As Senator King put it, “I’m all for tax reform, but this isn’t it.” As a member of the Legislature’s Taxation Committee, I’ve heard and considered dozens of tax proposals that would have a positive impact on Maine people and their families. Tax credits that would help working families cover the expense of day care, or help workers pay back their student loans, we even heard a proposal for a tax credit for workers who have long daily commutes.

The “tax reform” package that is barreling through Congress at breakneck speed doesn’t do anything to help working Mainers. The proposal from Republicans in Washington would add an astonishing $1.5 trillion to the deficit in exchange for a tax giveaway to large corporations and the very wealthiest individuals, some of whom are instrumental in funding their campaigns. Financing tax cuts on the backs of our kids and grandkids is bad policy.

Beyond almost exclusively benefitting those who are already making record profits, the current plan would eliminate deductions for teachers who pay for school supplies out of their own pockets and would count certain forms of financial aid for graduate students as taxable income.

The plan also explodes health insurance policy in such a way that would cost some Maine seniors $3,000 a year in increased insurance premiums. The Maine Center for Economic Policy estimates that 5,000 Mainers will lose access to health insurance if the plan becomes law.

As a small business owner, I can tell you that tax cuts don’t create jobs. Businesses hire new employees based on whether we need them and a tax cut doesn’t change the math on that. Making it harder to access affordable health care and creating new barriers for training tomorrow’s workforce aren’t acceptable costs.

If you haven’t had a chance to ask our representatives in Washington to vote against the bill, I hope that you will take the time before the final vote. Senator King and Congresswoman Pingree have both pledged to vote against it. You can contact Senator Collins at 780-3575.

If we manage to defeat this bill, maybe Congress can get to work on the kind of tax reform that puts actual money in your pockets and treats Mainers and our families fairly.

As always, please feel free to call me if you have any questions or concerns.