Cianchette promises tax cut of 20 percent GOP hopeful calls Baldacci ‘big spender’

Republican gubernatorial candidate Peter Cianchette ratcheted up the rhetoric on the state budget Wednesday at press conferences in Portland and Bangor, vowing to introduce a plan for cutting taxes by 20 percent over five years.

Cianchette also said he would introduce a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to raise taxes and reiterated his promise to make sure the budget doesn’t grow faster than incomes.

During the Portland rally, he portrayed himself as a “backstop” to a Democratic-controlled Legislature and suggested the budget gap could grow even more if voters elected Democrat John Baldacci as their next governor.

“That would be the tax-and-spend dream team of all time,” Cianchette told about 100 supporters at the event in downtown Portland.

Cianchette built upon an earlier promise to make sure the state budget doesn’t grow faster than incomes as he tried to frame himself as the fiscal conservative and Baldacci as the “big spender.”

He accused Baldacci of voting to raise taxes during what he termed as an undistinguished career in the U.S. House “while his district lost thousands of jobs, thousands of people and thousands of dreams.”

Donna Gormley, campaign spokeswoman for Baldacci, objected to the “big spender” label.

She said the Democratic candidate has not proposed raising taxes, although he would consider removing some sales tax exemptions, and she said he plans to save money by searching for ways to restructure state government.

“He’s looking at ways to save money,” Gormley said from Bangor. “The last thing he’s thinking about is raising taxes.”

As for the remark about Baldacci’s congressional record, Gormley said the people who re-elected Baldacci to his 2nd District seat must approve. “I will put John’s record up against anyone’s,” she said.

At an afternoon rally in Bangor, Cianchette said that northern, eastern and central Maine have experienced the brunt of the state’s recession with job layoffs and mill closures.

“In my opinion, this region has suffered long enough,” Cianchette said. “It needs attention.”

He didn’t discuss specifics when it comes to cutting state spending and reducing taxes. He also would not outline his economic development strategy to boost business in what some call “the other Maine,” noting that a plan would be introduced in a few weeks. He did state, however, that he favors an east-west highway and an Interstate 95 extension north of Houlton “to connect this region with other economic regions.”

Cianchette noted that with the state facing a $180 million shortfall this budget cycle, and a potentially larger shortfall in the next two-year cycle, he would not lower taxes immediately. Instead, those cuts would be phased in over five years.

Cianchette said he would discuss specifics after listening to the findings of an advisory panel he created to look at innovative ideas to control spending through streamlining, revised priorities and other reforms.

With his wife and two children behind him, Cianchette opened his remarks with a warning of “Hold onto your wallets. The big spenders have spent all their money and they’re coming back for more.”

He also invoked the name of independent David Flanagan, who dropped out of the gubernatorial race, quoting from a speech last week in which Flanagan described taxes are the “cure that kills.”

Also in the gubernatorial race are Green Independent candidate Jonathan Carter and independent John Michael.

NEWS business reporter Deborah Turcotte contributed to this report.