By Ray Cardello for June 19, 2025, Season 31 / Post 30

To put things in perspective, seven cities in the United States have a greater population than the state of Maine, yet the state legislature is in session, basically working around the clock, to vote on over 1,200 bills for this fiscal year. That is a difficult concept to grasp. For a state of 1.4 million people, the elected officials in Augusta are debating over 1,200 ways to restrict our lives or create more ways to take money from us for them to misuse. Maine, under the Democrats, is a study in government overreach. Janet Mills is in her second and final term. She inherited a budget surplus, which is like a line of cocaine to a Democrat. She has mismanaged the state, dissolved that surplus, and will leave her successor with a significant budget shortfall and a state needing correction and forward-thinking leadership. If anything, you have to give the Democrats credit for ingenuity and creativity to dream up new ways to increase one of the highest tax burdens in the country and a state that is pushing people and businesses away. In a story released today by Realtor.com, Maine has the highest number of vacant homes and the highest percentage of vacancies in the country. This is not a data point you want to champion. Maine has nearly 750,000 housing units, and 157,467, or 21.09%, remain vacant. That is twice the national average. You can draw a direct correlation from one of the highest tax burdens in the country to the highest vacancy number and rate, and if you own one of these empty units, be sure to thank Janet Mills and the Democrats in Augusta. The Maine Democrats are famous for their creativity in generating new means of tax revenue. We all remember when they attempted to put a tax on Girl Scout Cookies and family campsites. Nothing is more American than taxing the Thin Mints and a campfire.

But, the Democrats still have more gas in the tank, and this year, they went after prescriptions and internet streaming as their newest targets. Again, they win most creative individuals but certainly lose on congeniality. This situation is no joke, but it is a power play to exert as much control as possible on the public. It makes you question the intelligence of the young Progressives who saturate Maine’s larger cities. These folks are supposedly educated and high-income earners, yet they condone a government that fuels itself on control and manipulation of its constituents.

Here are a few examples of the plethora of bills:

Pass:
LD68 An Act to Amend the State Tax Laws

LD221 An Act to Address the Effect of Changes to Federal Income Tax Laws on Maine Income Tax Laws

LD246 An Act to Establish the Option of Sentencing Alternatives for Primary Caregivers

LD662 An Act to Support Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma and Active Duty Military Members Transitioning to Civilian Life

Failed:
LD 1707 An Act to Require a Person to Be a United States Citizen to Receive State or Local Financial Assistance and to Ensure Municipal Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws

LD1697 An Act to Increase Penalties to Deter Violations of the Laws Regarding Improper Pesticide Use

LD1036 An Act to Protect Recipients of Public Assistance from Housing Discrimination

Clearly, this legislature, specifically the Democrats, does not have the best interests of Maine residents in mind. The failing education system, males in female sports and spaces, lack of new businesses to allow for a better life for Maine, even the exploding budget deficit despite the legislature squeezing every penny possible from Maine’s taxpayers. Maine needs a change of direction and leadership, but history shows it will probably continue to support the Democrats who are destroying our fine state.