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I experienced an interesting view into the opposition against the latest TABOR (Tax Payer’s Bill of Rights) and the repeal of the excise tax referendums before one of my classes a couple of days ago. Another student argued that according to “statistics,” the average Mainer does not go out and buy big-ticket items like cars every five years. While this may be a valid point about the average Mainer’s spending habits, I would like to ask a question.
Why doesn’t the average Mainer spend more? Is it because of our inherently frugal nature? Is it because we view new things as somehow gluttonous? Do we not get caught up in the “new car” smell? Or could it be that Mainers may not have enough money to begin with? Could it be that since we are one of the heaviest taxed states in the country, Augusta had this coming?
I, of course, believe that the latter is true. TABOR is not about the disregard for our schools, our roads, our bridges, our firemen or our police force. TABOR is a direct result of years of over-taxation, spending and the overextension of government.
Have you ever wondered why a TABOR initiative never comes up in states that have low income and sales taxes, a welcoming business environment and a government that tries to stay out of the way of the individual? New Hampshire should be a great example of what limited spending and taxation can do economically for a state. While the total tax burden, including property taxes, for the average Mainer is around 9-10 percent of individual income, New Hampshire is around 8 percent, yet their roads, schools, business climate and overall happiness doesn’t suffer from less government and more individuality. More to the point, if we are taxed so highly, why does our standard of living suffer so much? Why do our roads still look like mine fields? Why does our school enrollment go down year after year? Could it be that people find it hard enough to make a living without being charged extra for owning new cars or property? Are we to believe our tax dollars create great rustic scenery and we should be thankful that a business that is not a call center, gasoline station, restaurant or Wal-Mart would never be allowed to damage that?
TABOR opponents fail to see this point, and they are wrong. Economic success is driven by the individual, not government spending. The fact is gross tax receipts for state revenue go up when there is limited taxation on individuals and corporations because more people spend more money and invest more money in their communities, creating more tax dollars. Despite all those pesky little facts, we are supposed to trust the same people responsible for our 34-year economic bust in the first place with our collective fates.
Contrary to popular belief, TABOR is antithetic to a lazy, uninformed population. The initiative requires all of us to share the responsibility of government action, not just a selected few. TABOR is consistent with the words found within the U.S. Constitution, espoused by the founding fathers and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.
Most of all, TABOR and the other limited taxation referendums are initiatives that embody the “average Mainer’s” independent spirit and common sense desire for responsible government. If TABOR fails this November it will mean more of the same freewheeling spending that we have endured for three decades. And we will be asking ourselves the same tired questions about the same worn out issues.
Let us stop asking these questions, and let’s get going on solutions that will change the course toward prosperity in our state. Vote Yes on Question 2 and Question 4 this November.
Michael Craft is a Conservative, not a Republican.
Bangor Daily News