Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

In a recent letter, I mentioned a proposed spending control amendment that was not allowed to reach the floor for discussion.

Unfortunately, I neglected to explain how this happens, so for those of us who may be unfamiliar with the rules and procedures of the legislature, I offer a very brief summation.

There is a deadline or "cloture" for submitting bills in any given session of the legislature, and in fact, some bills never reach the floor for debate.
Before any bill is sent to the House or Senate floor for debate, it goes before committee. If the committee unanimously votes "ought not to pass," it is then placed in the legislative files, and likely will never come out of committee; hence, it "dies in committee."

Another example is a bill submitted after the deadline, usually due to a situation that suggests urgency. This happened in the first regular session with the Dirigo Health proposal, and in the second session with the aforementioned spending cap amendment.

In this scenario, a post-deadline bill must be approved by the Legislative Council before it can be assigned an LD number and move forward. In the case of Dirigo, the Legislative Council authorized the bill to go forward, and ultimately become law.

In the second example, as the session was nearing adjournment, and the need for tax reform had not been addressed, the spending cap amendment bill was submitted after the deadline. In this case, the Legislative Council did not authorize the bill for introduction, therefore preventing it from moving forward, and blocking any opportunity to debate this proposal.
I hope this was of some help.

Gary Foster, Gray

Letter to the Editor:

I appreciate your articles regarding the Tax Cap. While it may seem hard to believe, I am undecided. I was a union firefighter in Massachusetts during Proposition 2 1/2 and escaped to Maine because of it. Yes, our response force was reduced by 40%. However, our technology and tactics improved and the city did not burn to the ground. There was some consideration of mounting snowplows on the fire trucks, but that was a different union. There are options, but we need to work to find solutions not be scared by problems.

The numbers for the Tax Cap are wrong for many municipalities. One size does not fit all. The 1% seems to be a knee jerk reaction and a way to control spending. If you want to control spending, then write a law that addresses spending. However, Our elected officials have failed to hear the demands for tax reform and to reduce our tax burden. It seems that we as citizens are left with little choice but to force the issue.

It is my hope that the Tax Cap Referendum will be defeated by a 5% margin. That may be enough to shake up our elected officials and give us enough time to get the numbers right. This vote is very important and I hope that there will be a large voter turn out.

Bill Getz, Gray

As a member of the Library Board of Trustees I want you to know how the passage of the 1% Tax Cap Referendum could affect the Gray Public Library. There are many problems with the bill as it is written. Many parts of the bill were lifted out of California's Proposition 13. Much of the language goes against language in the Maine constitution.

The board recognizes that tax reform must take place and also understands people's anger at government for not responding to the needs of the people.
The Gray Public Library has been described as being low on the list of priorities developed by the town to deal with a budget shortfall. It is very difficult to choose which of the nummerous Library services could no longer exist. There would be a reduction in hours and staff, reductions in the book, and arge print & audiovisual purchasing.

One of the most important services to keep in mind would be the MINERVA system, which is our online catalog and online requesting system of the interlibrary loan system. With every action there is a consequnce. The consequence of a successful vote on the tax cap would be that MINERVA would no longer exist as other member libraries would not have the funds to support it. The interlibrary loan system as we know it would disintegrate. The Gray Public Library handles over 300 interlibrary loans a month. While it might be possible to increase some fees to support the library, we do not have a way to drastically increase income. Therefore, the library services as you know them at this time would be drastically altered and reduced.

Claudette Simms
Gray Public Library Board of Trustees Member

In the October 14 edition of The Monument Jeff Langan ("Tax Cap is good for Maine") spells out with many examples why the Palesky tax cap initiative would not harm Maine; he even presents an argument that it would help our state. The huge problem with Mr. Langan's reasoning is that he bases it solely on Massachusetts and its experience with an entirely different type of tax cap law. To say that Mr. Langan compares apples to oranges understates the shortcoming of his premise-Mr. Langan is comparing apples to codfish!

First, the Massachusetts tax cap law limits property tax to 2.5% of valuation; the Palesky referendum would limit Maine's property tax at 1% of valuation. Second, the Massachusetts cap did not use the valuations from nine years earlier as the basis for the mil rate limit; the Palesky cap uses 1996 valuations to calculate property tax in 2005.

Mr. Langan states, "What Maine officials and teachers are threatening post tax cap just doesn't happen." Such dire results did not occur in Massachusetts because it passed such a dissimilar law. No one, not even Palesky's strongest supporters, refutes that many municipalities will lose up to 50% of revenue, even more in some towns, if Question 1 passes. Mr. Langan praises the declining mil rate at which his Acton, MA home was taxed from 1998 to 2003: did he not notice that all of the wonderful lower rates he mentions are well above what the Palesky cap would allow? His Massachusetts panacea would not be possible under the language of Question 1.

I urge Mr. Langan to read the Palesky initiative before touting its virtues (available at www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/pets02/leg4.htm). Only then will he realize that he is urging passage of an extreme measure that would cause great harm to Maine's schools, police, rescue and public works.

Rick Thompson, Gray

It has been refreshing to have been able to work with Sue Austin. We both served on the School Board and Sue has always been very thoughtful during the rough time it was when the school budget would not pass. We both served on the negotiation committee where Sure really shined. I could go on and on but I hate writing! Please help me and re-elect Sue Austin as our representative to Augusta. She will be a much needed voice to the coming legislation regarding taxes and over spending.

Vote Sue Austin on November 2nd.

Berry A. Watson, Gray