Even though high taxes and government spending win few popularity contests in Maine, voters have again rejected measures that would place dramatic limits on how money is raised and spent.

A citizen-initiated bill that would have cut the excise tax on new cars and trucks was turned down soundly Tuesday. So was the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, known as TABOR II, which would tie government spending increases to a formula of inflation plus population growth unless overridden by a referendum.

The message taken away should not be that Maine people like to pay taxes and they want to pay more. It's that they recognize that government services are valuable and need to be preserved. Maine voters are not ready to trade good schools, drivable roads and care for the low-income elderly for a feel-good gimmick, even during this economic downturn.

This is the second time around for TABOR, and apparently nothing has happened since 2006 to convince voters that its formulaic approach to state finances is better than what we have already.

TABOR, which has been the law in Colorado since 1994, assumes that state spending is out of control and that the people need to impose arbitrary limits on it to keep it from increasing.

But Maine voters could see that spending has not been out of control. Especially since the start of the recession, the government has cut spending, and the cuts are deep enough to hurt. The current state budget is nearly $500 million less than the one that came before it, and it appears to be too large for incoming tax revenues. When the Legislature returns to session, its first task will be carving out another $200 million to bring the budget back into balance.

That means more than just trimming waste and abuse. It means putting off necessary highway and bridge projects. It means cutting money for schools and social services, the kind of programs that people rely on, especially in times of financial difficulty.

Opponents of the excise tax reduction made a strong case that it was not a benign trim from a too-large tax burden. They argued it would hurt municipal road budgets, shifting a tax obligation from new car owners to home owners, not really cutting a tax.

Both measures ran into well-funded opposition, which appeared to outspend them on television ads. But both also ran into the perception that state and local governments are barely meeting needs for services now and couldn't stand to see further cuts. This was less an ideological vote than a practical one.

Next year, Maine will elect a new governor and Legislature, which will have to take on the tough issues of the cost of state government, the lack of economic development and Maine's dismal 35th ranking in per capita income.

But that is a matter for the next election. This year, voters chose to stay with the current system while riding out this economic storm.