Straitjacket Rejected
11/5/09 | 7 comments
editorial

Straitjacket Rejected


The rejection of two initiatives on Tuesday’s ballot that were designed to constrict government revenue should not be misread. Mainers do not wish to hand their state and local officials blank checks, and they have opinions about how the tax burden is distributed. But they are too engaged and too informed to put their spending concerns on auto pilot, and they generally believe government can be a force for good in many areas and so are loathe to put it in a straitjacket.

The TABOR II initiative, Question 4 on the state ballot, was defeated, with some 60 percent of the electorate rejecting the narrow and misconceived formula for managing the growth in government spending. Question 2, which proposed easing the excise tax rate on newer vehicles and hybrids, was defeated by an even wider margin, with some three-quarters of voters turning it down.

TABOR supporters pitched their plan as a way to bring fiscal decision-making back to the people. But voters may have concluded that their role in electing representatives to the Legislature and selectmen and council members to municipal government works well at keeping the decision-making local.

And beyond rejecting the “power to the people” message that supporters of TABOR and the excise tax rollback preached, voters seem to have understood that state and local government must be nimble and flexible. It must be able to absorb spending increases in caring for the poor, elderly and children, and the mentally ill and disabled when the economy recedes. It must be able to increase spending in public safety, economic development and transportation infrastructure, as situations demand. And it must be able to raise some taxes when other revenue sources dry up.

State government — probably more so than local government — is prone to bureaucratic inertia. Departments, offices and programs established long ago remain, and efforts to trim or eliminate them when they prove to be obsolete face heavy resistance. Staffing too slowly thins in hard times, and compensation typically outpaces that of similar positions in the private sector.

Those who would advocate for a leaner state government would do better to prioritize spending and to target specific inefficiencies and waste — which is exactly what TABOR and the excise tax rollback would not have done.

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Comments
7 comments on this item
On 11/5/09 at 7:19 AM, chicky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

almost 40 years of democrat control in Augusta ................enough said????? for Maines sake vote in some republicans next time so there is a balance!!! that is way government is supposed to work and why ours only works to governments advantage.

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On 11/5/09 at 9:32 AM, HarryHSnyderIII wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Good use of imagery "Straitjacket" the devise used to restrain insane and violent attacks on others.

The poster above said "vote in some Republicans" I must ask why we should do that, they spend like Democrats. two sides of the same coin. and our most recent "independent" Governor could spend as well as either of them.

"Government isn't the answer, it's the problem."

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On 11/5/09 at 1:12 PM, JWBooth wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The best way to kill a tumor is to cut off its blood supply.

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On 11/5/09 at 2:37 PM, fmrmti wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I shouldn't be misread, but don't fool yourself. The elected geniuses in Augusta aren't thinking they dodged a bullet...they are dancing in their offices and are convinced they have a mandate for further waste.

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On 11/5/09 at 4:08 PM, LilMikey wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I don't think many would argue that funds and help should be available for the needy during recessions, we all should be helping each other during tough times. But what about when the economy is thriving? Why is the spending crazy then? How come our officials don't think anything of spending and not plan for bad times? Why isn't more being done to bring industry and business to the state so the "poor" can find work instead of being on govt programs? Maine didn't become known as a "welfare" state because of it's thriving business environment, just the opposite. Maybe they think the citizens would much rather be cared for by the state than work?

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On 11/5/09 at 5:59 PM, SteveH wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Time for TABOR III - Instead of a legislative solution make it an election solution. Let's use all that time on energy focused on passing TABOR and focus on the performance of our representatives. Those that continue spend should be sent home by action at the ballot box.

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On 11/6/09 at 11:32 AM, fmrmti wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If TABOR III says that increases in State revenue always needed to be matched by increases to State money sent to towns, and then tied to population and tax base growth, I think it would get more support. Many people don't want to tighten the noose around Augusta and end up strangling their town instead. I don't know why the TABOR people didn't talk-up the point that taxes COULD ALWAYS be raised if truly needed...it would just take the permission of the people paying the bills.

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