sMitty of Sidney, ME The Munis need to cut the spending, pure and simple. If working families can tighten their belts, so can they. Before scaring us with talk of cutting services, they should cut funding to all nonprofits already getting our money through federal and state grants. Next up, pay freezes or even better, 10% cuts all around.report abuse

ev of Trescott, ME The auto excise tax was significantly cut in Massachusetts decades ago by limiting property taxes at the same time. Both were part of "Proposition 2 1/2" that limited the mil rate and limited annual increases in spending at the same time. It didn't stop spending increases through the loophole of later annual "overrides" in many towns, but it kept the high property taxes down from what they otherwise would have been and it prevented the cut in auto excise tax from being automatically shifted onto property taxes. Some means of preventing that shift is required to make a cut in the auto excise tax meaningful and not a shift and shaft.report abuse

Don Turner of Brunswick, ME What rubs me the wrong way about this excise tax is that they tax us for an imaginary reccommended price and not the price we actually pay for the vehicle. That should be unlawful! Democrats don't use reason in their thinking tho'! The legislature got us into this spending spree that is overloaded so they must figure out things that some residents have to do without. I am used to paying my taxes without any of the State benefits because my retirement and social security checks make me too rich to qualify. Thank goodness, I found a source for inexpensive SPAM and BEAN DIP!. I refuse to tell anyone .or the State will tax it out of sightreport abuse

anticon of a town in, ME I can see both positives and negatives to this idea, honestly.

However...two things stand out to me in this article:

One, anti-tax advocates demand that cuts be made, but shrug of any suggestion that they provide the where and how. Irresponsible and lazy.

Two, if Tarren Bragdon is for it, that decides it for me. While i've already seen the predictable frothing at the mouth about how horrible the government is and welfare bums and how tabor is awesome despite its repeated failures and gaping flaws and multiple rejections nationwide, the fact is that he and the MHPC don't care about the sheep bleating the praises of their "research". They serve the interests of those that pay their way, and that is not the average Mainer. If Tarren says it's good....tread with great care. And perhaps hip waders.report abuse