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LePage Slams Democrats, Pledges to Take Income Tax Question to the People

Mal Leary
/
MPBN
Gov. Paul LePage rails against Democrats Friday at an hour-long Blaine House news conference.

AUGUSTA, Maine - In an often fiery news conference at the Blaine House, Gov. Paul LePage blasted Democratic leaders in the Legislature for opposing his proposed constitutional amendment to end the personal income tax. The governor says he'll veto any Democratic-sponsored bill until Mainers have a say in getting rid of it.
The governor started his nearly hour-long news conference sharply criticizing Democrats for tabling consideration of Bruce Williamson as a member of the Public Utilities Commission. That was just the warm up. He went on to criticize Democratic leaders by name and collectively for not supporting his plan to abolish the personal income tax.

"If the Democrats are going to disenfranchise the Maine people, than the governor of Maine is going to make sure that every bill that comes down from the House and the Senate with a Democrat sponsor will be required to have a two-thirds vote, because I am going to veto every one," he said. "And I did a bunch this morning."

LePage acknowledged that his threat amounts to playing politics. "That’s my leverage, and, yes, is that politics, I‘m playing their game. I am finally learning to play the game of the politician."

House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, a Skowhegan Democrat, attended the governor’s news conference. He says the governor has played politics before, holding up issuance of Land For Maine’s Future bonds as leverage to get his way.

"Back home, you know, that is the kind of politics that really upsets people," McCabe says. "You know, the governor talked a little bit about the LMF bonds, he referred to the LMF bonds only being for rich people. That kind of name throwing and name calling really isn’t appropriate."

And McCabe says the governor’s blanket threat to veto any bill sponsored by a Democrat that reaches his desk shows he really does not want to compromise on any issue and is willing to misuse use his authority as governor to veto bills.

"The governor made a threat today as part of his coming unhinged, unglued and just being completely angry. The footage will show the citizen back home that is not how you operate in a divided government, that is not how you get things done."

Gov. LePage made it clear to reporters he is ready to go outside of the legislative process and go directly to the voters for support of his plan. He pledged to hold many more town meeting-style forums across the state to build support for his constitutional amendment that would eventually abolish the income tax. "No income tax," LePage said. "I will put out a personal, ah initiative - a people’s initiative - and I am going after it in the next two years."

LePage did not spare fellow Republicans from his criticism. Several Senate Republicans have expressed opposition to LePage’s plan because it expands the sales tax to more items. Here is Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, a Republican from Lisbon Falls, discussing the matter earlier this week.

"In that blueprint there is no expansion of the sales tax," Mason said. "There is a reduction in the income tax for most, actually for all Maine families. It will be the largest tax cut in history."

Meanwhile, the budget-writing Appropriations Committee plans to complete work on the state budget this weekend. The panel members point out that Gov. LePage has vetoed nearly every major budget bill since he was elected governor. And they say they know they will need a two-thirds vote to override the promised veto.

 

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.