Just one year ago, I urged support in these pages for President Bush’s economic stimulus plan to help pull the country from the weakened economy he’d inherited.

Congress passed the president’s plan, and the results have been stunning. Some 248,000 new jobs were added to the economy in May, continuing an eight-month growth trend totaling more than 1.4 million new jobs. The national economy has been growing at a rate not seen since the Reagan administration.

Maine is experiencing only a small part of the national recovery in the form of dropping unemployment. That’s because our governor and Democratic majority in the Legislature have taken the unusual step of forcing through budgets that fail to conform to federal tax changes. Even with control over the Legislature and the governor’s mansion, they still lack the will to provide Maine citizens desperately needed tax reform.

Meanwhile, Maine’s Democrats have backed John Kerry, who has promised massive tax increases the first 100 days in office. Kerry’s economic plan is a threat to our rapid recovery. His tax-increase plan includes a series of spending proposals to be funded by higher taxes on the “wealthy.” But, a $1 trillion gap exists between his spending increases and tax increases, leaving Kerry no option but to increase taxes on every American.

Voters have a choice between moving forward with President Bush, who trusts Americans to make the best decisions with their own money, or the candidate that has promised to add to our tax burden.

Sen. Kenneth D. Blais,

Litchfield

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