berwick. “But no one will forget that he proposed massive property tax hikes and cuts to our schools and safety net to fund tax breaks for the wealthy. The Legislature put the brakes on his plan and rejected Republican threats of a government shutdown. Instead, we made the responsible choice to prevent massive property tax spikes and restore cuts to our schools.”

Democrats proposed delaying the tax breaks for the wealthy but Republicans refused that choice. Instead, Republican lawmakers proposed temporarily raising the sales tax by half a penny and the meals and lodging tax by a full penny to balance the budget. The tax increase sunsets in June 2015.

“Even the Governor’s own budget officer admitted that lawmakers were faced with a budget of desperation from Governor LePage. LePage proposed a tax hike so large that it would have raised property taxes on every homeowner in the state of Maine. Worse, his budget cut funding to our public schools, seniors, and people with disabilities,” said Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland. “The Legislature made a tough choice. We knew it was our job to balance the budget. And, unlike the Governor, the Legislature did so with a responsible budget that did not shift our responsibility on to towns and cities. We knew we had to fund our classrooms and help seniors get the lifesaving medication they need.”

More than 75 cities, towns, and school boards signed petitions opposing Governor LePage’s budget. Town officials, students, parents, and seniors spoke out against the Governor’s budget. There was only one member of the public who spoke in support of his budget.

If Governor LePage’s proposed budget had passed, a typical Maine family would have seen an increase in property taxes of $645 according to Maine Center for Economic Policy.

Alfond added, “Most Mainers would rather pay an extra fifty cents on a night out at dinner than pay hundreds more in property taxes.”

###