Tax cap bill takes aim at wrong culprit

Maine Sunday Telegram
Sunday, August 16, 2006
MAINE VOICES: By John Henderson

Some supporters of the proposed government spending cap known as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights believe that those who oppose it "just don't understand it." Perhaps they are right. I don't understand why we would want to tie the hands of our government and cut off investment in our community infrastructure.

I don't understand how TABOR proponents can construe our government of, for and by the people as a bad thing, and why they would want to limit our ability to make decisions.

Nearly 80 percent of our Legislature was elected under the Clean Elections Act, and hence are about as insulated from special interests as they can be. Therefore, I don't understand how the TABOR provision allowing a one-third minority of a citizen-elected body to control routine budget making can be construed as "the will of the people."

I don't understand how some vocal minority can claim that our biggest problem is the "majority rules" principle of our representative form of government, when the United States has the most expensive per capita health care system in the world (by far), and yet Americans' life expectancy is lower than that of 47 other nations, according to a U.S. government report.

We waste far more money in our inefficient health-care system that doesn't even serve 130,000 Maine people. That is a far bigger and more fundamental problem than allowing the majority to rule.

I don't understand how taxes, the cost of community, which have merely kept pace with the increase in wages, can be construed as "theft" when health insurance premiums have increased by double digits for the last five consecutive years, and the price of heating oil and gasoline have gone up 10 percent and 51 percent, respectively, in only one year.

I don't understand how TABOR proponents can resent local and state investments in our families and communities, but seem to enjoy chipping in for annual multimillion- dollar bonuses for out-of-state insurance and oil executives.

I do understand that 70 percent of MaineCare dollars are spent caring for our elderly in nursing homes, and that 42 percent of the General Fund is spent educating our children to be whole persons and able employees. The entire highway fund is spent maintaining an extensive transportation network so you don't have to spend so much on vehicle maintenance and repair.

Do you have an aging parent or grandparent? Do you have children? Do you drive? Think twice about supporting TABOR.

I do understand that family budgets are under stress, that it is relatively easy to hold our government accountable, and that it is much more difficult, but not impossible, to hold corporations accountable.

The cost of community is merely a symptom of the underlying problems of strangling health care and energy costs. TABOR will not work because it does not address the underlying problems. A rational assessment of the TABOR formula reveals serious flaws. A preponderance of available evidence suggests that it would do more harm than good.

I would suggest that those who want to address the problems underlying strained personal budgets invest their time, energy, and treasure in organizations working on root causes. The Maine Peoples' Alliance and its allies are doing just such work. See our [Allies and Partners page] to find an organization that addresses your concerns.

TABOR proponents sell their product as the silver bullet to our economic woes. Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot, for there is no silver bullet.

TABOR's only appeal is its false promise of easy money based on a simplistic and deeply flawed formula. Real solutions require long-term investments that address root problems, not ephemeral emotions.

TABOR is a pickax. If the foundation of your house needs repair, you invest in bricks and cement to fix it, you don't pull out the pickax and start hacking away at it.

Community health, effective education and a smooth transportation network are the foundation of our state. Our taxes are our investment in ourselves.

- Special to the Telegram

About the Author
John Henderson of Auburn is a member of Maine Peoples Alliance, a citizen action organization that opposes the proposed TABOR referendum.

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