I listened to a debate concerning the tax cap.

Phil Harriman admitted that the tax cap is going to have to be adjusted and worked with, but said it is the essential first step to tax reform. His opponent, Dennis Bailey, however, said that maybe we need tax reform, but this is not the right way to go. He offered no other alternative. The Maine Chamber of Commerce has come up with another plan; however, it is too late to be put on the ballot.

Ron Comeau on the Lewiston Task Force was precisely right when he said that all we are hearing is about cuts and not how we could fix the problem. When Lewiston School Superintendent Leon Levesque was asked how this would affect his budget, he said he would cut grades 9 through 12. Does anyone really believe he looked at this closely and tried to fix the problem? I am not stupid. These are all scare tactics.

Municipal officials have to keep their city’s bond ratings up, and they cannot do what they are telling us they will do. This reform will force them (like we all have to do) to look at their spending and reevaluate their budgets. I believe voters have to send a clear-cut message to local, state and federal officials: Manage our money wisely. This is the first step to sending that message.

Denise Morin, Lewiston

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