The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, is serving her third term representing District 90, part of Auburn and Minot, in the Maine House of Representatives. She is the founder and executive director of Lead Maine.
Working Mainers don’t need the state to take more of their money, they need it to stop making everything cost more.
Garrett Martin, the president and CEO of the Maine Center for Economy Policy who penned a recent column in the Bangor Daily News, is right that people are struggling. The anxiety families feel about being able to afford their heating bills, groceries and rent is real. But I believe his diagnosis misses the mark entirely. The affordability crisis isn’t because state government takes too little, it’s because of policies that actively drive up the cost of everything Maine families need.
The system is rigged, for sure, but it’s Augusta politicians who rigged it.
Take energy costs. Why do we pay 10% more for electricity than New Hampshire despite sharing the same power grid? Why do we pay nearly double what other rural, wooded states like Arkansas and West Virginia pay? This is the direct result of policy choices made in Augusta.
Gov. Janet Mills and the Democratic majority are pushing massive solar farms in the 47th state in the union in terms of average annual sunlight — adding $275 per year to the average household’s power bill. Augusta politicians think Maine can almost fully rely on renewable energy within 14 years, even though wind and solar provide only about 8% of our energy today. Mills blames high costs on natural gas while ignoring a clear path to stabilize prices: expanding pipeline capacity.
I believe the affordability crisis is driven by politicians who prioritize climate mandates over household budgets. By 2040, if they get their way, each household will pay thousands more for less reliable energy. To avoid this, I believe we must repeal the requirement that 90 to 100% of Maine’s electricity be “renewable” by 2040.
Energy is far from the only problem. A business owner may want to pay workers more, but power bills jumped 36% in just one year, property taxes increased, the new 1% payroll tax to fund paid family and medical leave was implemented, and now there’s simply nothing left.
The progressive promise that we can tax and regulate businesses without hurting workers has been tested in Maine for years. The results? Stagnant wages, reduced hours and fewer opportunities.
Politicians are spending more than ever while working families struggle to save anything at all. The state budget has grown 65% since Mills took office seven years ago. That’s nearly $5 billion in additional spending that comes directly out of Mainers’ pockets. We spend 30% more per person than New Hampshire. What do we have to show for it?
More spending means more taxes. Maine has one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. If you make up to $100,000 per year, you pay more income tax than residents of any other New England state. And to add insult to injury, while Washington exempts tips and overtime from federal taxes, Mills and Augusta Democrats insist on taxing those same earnings at the state level.
If bigger government and higher taxes created affordability, Maine would be thriving. Instead, young people are leaving, families are struggling and businesses are closing.
The solution is clear to me: Remove the government-constructed barriers making everything more expensive.
On energy, eliminate the subsidies and mandates that add hundreds of dollars to Mainers’ power bills. Level the playing field for all energy sources and explore expanding natural gas and advanced nuclear infrastructure, instead of propping up wind and solar.
On housing, remove regulatory barriers preventing new construction and streamline permitting processes. Let supply meet demand instead of restricting it.
On health care, repeal certificate of need laws that require government permission to open new facilities and block competition.
On child care, simplify the many regulatory requirements that price out families and small providers. Empower more Mainers to start small child-care businesses in their communities and watch the market stabilize.
It’s a simple equation: Less government interference can mean lower costs, and lower costs mean more affordability.
We can keep expanding government, raising taxes and wondering why everything gets more expensive. Or we can try something different: Admit that Augusta is the problem and empower Maine people to prosper. That’s the path to affordability.