When I first ran for Governor five years ago, I made it very clear that I would stick to my Republican principles. Today, that hasn’t changed.

Dear Maine Taxpayer,

First as a mayor and now as Governor, I held firm to the Republican principles of lowering taxes, reducing the size of government and reforming welfare.

It has not been easy. We took on the special interests, the lobbyists and the political establishment. The state, local and national media have been against us every step of the way. Liberals spent millions in a brutal campaign to get rid of me. But I stuck to my principles. The voters saw through the negative media, and they didn’t buy the barrage of political attacks. They want us to keep following our principles.

Mainers know I did not come here to defend the status quo. I came to Augusta to do what’s right for the Maine people. Five months ago, I proposed a comprehensive budget that would bring meaningful tax reform to our state and prosperity to the Maine people. My goal is to eliminate the income tax and put $1.2 billion back into the paychecks of hard-working Mainers.

Legislators claim they want to cut the income tax, but they don’t have the courage to take action. They just want to pass a budget that maintains the status quo so they can go home for the summer. Instead of standing firm and fighting for the Maine people, they are making back-room deals in the dark of night with their doors locked.

Over the weekend, legislators worked long hours to accomplish absolutely nothing. They threw out any chance of cutting the income tax. They chose to keep giving taxpayers’ money to illegal aliens. They gutted my proposal to put more DEA agents on the streets to stop vicious drug gangs from selling poison in our neighborhoods. They rejected a Constitutional amendment that would give Maine people a voice in eliminating the income tax.

After 5 months, these legislators have done nothing.

Sadly, Republican leaders in the Senate joined liberal Democrats to roll back these reforms. They left their Republican principles at the door when they made these back-room agreements with Democrats. Fortunately, most Republicans in Augusta are still holding strong. They remember why we won the election in November.

The budget process is grinding to a halt. So if you want to get rid of the income tax, you must contact your legislators. Find out who they are and tell them the status quo is unacceptable. Tell them to do the right thing for the Maine people.

Thank You

Paul R. LePage

Governor