Nobody likes to pay taxes: poor people don’t, middle-income people don’t, rich people don’t. It’s one thing we have in common, regardless of income. And the Taxpayer Bill of Rights sounds great, unless a person really thinks about it.

If a town caps spending at a set percentage over the last year it should, and will, cap taxes. But what does capping spending accomplish? Does it cut waste and fat in the budget? Or does it limit that town’s ability to meet actual needs that might arise?

If the school budget is capped, and suddenly a new school bus is needed, what happens? Services for children are cut: not fat, not waste.

Look at other parts of a town budget. If new police vehicles are needed, do we cut police coverage? Need a new fire engine? Do we fire the firemen, or not have a fire engine? Do we stop the Meals-on-Wheels program or shut the library all but two days a week? What about street repair or snow removal? Which town services are easy to slash?

TABOR proponents stress cuts on taxes, but neglect cuts in services and programs that go with them. They don’t want to talk about Colorado repealing TABOR. Could we possibly benefit from looking closely at Colorado?

This is the same TABOR with a cute Downeast accent to make us think it’s homegrown. Tain’t so, deah.

Joanne Dunlap, Rangeley