Thank you, Edgar Allen Beem for having the gumption to tell the truth: we need to raise taxes, in Maine and in the country, if we are going to remain a viable society. The talking-head millionaires on rant radio and the heads of mega-corporations talking directly to “our representatives” have created a political climate where even the Democrats don’t want to do what needs to be done to pay for the services that create and maintain a civil society.

In the past 30 years the United States has been engaged in the greatest wealth transfer among classes in the history of the world, from the middle class to the rich. If we restored the pre-Reagan, pre-Bush national tax code we had in 1980, we would have all the money needed to cover our current deficits. Who among the tax cutters is arguing for doing that? Or cutting Medicare? Or Social Security. No, what they want is something for nothing – all services and no taxes. The free lunch.

And we are all getting it. With an unsustainable deficit that within 10 years will put this country in the poorhouse. No money for research and development equals no economic development. Between the undermine-everything national party (with their radio pals), the do-nothing national party (Baldacci belongs to it), and the know-nothing national movement (Sarah Palin’s here), I don’t think we are going to pull out of the nosedive we’re in.

Thanks for standing up for the only right idea on the table, Edgar.

Peter Monro
Portland