The leftist political organizations that control much in Maine politics on Thursday unveiled the latest initiative designed to advance their progressive agenda through Augusta.
Fair Share Now, an initiative dedicated singularly to the pursuit of higher taxes on so-called wealthy Mainers, is controlled by an all-star cast of Maine’s tax-hungry Democratic powerbrokers: Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Education Association (MEA), Maine’s Majority, Maine People’s Alliance (MPA), and Maine State Employee’s Association (MSEA).
“It’s not right for taxes to increase on Maine’s middle class and working families while those at the top get a break they don’t need,” the group states on its website. “The Fair Share now campaign is an effort to ensure that wealthy individuals and large corporations do their part too.”
The combined budgets of the groups behind FSN – all of which are tax-exempt not-for-profits – exceed $15.7 million, according to the most recent Form 990’s available for the organizations.
FSN’s website, FairShareMaine.org, is registered to former labor union organizer Chris Korzen and was created on Feb. 11, just one day before the Maine People’s Alliance gathered in the State House for a rambunctious “lobbyist training day,” chanting, “Keep Maine Healthy, Tax the Wealthy!”
The group is calling on its sympathizers to help pass resolutions through local governments opposing Republican Gov. Paul R. LePage’s budget cuts and demanding higher taxes. “Just make sure that your resolution is not just against the cuts, but also for raising revenue as fairly as possible,” the group advises.
“This is the latest scheme from the Maine Democrat Party’s pack of left-wing political operatives,” said GOP Chairman Richard M. Cebra.
“Their goal is to divide Maine’s hard-working people using whatever means, to achieve their current objective,” he said. “In this case their goal is simple, to once again raise taxes on Maine people.”
“Whenever this pack of Democrat operatives sets up front organizations with sweet sounding names, the people of Maine should be warned, hold on to your wallets and guard your freedoms,” said Cebra.
By S.E. Robinson
Yes, the Marxists are at it again.. striving to destroy bysinesses and jobs all in the name of ‘fairness’. I find it ironic and hypocritical that the largest unions in Maine are behind this lunacy, all the while claiming to be such ‘friends’ of Maine working people.
No this coalition of socialists and marxists cares little about the struggling working people of Maine, they just want to control us and take our money.
They are sprinkled all throughout the legislature.
The divide in America is not between political parties and their ideologies, between religious beliefs, between rich and poor, or between value systems; it is between the corporate state and the citizen.
Paul LePage knows what he wants; a corporate state. Paul LePage, his staff, and his supporters clearly march to the following orders; establish optimal conditions for private firms to enter Maine so that they may profit without interference.
The marching orders follow a simple set of principles.
■Eliminate outside influence on compensation and benefits.
■Consolidate control of operating expenses.
■Remove controls (regulations) impacting freedom of action.
■Establish barriers that prevent challenges to the corporate state’s control.
The marching orders are clear, concise; the guidelines are flexible, yet focused. Easily understood and executed in our world of sound bites and generalities; critical thinking is not required.
Removal of collective bargaining rights for Child Care Providers was a symbolic message to corporate entities “Maine is Open for Business, no wage or benefit concerns here” and to the citizens of Maine “your rights to fair compensation and benefits are controlled by the corporate state”.
The attempt to repeal the Maine ban of BPA, the harmful chemical found in plastic bottles, was another symbolic message to corporate entities “Maine is open for business, put what you want into your products” and to the citizens of Maine “don’t waste your time challenging the corporate state about health concerns because Paul LePage and his administration doesn’t care about your health”.
Educational Commissioner Steve Bowen’s dismissal of a citizen’s group shortly after Paul LePage’s comment that “all middle-management are corrupt”, was a message to corporate entities “Maine is open for business; if someone gets in your way, they’re gone”.
Steve Bowen indicating he would develop the educational plan internally by the end of the year said to Maine citizens “you will not have input into your child’s education except through support of for-profit charter or religious schools”.
None of this is difficult if you have pre-written legislation (ALEC); critical thinking is not required.
Can it be more insidious? State revenue from within the state comes from state income, sales, and real estate taxes. Reducing the state income tax more than likely places additional burden on sales and real estate taxes; and that is Paul LePage’s intent.
Those who can least afford real estate tax increases are the middle-class and working-class. Mainers will have to work harder and longer, for wages and benefits more highly controlled by corporate entities.
The message to corporate entities is “Maine is open for business, pay the citizens what you want, no one will get in your way because they won’t have the time or money to object” and to the citizens of Maine “go to Wal-Mart, treat yourself to a six-pack of PBR, sit on the porch and count your blessings”.
Elimination of the middle-class and working-class, is it social Darwinism or social genocide? Paul LePage doesn’t care what you call his actions, all he cares about is being CEO of a corporate state.
You cannot eat trees, Thomas. We need jobs. 445,000 people in Maine are on some kind of government aid. LePage understands this and is doing his best to turn things around. If you want a communist state, where everyone depends on the government, keep it up. You are doing fine.
http://somethoughtsfrommaine.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/economically-were-all-in-this-together/
I’d like to know what tax breaks for the wealthy they’re talking about! I had one really good year in business, preceeded by and followed by bad years. No tax breaks for me, all that I got was the marriage penalty!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/business/economy/federal-reserve-expected-to-continue-stimulus-tries-to-reassure-investors.html?_r=0
Funny how Non-Profits always want more. Are they paying their fair share?
And there it is! Remember during the last presidential campaign how Obama said he wanted millionaires and billionaires to pay more in taxes, but assured the rest of us that our taxes ‘wouldn’t go up a dime’? As of 1/1/13, a full 77% of taxpayers saw their taxes go up! There must be more millionaires and billionaires here than I thought!
Bob Stone I’ll accept your number of 445,000. How many of those people are children or senior citizens?
Uh Kent Hilton Jr – hate to break it to you, but the money behind this yellow journalist rag is the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization – a non-profit.
Listen up! Stop the talk and join your local and county Republican Committee. If your town does not have a committee, search the Internet under your County Republican Committee. Call the Chair. Start a committee in your town. Get involved. If you are a Tea Party member, Libertarian, or Conservative, come together under one flag of liberty! We need to register new Republicans. We have a convincing story that needs to be heard. If you want the enemy to take your land, wealth, and liberty, so be it. I will not go down with out a fight. JOIN the Republican movement TODAY! Col Jim Elliott, USA Ret.
We need to stop all taxation and fund our so called government from the revenue source derived from the CAFR funds. Check out Walter Burien’s website: http://cafr1.com/ The State of Maine does not need to be in the employment business. After 25 years of seeking help from public officials and government agencies, it would appear to me that most of them are non productive anyways. Their standard reply was always, “Sorry, there is nothing I can do to help”. Well actually there is always something they can do to help, QUIT AND GO HOME, GET OFF THE TAXPAYER’S PAYROLL. And yes, Gov. LePage was given proof of corruption in middle-management, the same day he made that comment.
Well said, and it should be heeded by all. Go to your local School Board and Council meetings and see how much Free Speech is allowed. That will be your wake up call.
Don Stickney, Obviously, I’m a millionaire, but I didn’t even know it until we filed our income taxes. I guess I was stupid because I always thought there were six zeros in a million, but I guess there are only four or five. My bad 🙁
Dirigo-Are they saying taxes should go up also?
It’s time we counter the false door knocking for democrats that was headed by liberal public sector pinky ring thugs from AFL-CIO, SEIU and various other Stimulus backed Marxist panty waste Liberal backers of The Barack HUSSEIN Obama Administration that went out telling lies in various targeted area that got the likes of Craig Hickman elected in Winthrop , while being paid by tax dollars both in State and Federal Stimulus Funds, The truth will prevail and the Commie , Marxists will fail! http://www.commieblaster.com
DON’T EVER BE AFRAID !!!!!! THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
Mr Czyz, the pendulum has been swinging to the far left for a long time in Maine, in fact for over 3 decades and arguable 4 decades. Maine has been on the decline all along. Now we need the likes of our governor to start the pendulum moving he other way if we are to preserve and better our way of life in Maine. For starts let the governor’s common sense proposal to pay off the hospitals pass the legislature. It’s a brilliant idea – not an ideological one as the Democrats would like to replace with – that will bring in nearly 300 million dollars from the federal government to give the state an economic boost. Please give the governor a chance and stop the nitpicking.
Dirigo Blue, I hate to break it to you. The MHPC is not calling for taxes on the rich like the liberal well-funded leftest, Marxist groups are. The latter demands tax hikes on the wealthy (small businesses) knowing full well it won’t be affected by these tax hikes in spite of all the money it has at its disposal.
Mr Elliot, I would like to speak with you about the clown nose incident. I am a reporter with the Sun Journal. Did you see this yourself? Can you get a copy of one of the pictures that were taken?