Stand with us to OPPOSE higher taxes!
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This Tuesday, January 12 at noon, “Maine Can Do Better,” an alliance of Big Labor and liberal special interests, will descend upon the Statehouse to pressure the governor and members of the Legislature to raise our taxes to the fill the more than $400 million budget shortfall.
Here is a video of a typical "Maine Can Do Better" rally (from 2008):
As legislators begin negotiations to develop a supplemental budget to close that budget hole, it is critical we, the taxpayers of Maine, make our voices heard. We cannot allow the voice of the taxpayer to be silenced by a tax-and-spend coalition at this critical hour. That’s why we will be holding a counter-rally Tuesday at noon at the Statehouse, to show that Maine citizens and taxpayers are calling for a responsible approach to fill this budget gap; an approach that abandons calls for higher taxes or fees. Too much of our money has already been taken from us by government in the form of taxes. We must stand together to say “No More!” You can find the details of our counter-rally at the end of this e-mail.
We have also prepared an online petition affirming our opposition to tax or fee increases to fill the budget hole. Please take a minute to click on the link and add your name to the growing list of Maine taxpayers and citizens who are standing together to oppose higher taxes (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nonewtaxesnotaxhikes/)
Counter-Rally Details
WHAT: Counter-rally to oppose tax or fee increases to fill Maine’s budget shortfall
WHEN: Tuesday, January 12, 12:00pm
WHERE: Statehouse, Hall of Flags
Second Floor
Augusta, Maine
WHY: To ensure Maine’s taxpayers are given a voice during budget negotiations to fill a $400 million budget gap, and to counter the calls for tax hikes by an alliance of tax-and-spend liberal special interests.
If you have any questions, please contact Chris Cinquemani at chris@mainepolicy.org or by calling (207) 321-2550.
Hmmmmmm, I wonder if the SEIU puppets with purple shirts
will be there with free kool-aid for the unknowing folks?
BTW, if you look at the website for Maine Can Do Better, http://www.mainecandobetter.org, they have a rather lengthy list of so-called “coalition partners” toward the bottom of their homepage… and it looks like they probably have some deep pockets as well.
Why don' t we have "SEIU" shirts made up for the opposition, to confuse the cameras, and perhaps spark an outburst? Do you have to have a freakin' license to wear a Tee-Shirt?
Hell, anyone can walk into a college bookstore and buy shirts with the college name on them.
Let's see: SEIU - Subsidizers ending indiscriminate usurpation
Others??
How about purple shirts with giant circle/backslash higher taxes? (I know, not very creative... but at least the dimwits agreeing with the union might understand it) Dissenting union members need to make it clear who we are!
The "Partners" section of the website for Maine Can Do Better
(http://www.mainecandobetter.org)
seems to include many of the usual Far Left suspects:
Maine Center for Economic Policy;
Maine People's Alliance;
Maine State Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989;
Maine AFL-CIO;
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
and some of their rising stars:
AARP;
Central Maine Labor Council;
Community Health and Counseling Services;
Engage Maine;
Family Planning Association of Maine;
Eastern Maine Labor Council;
League of Young Voters;
Maine Association for Community Service Providers;
Maine Choice Coalition;
Maine Women's Lobby;
Preble Street;
Western Maine Labor Council.
However, is anyone else surprised by the fact that the Maine Municipal Association is not listed as a partner with this group?
Reminder bump for tomorrow's rally in Augusta... see above.
I will be there....bumping again...not a bad thing to send out to people on your email lists
Today's the day! With a little luck, we'll have a large goup of concerned taxpayers present.
Best of luck to all, and someone please report back in, with a description of the day's events?
Thanks.
a disgusting display of the "maine can do better" side. having worked for several years in social services I think any "proffesional" that would parade around the disabled for political purposes ought to have a nice warm spot waiting for them in hell. those who forced their clients to hold signs and kept prodding them to hold them higher should have a hot spot and those, that once the rally was over, left their clients lined up along the wall so they could hob nob with each other while they texted on their cells should be incinerated.
People are not props.....and if anyone of you "proffesionals" that was there engaged in that behavior reads this SHAME ON YOU!
Hundreds protest Maine social service cuts
By Glenn Adams
Associated Press Writer
January 12, 2010 4:24 PM
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — ... 500 demonstrators... jammed the ... State House... to protest social service cuts ... to make up for a $438 million shortfall without raising taxes.
...snip
...participants in a smaller counter-rally, also at the State House, said state residents are overtaxed already and raising taxes will stifle job creation and consumer spending.
...snip
Bob Sullivan of Arundel, whose small business is down 30 percent, agreed.
"The Legislature does not understand that the taxpayers are not their ATM," he said.
I really wanted to be there. But I was busy... ACTUALLY DOING MY STATE JOB!!! I couldn't afford to take the time off... I just saw the pay that is going into my account tonight... it is the lowest in years... even with my volunteering to work standby! How can I afford higher taxes with that? I apologize to all those who went and represented ME!! And BTW, Thanks.
SEIU was there in force as their leader shrieked by the stairs in the Hall of Flags. The people assembled had the largest assortment of body piercings I have ever seen in one place. I was the tall guy with the tricornered hat. The press took notice. We'll see if the use any of my stuff. I went down to address legislators. I saw three legislators; Senator Rosen from Bucksport and two others I had never seen before. Neither wore a name tag. I played the role of a town crier with this message:
"Here Ye; Hear Ye!
Maine legislators, One and All,
Do not be deceived by these scoundrels and carpetbaggers who would steal the people's treasury.
Be brave. Stand fast with the Constitution."
Paul LePage was there as was John Frary and Lois Snow Mello. The legislators avoided this gathering like the plague.
As expected, the local SEIU chapter has updated their website with an interesting slideshow and the text from a speech given by their VP:
1. Click Here for the slideshow
2. Click Here for the speech
As we stood in the packed Hall of Flags and looked around the room, it was truly a very sad image on display... and yet within a stone's throw of that room, the daily waste of countless tax dollars raged on within state government. The terrible fiscal management of state government needs to stop, but when will enough taxpayers say "Enough is enough!" and demand some positive change?
Don't forget, there is a solution to this mess...
Thanks Mark. I wish I could have been there, but I worked another double shift today to support my ever increasing tax burden. I really wish that I had a few more bucks in my pocket to voluntarily give to some of the less fortunate individuals who can not take care of themselves that were shamelessly paraded out today by the pirrahanas who have enjoyed pay increases year after year, not to mention sweet health care deals they get. The speech was not very inspiring when one considers that my neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet by keeping their heat at around 52 and living on spaghetti to stay of the unpaid tax list would have an extra 600 dollars in their pocket had tabor been passed...gee I would have an extra 600 myself to help out my neighbors.
How far do these tax and spend politicians expect us to bend over and take it before we scream??? I wish I could have been there with paper and pen to ask everyone, how did you get the day off from work to be here today? Were you paid?
Bruce Poliquin and Matt Jacobson were also present Saw Doug Thomas. As TRACI G observed the teat-suckers brought an abundance of pathetic props, slumped and vacant-eyed in their wheel-chairs. I wonder if their presence, along with their care-givers, cost the taxpayers large sums. Seems likely.
Traci G:
YOU SAID IT!
That display was unconscionable!
Instead of helping these people, their "care givers" have absolutely no qualms about USING them for their own purposes.
If a nutcase with a rifle started shooting into the crowd, I can imagine these same "care givers" ducking behind the wheelchairs to save their own hides!
I wonder how many families of the patients realize that their children/brothers/sisters were hauled to Augusta in 25 degree weather to be used as PROPS at a demonstration to increase taxes...
Maybe there is no shame left anywhere...
Every place I ever worked at we had to have a release signed by client or guardian for any event where that client was going to be filmed. that place should of been crawling with advocates asking each and everyone of those people if they understood why they were there.
What was more disgusting was the legislator who was passing out the "cuts hurt" stickers to them. Its shameful and I hope there is a special kind of hell for those that pushed the wheel chairs and lead the human props around. One of the many reasons I would pump gas before ever going back into that field.
NO offense but even dumber than anything pointed out about yesterday - that the state would seriously consider cutting $50 Million from the long term care industry which would force them to lose about $120 Million in matching federal funds...the industry will be crippled if this goes through and for those who ONLY care about cutting taxes, are you ready to care for an elderly parent in your home? I work in the industry, I've seen the numbers and while the tactics were poor the entire rationale to cut is just plain dumb.
Big crowd at State House for second day
Submitted by Susan Cover on Wed, 01/13/2010 - 10:42
Three legislative hearing rooms are filled today as the public continues to testify ....
Dozens have already spoken to the Appropriations Committee about cuts to community support services for those with mental retardation. ....
The committee is expected to finish public hearings on the governor's proposals to fill a $438 million hole in the state budget on Thursday when it considers cuts to the education budget.
Nobody there was advocating cuts to the truly needy in the Hall of Flags yesterday. The cuts that need to be made are in the body piercing, tattoo and big screen TV subsidies.
Roger - I think it weakens the argument when you're attacking personal lifestyle decisions... just sayin.'
Some of those people would likely think half the stuff you own/do isn't necessary, either.
Geez, Naran. You missed the point; it's not about what you do, it's a matter of who pays for it!
no offense Robert Reed but what was truly dumb and not pointed out is the people who were there protesting cuts are the same people that want government to take over health care and they are not one bit concerned over rationing when the state or (federal government) runs out of money. that room should of been lit up like the fourth of July with all the light bulbs going off in peoples heads................but no- that would take too much common sense.
I love irony. The people who were there should have turned on SEIU not joined them, they should have propped up the clients as living proof of who will be hurt when cuts happen, and ran SEIU out of a rail for their financial support of socialized medicine.
that said, there is a lot of dead weight in administration positions, double positions, and other areas to cut that would not effect direct care of the clientelle~ no new office equipment this year, no new computers etc etc. I have seen that waste first hand as I am sure you have.
Are there pics, video, reports on the event from the counter rally side?
Thank you.
skf
Although I haven't seen anything yet from our counter rally side, you might enjoy this YouTube video:
Click Here for
"Maine Can Do Better Budget Rally, 2010: Eric Smith, Maine Council of Churches"
He said he doesn't remember a time when Maine wasn't struggling. That's because he's too young to have been here before the Democrats took complete control of the state. Those were the days! I remember I had a savings account.
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Thank you for the hard work on behalf of all Maine taxpayers, Maine Heritage Policy Center.
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Gee... a lunchtime protest - I wonder if "Maine Can Do Better" will be providing refreshments... "free" sammitches, anybody? I hear those lobbyists hand out some deluxe vittles.