THE WORKING PEOPLE OF MAINE HAVE WON AN IMPORTANT BATTLE!
With your help, we've achieved an important goal: we've collected enough more than enough signatures to put the question of LD 1495 on the June 2010 ballot.
Those signatures will be submitted to the Secretary of State.
We can't rest on our laurels, though. This is just the first step - because we'll now need to win the vote.
So donate to the StillFedUpWithTaxes PAC if you can, by clicking here. And if you'd like to help us by building support, click here. Thanks!
The following statement was issued by Charlie Webster, Chairman of the Maine Republican Party, on September 11, 2009:
Today is a monumental day in Maine history as we enthusiastically submit over 60,000 certified signatures to repeal LD 1495 the infamous sales tax expansion law passed by the Democrats in the final hours of the recent Legislative session.
I stand before you, as the Chairman of the Maine Republican Party, to humbly thank the hundreds of volunteers in our party who worked so diligently to give Maine voters the opportunity to vote on repealing this new tax. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the activists in the Maine Green party who worked with the campaign to help us place this issue before the voters next June.
I believe that this law is an outright attack by the Democrats on Maine's working people.
I join with at least 60,000 Maine people today as we present these names to the Secretary of State.
The voters will now have their say and I am absolutely convinced that the working people of Maine will overwhelmingly reject these new taxes.
I also want to thank those 250 plus Mainer's, individuals, everyday Maine people who have never been involved in a political event, who contacted us at the Maine GOP and worked with the "Still Fed Up With Taxes" campaign to repeal this legislation. They share our view that this law unnecessarily places new taxes on Maine's working people.
At a time when Maine people are having a difficult time simply paying their bills, the Democrat politicians, on a virtual party line vote, on the last day of the Legislative session, in the middle of the night, without a public hearing argued for and passed this new tax legislation.
Over the weeks and months ahead, I enthusiastically look forward to a meaningful discussion on this important issue. I do feel strongly that its important to state today that as far as I'm concerned I refuse to debate with anyone the argument made by the Democrats that this new tax somehow lowers Maine's state income tax. The simple fact is that these new taxes passed by the Democrats, are at best a temporary short term reduction in the state income tax, but everyone agrees this legislation results in a permanent expansion of the Maine sales tax.
An increase in the sales tax is especially harmful to our senior citizens, our young families, and our working class. I am proud to be involved in an effort to represent their interests.
We have run a truly grass-roots campaign, as thousands of names were gathered by auto mechanics, truck drivers, and plumbers. Working people who joined together in one LOUD voice saying loud and clear enough is enough.
I still find it hard to believe how many regular Maine people, non political activists, who by any stretch of your imagination, simply stepped forward, and I might add in a HUGE way to say we vehemently oppose this new tax and we've had enough.
On a final note I want to praise Senator David Trahan for his strong and tireless leadership. His amazing leadership ability has landed us here today on these steps and has given the voters of Maine the opportunity to have a voice, and through the Peoples Veto process, the ability to repeal the actions taken by Maine's liberal Democrat party.