Printer-friendly version Reader Comments

National outlets touted the bipartisan tax cuts - Maine Republicans disagree on both counts.

By MATT WICKENHEISER, Staff Writer June 26, 2009

Maine made national headlines this week, with some media outlets touting the recently passed law that lowered the income tax while broadening the sales tax and raising the meals and lodging tax.

But some of the state's Republicans were a little surprised at what they heard.

"Maine Miracle" was the headline over a laudatory editorial in the Wall Street Journal that quoted Gov. John Baldacci. The editorial writer who wrote the piece, John Fund, appeared on Fox News (both outlets are owned by News Corp.), along with state Sen. Joseph Perry, D-Bangor, co-chairman of the Maine Legislature's Taxation Committee.

The Fox piece was only a few minutes long, but an anchor suggested that Perry, who talked about cutting taxes to attract business, sounded like a Republican. The editorial writer commented that the Maine effort won support from people in "both parties."

In reality, most Maine Republicans were dead-set against the tax package. Top GOP officials have launched a people's veto effort to repeal the bill. And although other legislation this session attracted strong bipartisan support, the tax reform bill didn't.

"I just can't imagine (national commentators) read the bill," said Maine Republican Party Chairman Charles Webster, one of the officials filing the people's veto.

On the final Senate vote, all Republicans but one voted against the bill, and all Democrats but one voted for it. In the House, no Republicans voted for the bill, and six Democrats voted against it.

"It actually sort of stands out in this legislative session in terms of having been something very partisan, in a session that was otherwise distinguished by a high degree of bipartisan action," said Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, Senate minority leader.

There was no mention of the people's veto effort in either the Journal piece or on Fox, and Perry said he was surprised by that. He hooked up with Fox via an Internet-based video connection, and the whole segment was fairly quick, he said.

"It's such a unique time to be cutting taxes so dramatically, it's grabbed national attention," said Perry.

Webster said Sen. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, is setting up the main political action committee to push the people's veto, a group called "Still Fed up with Taxes."

"I have quite a lot of faith in Maine people," said Webster. "If you read the bill, we win the argument – this is harmful to blue-collar workers."

Staff Writer Matt Wickenheiser can be contacted at 791-6316 or at:

mwickenheiser@pressherald.com