AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine voters could again be asked to help set government policy on spending and taxes if a political action committee is successful in putting a new initiative on the ballot.
Later this spring, the group Maine Taxpayers United plans to begin gathering the more than 57,000 signatures needed to force a citizens’ initiative that could change the way state budgets are crafted.
Instead of using the current baseline budget process which takes last year’s budget and adds or subtracts from it, the group wants to require future Legislatures to adopt “priority-based budgeting.”
Scott Lansley, a former Republican state legislator and now political director for the conservative Maine Taxpayers United PAC, said he appreciates what Gov. Paul LePage has done to rein in spending so far during his administration, including adopting zero-based budgeting practices.
But this citizens’ initiative would create a mandate that exists even after LePage leaves office. It would ask the Legislature every two years to determine the core functions of government with help from a newly created citizen/legislative board and then draft a budget.
“Budgets are created on wants rather than needs,” Lansley said on Monday. “When you take a look at all the different departments in state government, they are not looking at the spending side. In order to reduce taxes, you have to cut spending.”
Maine Taxpayers United announced the citizens’ initiative last week during a rally in Lewiston that was attended by LePage and Jonathan Williams of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.
Lansley said the group has worked with ALEC on language for the citizens’ initiative, versions of which are being pushed in other states.
ALEC, a national group funded largely by major corporations, drafts model legislation for state legislatures that usually is rooted in pro-business or socially conservative ideology. Nearly all members are Republicans.
Garrett Martin, executive director of the left-leaning Maine Center for Economic Policy, said the Maine Taxpayers United initiative sounds good to people who think taxes are too high.
“Just cutting spending and taxes is not a balanced discussion,” he said.
Martin said what is happening in Maine is part of a national movement to shrink government so that it’s “small enough to drown in a bathtub.”
“I don’t think that will go away, but I do think we need to have a robust and productive conversation [about taxes and spending],” he said, acknowledging the difficulty of that prospect in today’s polarized political environment.
Martin also said he’s not convinced Maine’s spending is out of control. When adjusted for inflation, the current state budget is actually lower than in 1998, he said.
Even though the signature-gathering process has not started, some already are comparing the Maine Taxpayers United push to other tax-and-spend initiatives that have tried and failed over the years. In 2006 and again in 2009, voters rejected Taxpayer Bill of Rights initiatives that would have required voter approval of any tax increases and would have limited government growth to the inflation rate or lower.
Martin wondered whether everyday Mainers are best suited to set complicated policies.
“At the end of the day, [lawmakers] have more information at their disposal and a better understanding of the tradeoffs,” he said. “The choice at the ballot box is often a false choice.”
Lansley agreed that, in an ideal world, the Legislature would set responsible policy. If lawmakers don’t, though, he said it’s the voters’ responsibility to avail themselves of the citizens’ initiative process.
The latest effort could have a big ally in Augusta: LePage has been consistent and vigilant in his goal to shrink government and reduce taxes. During the tax rally last week, LePage once again went after lawmakers for not doing enough.
“They will criticize. They will complain. And they will sit on their hands — which they have done for two years — without offering one item that would help bring the per-capita income up to 100 percent [of the national average],” he said. “It’s tough being governor. Not only do you have to listen to this all the time, but you have to sit in oversight of the largest adult day care in the state of Maine.”
Lansley said Maine Taxpayers United’s signature gathering officially will begin on June 12, when polls across Maine are open for primary elections. If enough signatures are gathered, a question would likely be posed to voters in 2013.
Follow BDN writer Eric Russell on Twitter at @BDNPolitics.
These people are not your average Maine voter. They are little more that an arm of corporte interest (i.e. ALEC). As long as we just keep saying NO to ALEC we may have a chance of survival. ALEC’s connection here with the “Maine Taxpayers United PAC” as well as with Mr. LePage since we’ve been aware of his existence tells us a lot about what this “PAC” wants and let me tell you it ain’t anything good for the average Maine citizen. I’m guessing this group isn’t going far with this spiel for further corporate take over of every aspect of our lives.
That is such an insane argument, but you’re right, it is ALEC that is the driving force behind wanting lower taxes, because honestly, who wants to pay less taxes? Crazy people, that is who.
Since you love paying high tax rates for whatever reason, do you care to pay my taxes? Thanks.
You think CORPORATIONS want you to pay less taxes? Oh thank you for the chuckle! You deserve to get ALEXED! Good luck, you’r gonna need it.
What are you talking about?
We already pay high taxes. If the flat tax would pass the working poor would pay a higher percentage in taxes than the well to do by far. When you put half your paycheck into gas just to get to work. What is the gas tax? the well to do do not spend as high a percentage of thier income on such things they can invest thier money.
Yes we do pay high taxes, you are right. I also never said anything about a flat tax, if there were a flat tax however the distribution would be more likely flat than anything.
It doesn’t matter, everybody is getting screwed. The rich are taxed the most, and pay nearly all federal income taxes. The middle class pick up the rest. And both the middle class and poor are getting screwed by inflation, and overall terrible monetary policy on behalf of the federal government causing the price of food, gas, and nearly everything to go up and up with no end in sight. It is the governments fault. And it just fascinates me how there are so many people who entrust the government with so much, they want to give them more and more power, they want them to do more and more when clearly, as history has shown us, the government cannot be trusted and they are perhaps the most incompetent group of people who cannot seem to handle even the most simple tasks.
But let’s keep right at it, because the bigger the government the bigger the people, right? Oh, wait, that’s not right….
But you’re right, the problem is that these issues have nothing to do with not taxing certain groups of people more, as if that is somehow going to make poor people not poor. The government is the problem.
Taxpayers need to take control of government because right now the government serves big corporations at their expense. The income gap has been widening for a long time. We’ve all been played.
Really, and just how is the government serving big business? I don’t think we have much of that in Maine. Guess I missed it. This is just another rant from the spruces.
For instance, LePage’s giveaway to Big Insurance:
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/10/06/6883/analysis-health-insurers-win-big-maine
Lepage makes it so electrical contractors do not have to hire licensed men. At last check I am a licensed electrician believe me thier is no shortage of us. Many do not have jobs now . So they can hire high school kids for half the pay.
Watch and see. Maine is moving to the right where it use to be.
Things have been totally out of control for several decades.
Don’t get run over by the bus!
Citizen / Legislative Board ? Doesn’t the term Elected Legislature have a familiar ring here ? Not a wonder ALEC wants this type of political control made legal, AND PERMANENT, for when after Paulie and Company get their walking paper’s. This is just another example of how hypocritical the GOP is by claiming they want to reduce the size of Government but in actuallity increase it by rationalizing their delusion’s that the ordinary citizen is stupid enough to fall for these type’s of tactic’s. In short, the GOP wants to be the one’s to tell you what from of Government you’re gonna have instead of you, the citizen and voter, deciding for yourselves. And some folk’s wonder why a recall amemdment is so needed. This, if nothing else, is a prime example of why.
“Martin wondered whether everyday Mainers are best suited to set complicated policies.”
and you are telling me that gop”ers are the problem? this typical liberal response is why we have the out of control government on every level. have you been watching the news? really? the dems are doing such a good job we should just give them the keys… oh yeah they just take, the hell with the constitution. we dont really believe that constitution stuff..
obama tells the supreme court not to overturn his medicare plan. his boys got their jones’ caught in columbia. he signs his thousand or so executive order that preempts any laws or regulations on oil exploration. to name just a few this week.
Sir, you ask about Martin. Martin’s a DINO since he’s clearly on the hook to Irving over that nagging $150 K bill he owes them that suddenly vanished right after Irving got the mining bill it wanted for Bald Mountain. And as far as ‘complicated policies’, it’s a well established fact that whenever any one group decides that the electorate is too dumb, or stupid, to ‘know what’s good for them’ that they set up all kinds of ‘group’s’ to run the Government behind the scenes. ALEC, Crossroad’s, Americans for Prosperity, Heritage Policy Center all have the same goal; to run citizen’s live’s, which Government is supposed to protect and serve, for the exclusive benefit of Big Business, not have citizen’s run the Government for the protection and benefit of the citizen’s. We all saw the result’s of Wisconsin’s corporate government takeover. The only difference between Walker and LePage is that Walker’s now both gonna’ get re-called AND get his sorry butt hauled into a Federal Court for ‘office selling’. Maine might be a step or two behind but it’s coming up on the outside. And Martin, if nobody else, is the one we have to thank for it !
Gee, a move to set up an honest discussion/procedure about government spending. No wonder the Libs are all in a pucker.
Why does anyone still believe that anything proposed by ALEC is honest? If you are not wary of lobby groups you are not paying attention.
“Should Maine voters be setting tax policy?”
Isn’t that technically what our politicians are supposed to be doing as an extension of us?
a politician is merely a collected voice of the people.
“taxation without representation”
We the people are the ones that should be making the decisions.
If we were, we most likely wouldn’t have had bailouts like TARP or ARRA.
We wouldn’t have the job killers like NAFTA/GATT
we’d have secure borders, we’d have fewer wars, and a stable future for our children.
Our politicians do not represent us.
Bring it on. Let’s do some real budgeting. Sounds like a lot of these folks have never dealt with billion dollar budgets and it can be daunting. But the current system is not serving the inhabitants well and needs attention. Let’s debate a good approach without the preconceived notions of left/right or bigger/smaller, just focusing on what is required to run the state and educate the kids well.
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If they are secret How do you know about them or their proposed laws?
Besides are they any more secretive than the Progressive States Network who performs the same function for the left? If we stop ALEC, do we stop left wing groups that do the same thing? Is Democracy only for those you select. Is “secretive” only or you to define?
I feel that if given parameters and some rules, the Maine taxpayer’s could come up with just a good or better plan than these “lawmaker’s” they send to Augusta to do the work for them.
The problem comes when the proposals are written by the legislature and then goes to the Senate for approval. Than again, what will LePage think?
The problem comes when the proposals are submitted in the legislature by representatives bought and paid for by campaign donors and future employers. This proposal does nothing to address that. Creating a separate board will just narrow the pool of the people who need to be bought and paid for to get laws written in favor the donors and employers.
STUPIDITY 101! Define a priority … legislative salaries and other compensation? Or, medical care for the elderly and children? Roads or Education? Incentives and tax breaks, or rent & property tax assistance to the poor? Line political pockets or serve the average citizen?
The recent Line Item Veto showed that the legal — voter mandated — requirement to tax action within five days is meaningless when one party in legislature decides it doesn’t feel like obeying the law. How much more will they decide what a priority is — when it copmes to lining the pockets of their political sponsors?
If we continue to let Augusta , make tax decisions, no one will be able to afford to live in our fine state.
The past has caught up with us, and it needs to be fixed.
If we let corporate interests make tax decisions what makes you think anyone will be able to afford to live in our fine state? You make it sound like an either/or situation. At least we can fire those we’ve elected by voting them out.
ALEC is a traditional organization which stands for common sense, smaller government, local control and produces model legislation which reflects those values. There a move from the dingbat left to discredit ALEC and it amuses me because it’s coming right out of the Democrat play book. Anyone who goes after ALEC is saying “I’m a lock step Democrat who has been told what to do.”
Understand that you sound as if you are doing exactly what you accuse “the Democrats” of doing. Who finances ALEC? Follow the money and you stand a chance of finding the truth.
Who tells you that ALEC is not what those you label “the Democrats” say it is? Why isn’t anyone who defends ALEC really saying “I’m a lock-step Republican who has been told what to do”?
Your argument (and mine) can be summarized as: “I know you are, but what am I?” Follow the money and find out that all politicians, Rebublican as well as Democrat, are bought and paid for.
Wow, you really belive that garbage you just spewed?
What kind of nonsense question is that? When elected representation decides it knows better than the electorate things are on shaky ground.
According to the Maine constitution, the state is only allowed to impose taxes on the people of Maine if they want to be taxed as determined by our representatives. Since for the longest time we kept voting in the same type of people, it is quite clear that Mainers love paying taxes.
Maybe Mainer’s once saw the value in paying taxes.
If the voters were informed well enough to set tax policy, they wouldn’t vote the way they do.
They aren’t, so they shouldn’t.
Creating a citizen/legislative board to draft a budget sounds like a way to get corporate representaion into the workings of the government more than it already does with lobbyists. In short, if the idea comes from ALEC, it is probably not pro-people nor is it beneficial to the working citizens of the state.
Who would select this purported “citizen board”? Would they be elected by the people? If so, they’d be elected officials.
If not, who would pick them, how long would they serve and to whom would they be accountable?
They would be carefully selected by the administration to represent “whats best for the rest of us”. Yeah right.
I don’t think we need a referendum to cut taxes. I think we need a “simplification” of taxes. Simple for people to understand, no hidden taxes, you pay your property taxes..no fees for the dump, for the beach, for the bags, for anything…you paid already. One simple sales tax…no gas tax, no telephone tax, library, tax, this tax and that tax, simple 5% tax on anything you purchase. One simple 10% income tax that covers everything from state to federal to social security, to medicare. Simple They get ten cents…you keep 90 cents. No fuss, no muss. No need for referendums, no need for big tax codes. they have to live within their means….just like everyone else.
Your question really should be: Do you want the wealthiest people, hiding behind legal corporate shields, to set tax policy for all? Who do you think will “get the break” if they do? I doubt it will be anyone other than those proposing the change.
The saddest thing about these comments is that people who can smell the horsepucky delivered by left-wing lobbyists and politicians lose their sense of smell when the horsepucky is delivered by right-wing corporate lobbyists and politicians.
Explain to me how a “Citizen’s Initiative” can be written by an out of state lobbying group. (ALEC) Have we broadened the term ‘citizen’ to encompass everyone who has ever heard of Maine too?
Sure, get rid of the legislature and allow the govenor and all his friends to run it all,just like he’d like to do now.If it looks too good to be true , it is.If you see what really motivates ALEC, most people would want nothing to do with them.