I don’t like rain. If we do end up with as much as the weather people say is possible, I suspect Gator Wife won’t like it, either. All this rain, especially in such a short time, could raise havoc with her vegetable gardens. Her flower beds might be in a little jeopardy, as well. It is still raining this morning. At 6:37, my gauge registered 1.67 inches, and we've still got a way to go. I don’t like rain.
A week has now passed, well at least most of a week, since cable guy was here. He told me last Monday that he thought a reception problem I’ve had for the last three months was a thing of the past. The company had found a weak node in the line, he said, and it was replaced Monday night, or Tuesday morning if you prefer.
Now, four days later and several HD programs later, the TV hasn’t broken up once. I hesitate to call it a done deal, but it does look good. So, unless something drastic happens down that road, this could be the last time you hear of my long saga with the cable company.
The last Legislature passed what it calls a tax reform bill. It is the sham of shams and every one of us will be paying a whole lot more in taxes as a result. Now, the Chairman of the Maine Republican Party, Charles Webster, says the party will be among a yet-to-be-formed group to begin a petition drive to have at least parts of that bill overturned via a people’s veto.
Webster doesn’t have a group yet, but he says he needs to get paperwork done in the Secretary of State’s office to get the petition drive underway. Since he is the party chairman, I’d guess one would have to conclude that the party will be among the sponsors, possibly among the leaders, of such a drive. He had better be successful or he could end doing more damage to the credibility of the Republican Party than good.
A “People’s Veto” drive did work last year in getting a tax bill passed in that Legislature repealed. But I’m afraid that most people will either not understand this is a new and different law or fail to see the relationship between the law and the taxes they’ll have to pay.
I would think gaining the required signatures on a petition will be a very formidable task, especially since they have less than two months to get a question on the November ballot. They do have about a month longer to meet the statutory 90 day after the legislature adjournment to get signatures to have the question possibly on next June’s ballot, but I think that, too, will be extremely formidable.
Don’t get me wrong here. You know if I see a petition, I’ll sign it. I think you probably know how I feel about the tax increase we face. Unfortunately, I don’t believe most Mainers have that same feeling. By the time they begin to feel the relationship between that new law and the higher prices businesses will have to charge to meet the bookkeeping requirements of the new law along with the higher prices the tax itself will bring about, it will be too late.
And if the Republicans fail in this attempt, it’ll be that much harder to elect them to try to get any changes in the next Legislature. This petition drive may not be a good idea. I’ll keep these thoughts so I can publicly eat them next September if I’m wrong.
The weekend is upon us. I hope you have a good one in spite of the rain and that you dads out there will enjoy your day. I’ll enjoy mine.
GiM
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