I write in response to the Nov. 18 Sun Journal article titled “Rotundo: Rebates might help taxpayers.” In the piece, state Sen. Peggy Rotundo claims the circuit breaker program was “dramatically overhauled to significantly increase” benefits. The good senator goes on to describe the program as providing “meaningful relief” for fixed-, low- and even middle-income Mainers. Meanwhile, letters continue to arrive in our office detailing the paltry sum of some rebates, asking if the program is some kind of a joke on us yokels on the part of Gov. Baldacci.

Instead of tackling tax reform, the Democratic majority merely expanded a few programs, providing limited relief to Mainers. Many towns had to raise property taxes to cover the cost of expanded exemptions. It’s a self-funded tax cut – you get a tax break, and we raise taxes to take it back.

What those on the tax-and-spend team seem unable to grasp is that the only way to achieve meaningful tax relief is to limit government spending. These programs only represent the legerdemain that this administration is so skilled at – tax-shifting gimmicks, off-budget accounting – in an effort to obscure that spending in Maine is at an all-time high.

As the old saying goes, it matters not if the money comes out of the left pocket or the right pocket, it still comes out of the same pair of pants – namely the taxpayers’.

State Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello, District 15, Poland