Lewiston City Administrator James Bennett’s interpretation of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights at the City Council workshop Sept. 26 was, sadly, quite predictable. Most public officials and bureaucrats who derive their livelihood from tax dollars will be ratcheting up their spin machines as we head into November.

Jim Bennett spent about an hour Tuesday evening painting point-by-point worst-case scenarios should TABOR pass in November. It was typical spin meant to scare as many voters as possible, and convince them TABOR is a bad piece of legislation. TABOR is not perfect, but it’s a workable start. Two years ago, the Palesky cap lost because spin doctors scared enough voters and made empty promises. Hopefully, they will not succeed with this tactic again.

The system needs fixing. Maine ranks near the bottom of the 50 states in most economic issue surveys, yet we are told TABOR will move Maine backward. Are the folks telling us this saying we are currently moving forward? The biggest movement going on in this state are young people moving out, and people looking for public assistance moving in.

I will agree with Jim Bennett on one thing: We need new leadership in Augusta that is capable of and willing to change the status quo that has managed to make Maine one of the highest taxed, and least business friendly, states in the country.

Gary Savard, Lewiston