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PORTLAND, MAINE – Representatives from the NO on Question One/Stop the Scam campaign are calling on the Maine People’s Alliance, the proponents of the new 3.8% tax on families on the November ballot, to “Stop the Lies.” Exactly two months ago, the Maine People’s Alliance signed a pledge to tell the truth about Question One. Despite making this promise, MPA spokespeople continue to mislead Maine voters about Question One, specifically the breadth of the new tax, its implications on Maine families and businesses, and its violations of patient privacy. Additionally, MPA’s television ads are factually incorrect, and deliberately deceptive.
“Maine People’s Alliance representatives and their deceptive advertising continue to mislead Maine voters about the impact of the massive tax increase in Question One that would make Maine the highest taxed state in the country,” said Newell Augur of the No on Question 1 campaign. “The Maine Revenue Services, the Secretary of State, the Maine Society of Certified Public Accountants, the non-partisan Office of Fiscal and Program Review and many other experts have concluded that this new tax will affect any family with a household income greater than $128,400. That’s nearly 60,000 Maine families.”
Augur added, “Question One’s new tax also will hit an untold number of Maine businesses with the largest tax increase in Maine history. Legal experts also agree that Question One will violate the privacy of Maine seniors and Mainers with disabilities. By continuing to misrepresent the facts about Question One, the Maine People’s Alliance is breaking the pledge they signed two months ago, and worse, they are misleading Maine people. We again call on them to stop the lies.”
In one television ad, the MPA’s Mainers for Homecare campaign claims the new 3.8% tax is only on individuals, which is a lie. The new 3.8% tax will affect any married couple earning more than $128,400, even if both spouses make less than that amount. The MPA also neglects to inform voters in any of their ads that the new 3.8% tax also will hit thousands of Maine’s small businesses particularly hard.
In another television ad, a social worker claims Question One will protect the privacy of Mainers, which is another lie. To be sure, Question One requires that the private health information of public homecare recipients be shared with an unlimited number of “constituency organizations” without patients’ permission, and without any way for patients to stop it.
“We encourage Maine voters to get the facts on Question One before they go to the polls on November 6,” said Augur. “Armed with the truth, we are confident Mainers will vote no on Question One.”
For the facts about Question One, please go to www.StopTheScamMaine.com.
