Maine ‘prosperity budget’ proposal shows progressive change is feasible

Analysts with the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) have drafted an aspirational budget intended to demonstrate to the new Democratic-controlled state legislature and Governor Janet Mills how they might best leverage state resources to address widening wealth inequality and build “an economy that works for everyone.”

MECEP’s Prosperity Budget, released Tuesday, advises lawmakers to counter former Governor Paul LePage’s “lopsided tax cuts that made it harder for our state to invest in people and communities” by moving towards a progressive tax policy which fully funds schools, grows quality jobs with quality benefits including earned paid sick days, expands access to health care, modernizes infrastructure and creates valuable public services.

“What we saw in November is that voters elected candidates who ran on things like fully funding education, expanding health care, providing job trainings, building out our infrastructure,” said MECEP’s Mario Moretto, a co-author of the model budget. “Those are things that MECEP has always advocated for because we know that they reduce barriers to prosperity.”

Click here to read the full story, published January 17, 2019, in Beacon.