Coalition of Maine groups demands roll-back of LePage tax breaks for wealthy

With state budget negotiations on the horizon, a newly formed coalition of 22 Maine organizations and elected officials, called the Prosperity Coalition, held a press conference Thursday advocating for rolling back the tax cuts for the wealthy passed during the LePage era that have cost the state $864 million in revenue.

“This year, we can choose to keep Governor LePage’s tax breaks, and all the waste they create, or we can ask everyone to pay their fair share so we can invest in our communities and build a stronger, more secure economy for all Mainers,” said Garrett Martin, the executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP).

Participants praised some aspects of Democratic Governor Janet Mills’ budget proposal, but faulted it for leaving in place a tax system rigged in favor of the wealthy.

“Tax cuts made during the LePage Administration tilted our tax code in favor of the wealthiest while doing real harm to our public education system, “ said Crystal Ward, a retired Lewiston High School teacher and the legislative chairperson for the MEA Retired Mainers chapter. “Mainers have voted three times to invest in our public schools, including in 2016 when they voted not only to fund our schools, but to raise taxes on the wealthiest Mainers to pay for it. Instead, budget after budget has underfunded our schools and cut taxes for the wealthiest, leaving educators to make do with less.”

Read more: https://mainebeacon.com/coalition-of-maine-groups-demands-roll-back-of-lepage-tax-breaks-for-wealthy/