Question 1 (also known as the Taxpayer Bill of Rights) threatens the education of Maine children. The unfair requirements of Question 1 will prevent any extra spending on education.

The education of Maine children is the only way this state can truly grow economically. The well-paid, low-skilled jobs of the past simply don’t exist anymore.

Question 1 ties taxes to inflation and population growth, not need. Maine needs money for its schools, and Question 1 will prevent this necessary funding. As a junior in high school, I have seen firsthand the effects of underfunding the schools, and I understand the importance of an education in the modern world.

If Maine is to thrive and compete in the global economy, it needs to fund the education of its children. Question 1 will keep the state in a weak economic condition, and hurt the proud citizens of Maine.

Calder Phillips-Grafflin, Lewiston