We need property tax relief for hardworking Mainers

As Mainers adapt to the “new normal,” and pull together to put our state back to work, our elected officials are facing tough questions about how we balance the state budget.

Should we give property tax relief to working families, or a $10,000,000 loophole to corporations to hide profits overseas? These are real tradeoffs that our elected officials are discussing.

We’re not going to help hardworking families get back on their feet after the economic earthquake of COVID-19 by cranking up their property taxes.

As a solution, the Maine Legislature should lower property taxes for hardworking Mainers anytime our state has a budget surplus. This would deliver much needed relief to hardworking Mainers.

During the recovery process, Maine’s working families shouldn’t have to worry about increasing property taxes, or cuts to essential services like education or public safety. By making corporations and the wealthiest 1% pay their fair share, we can avoid raising property taxes.

Stop corporations from hiding their profits overseas

As Maine’s economy reopens and Mainers return to the workplace, businesses and working families are adjusting to our “new normal.”

While we head back to work, our state faces a revenue shortfall due to the pandemic. Elected officials will decide how to balance our budget. We must make sure they put working families before big corporations.

There are lots of big multinational corporations that do business in Maine, but don’t pay their fair share for the use of our roads, workers and resources. Some of these corporations use a loophole that rewards them for hiding their profits overseas.

Our government should close corporate tax loopholes and take back tax breaks so we aren’t forced to cut funding for essential services like schools, healthcare and public safety. By closing this loophole, Maine would generate upwards of $10,000,000 for our state.

As we rebuild our economy, we must ensure that hardworking Mainers are prioritized and corporations pay their fair share.

How do we keep our communities and workplaces healthy? Provide Paid Family & Medical Leave.

As Maine’s economy reopens and Mainers return to the workplace, small businesses and working families are adjusting to our new normal.

But we know that we aren’t out of the woods yet. As we continue to battle COVID-19, it is more important than ever that every hardworking Mainer has access to paid leave to help keep our families, communities, and workplaces healthy and safe.

A robust Paid Family and Medical Leave program in Maine would do just that. It would guarantee at least 12 weeks of paid leave for Mainers to get better if they get seriously sick, to care for an ill loved one, to welcome a new child, and to take care of our military family needs.

And Mainers agree. We called hundreds of local working families to ask them their thoughts on PFML. Listen to their testimonials on what a statewide PFML policy would mean for themselves and their loved ones.

It’s time to ensure our working families have Paid Family & Medical Leave, now and when this pandemic is behind us.