By Bonnie Washuk,Staff Writer

AUGUSTA – Pat Pulkkinen, 70, of South Paris, arrived at the Statehouse on Wednesday on a bus with dozens of other AARP members.

They came from all over Maine as citizen lobbyists with a clear message printed on their red shirts: “TAX RELIEF NOW!”

The tax bill before the House and Senate, L.D. 1, would help harness property taxes so seniors can stay in their homes, Pulkkinen and others said. They hoped to convince lawmakers to support the bill in votes on Wednesday and today.

“We’re here today because we desperately believe the property tax relief bill is a good start (on) where we need to go, to relieve Maine of being one of the highest taxed states in the union,” said Pulkkinen, a retired banker and grandmother of six.

Retirees are being encouraged to move to Maine for the beauty of the four seasons, but seniors need to be able to afford to live here, she said. During the first few years of retirement, “You’re golden,” Pulkkinen said. “But then your retirement (income) does not keep up with the cost of living.”

A good first step’

Filling two first-floor rooms in the State House, AARP members were briefed on the specifics of L.D. 1 by Gov. John Baldacci and AARP leaders.

“Boy, are we glad to see you here today,” Baldacci said. “We’ve finally got to get tax reform and relief done,” Baldacci said, adding that “we need your help. … You’re the ones speaking for friends and neighbors who can’t be here.”

The bill isn’t perfect, but it’s a good first step toward property tax relief, said AARP staffer Nancy Kelleher, who reminded seniors when talking to legislators “to keep it simple, and smile.” After other lobbying basics, the seniors were instructed to go find lawmakers on the third floor.

A sea of white hair and red shirts filled the halls. Pulkkinen set out to find her legislator, Rep. Sawin Millett, R-Waterford.

Outside the Senate chamber, a group of red-shirters from Lewiston – Monita Buteau, 70, Ann Faucher, 85, Charles Buteau, 78, and Madeleine Beaulieu, “70-plus” – were looking for Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston.

“I’m here for tax relief,” Faucher said. “We’re hardly able to pay what we’re paying now.”

Tweaking needed?

“We want them to pass the tax-relief package,” Beaulieu chimed in. “People are tired of paying high taxes. We need relief.”

“Medication is going up. Taxes are going up,” said Charles Buteau. “It’s either you pay for medication or pay taxes. You can’t afford both.”

The foursome didn’t find Rotundo, but they did find Rep. Elaine Makas, Rep. Margaret Craven and Rep. William Walcott, all Lewiston Democrats. Craven, Walcott and Makas said they would vote for L.D. 1. They were all smiles.

Down the hall, Pulkkinen had found Rep. Millett. She and three others had him surrounded as they asked him to vote for L.D. 1.

They weren’t smiling.

Millett was hedging.

Millett is sponsoring several amendments to L.D. 1. He said he has issues with the governor’s bill.

“I told them we’re eventually going to support property-tax relief. We’d like to make this a better bill than it is now,” Millett said. “If that means we need a little more clarification, we want to do that.”

Pulkkinen wasn’t pleased.

“He said the bill needed tweaking. I said, Well, what does that mean? Does it mean the bill is not going to pass tomorrow?’ He said Well, we may need a few days or a couple of weeks.’ I said, That really is not good at all.'”