The word ‘TABOR’ does not appear on the ballot. What does appear on Question 1 is sounds much more benign than it really is. There are 13 pages of legislation that go with this dishonestly benign-sounding ballot question.

Though different communities may have different inflation rates, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights ties local budgets to a national inflation rate. It orders the same statewide budget formula for cities and small towns. Voters won’t be able to undo TABOR if they need to spend more, unless they can get a two-thirds majority of the “legislative body.” This will give power to a small minority. What if there’s a natural disaster like flooding, or an ice storm, like what happened in 1998? Even towns that voted against TABOR will be required to live by its restrictions.

Colorado’s less draconian version of TABOR has been a disaster. Their schools have suffered and they couldn’t afford to repair their roads. The number of people with severe mental illness in prison increased tenfold. Then they eliminated all mental health services to inmates. They cut early intervention mental health services and they cut mental health services to children. It was so bad that the people in Colorado have voted to suspend TABOR. Let’s not hurt people in Maine by passing this mess. Stop TABOR. On Nov. 7, vote No on Question 1.

Gail L. Richardson, Lewiston