By S.E. Robinson
Maine Wire Reporter
In a Thursday email blast to Maine Democrats, Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant falsely stated that Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed budget will raise property taxes.
“The GOP budget slashes funding to towns and municipalities, drives up property taxes on Maine families and puts our children’s education in jeopardy in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy,” said Grant in the email. (Emphasis added)
As readers of The Maine Wire know, property taxes are controlled by cities and towns—not by the State. Only municipal governments can change property taxes. Although raising property taxes is one route a municipality could pursue in response to the Governor’s proposed belt-tightening, cutting costs and reducing services is another. Regardless of the path a city or town chooses, it is simply false to claim that the Governor’s budget would be the causal agent of property tax increases.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="5461 http://www.themainewire.com/?p=5461">23 Comments
OH But it would be the causal agent of property tax increases. – Why? Because many and or most Municipalities can not cut budgets any lower then they are in order to survive.
I disagree. There are many issues within bangor for instance, that are wasteful.
Economic debt is the obligation to pay a certain sum of money; a simple, cold, and impersonal transaction and transferable. Human effects are not calculated, only principle and interest.
“Morality refers to a code of conduct that applies to all who can understand it and can govern their behavior by it, …morality should never be overridden, that is, no one should ever violate a moral prohibition or requirement for non-moral considerations.”[2].
How is our sense of morality and justice reduced to the language of a business deal; a moral obligation becomes an economic debt? Money. It is money’s capacity to turn morality into a matter of impersonal arithmetic, justifying what would otherwise seem outrageous or obscene.
In 2010 voters approved the Oxford Casino under the promise that 46 percent of the profits would help fund public education in Maine. However, in a recent announcement Paul LePage intends to use those funds ($14 million) to address a gap in the state’s budget.[3] LePage already had cut $12.58 million from state education funding in December… and is saying schools will be flat funded for the next year.[4].
A moral obligation towards education and the children of Maine, has now become an economic debt; a simple, cold, and impersonal transaction. Or is it a simple, cold, and impersonal investment in the future towards for-profit charter schools in Maine?
The removal of state educational funding and state revenue sharing[5] places increasingly the cost of schools on the individual towns through increased property taxes. All will scramble to seek ways for less expensive options to education; fear of not educating one’s child a driving factor; for-profit charter schools easily enter, possibly welcomed.
LePage and his lieutenants are the poster children for teaching immoral behavior; they’ve clearly demonstrated a keen ability of how to use money to turn a matter of morality into a matter of heartless economics, justifying what would otherwise be reprehensible to a rational society.
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[2] http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition/
[3] http://bangordailynews.com/2013/01/26/politics/lepage-wants-to-use-casino-money-earmarked-for-education-to-close-states-budget-hole/?ref=search
[4] http://bangordailynews.com/2013/01/13/politics/community-leaders-balk-at-lepages-revenue-sharing-cuts/?ref=search
[5] http://bangordailynews.com/2013/01/13/politics/community-leaders-balk-at-lepages-revenue-sharing-cuts/?ref=search
Every time the state or federal government cuts a program, cuts funding for a program, or reduces funding for a program or service, the liberals are determined that they are going to fund it somehow. If the program is cut, well then it’s CUT period. It doesn’t mean that taxes are raised somewhere else to make up for it, it’s cut. Work with what you have or eliminate the program. Where does the idea come from that they are going to get their money one way or the other? If the cuts are to schools, then the PARENTS need to chip in and pay for what they want, it’s their children.
The liberals just can’t comprehend the idea of smaller government, lower taxes, and that the government can no longer do everything for them. I know it’s scary for some people, but they are going to have to get used to the idea of earning what they have and taking care of themselves. People are having children that they knew full well that they couldn’t afford in the first place, or having more children when they can’t afford to feed, cloth, and educate the ones they already have, expecting the rest of us to provide for them.
Ben Grant is the problem with Maine Democrats personified. It seems impossible for them to be honest about anything, nor can they admit that the economic situation facing Maine is a direct result of their policies. But they’re sticking to their Saul Alinsky playbook, which is to villify anyone who opposes
their failed policies. I’m a member of my towns Budget Committee and I have no problem calling Mr. Grant a bald faced liar.
Nice teleprompter…Ben appears to be a devoted disciple of TOTUS.
Thank god Lepage knows we cannot keep throwing money at our failing school system. My son went to SAD 75, my wife and I had to hire a tutor! if we did’nt he would have graduated HS with honers, not being able to read!
OH yesss—-we MUST have a baseball field [or several] in our town. we must have computers in our schools for every child- the last school board meeting I attended was talking second grade through high school- because the MONEY was not from us, it was from “the Government” the moral argument is itself “cold and Calculated” — is it moral to get what you want or even need by taking it from other peoples pockets?? If this great NEED is not what you could pay for entirely out of your own pocket,and you are not starving or bleeding to death, why do you find it “moral” to take it out of someone else’s pocket? shouldn’t the other person at least have the option of weather or not he GIVES it to you?
Well said, Margery!! Many people like Ben Grant need a little taste of “do without.” I grew up that way,didn’t kill me and I’ve had a successful life .
Ben Grant is a classic Democrat liberal. If they say something, that automatically makes it true in their eyes. They don’t care about the actual facts. The real truth just gets in their way.
If you do not want your property tax to go up, don’t vote for it. LePage has given the tax payers more control over their own town spending. The money is not so free when it comes from your pocket and not from someone else s.
Progressives need to learn the definition between want and need.
Margery, agreee completely, what so many who claim it costs them nothing don’t get is that you don’t get something for nothing. Money coming form the Federal government IS our/your money . Where do people think federal Government money comes from. Yep OUR taxes, the federal government does not make any money they get it from you and I.
Ummm…Brunswick High School is not part of SAD 75.
The Maine Constitution, Article VIII, Part First, states that, “the Legislature are authorized, and it shall be their duty to require, the several towns to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the support and maintenance of public schools….” Hmmm? Where does it say we can accept federal dollars from an unauthorized federal Dept. of Education? There is no authorization in the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8 for that either!
Did you check the Soviet Union Constitution? Should be there and easy to find
Check this out….H-O-M-E-S-C-H-O-O-L. It can be done, I’ve been at it 12 years and running.
Who said Rep. Lockaman wasn’t ready for prime time. Watch this guy folks, he is about to set Maine on a course of prosperity.
Too bad for you, we have proudly gotten back our great President, & there’s NOTHING that you can do to stop it. How’s it feel LOL????
About like it feels when your boyfriend is slamming your ass.
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