B on Question 1

While options A and B on this question seem much the same, they are not. Both seek to offer property tax relief to Maine citizens while increasing state funding for education to 55 percent, but they would do this in very different ways. Question 1B is a better plan because it is more specific. It sets a five-year course toward increasing the state’s share of education to 55 percent and more than doubled funding for the state’s circuit-breaker program, which targets immediate property-tax relief to low-income residents. It defines school funding through the new Essential Programs and Services model, which promises a fairer system of funding and expects all towns to make a serious contribution if they are to receive state aid.

The biggest problem with 1A is its price tag and the fact that the question’s backer, the Maine Municipal Association, fails to discuss where the at least $245 million needed yearly to fund its plan would come from. This means that valuable state programs would have to be cut or state taxes raised.

With tax cap proponents at the doorstep, option 1C is the wrong choice because it sends the message that the current system is OK, which it is not. Question 1B is not perfect, but it is the best choice.

.

No on Question 2

The additional money for prescription drugs, scholarships and agricultural fairs that backers of Question 2 promise may sound enticing, but allowing slot machines at horse racing tracks will bring more problems than bucks to Bangor. Capital Seven, a Nevada company, said it plans to open a $30 million racino at Bass Park if the referendum passes. However, while negotiating with the city of Bangor, the company sent out a press release announcing that it had taken an option on a piece of land in Brewer for the complex. Such actions do little to earn the trust of citizens on either side of the river. Most of the visitors to the racino will come from Maine, meaning local money will ultimately flow out of state with little benefit here. That’s a good reason to reject this proposal.

.

No on Question 3

Question 3, the proposal to allow the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe to open a casino, is inadequate in two major ways. One is that the measure doesn’t provide the state with enough of the profits. The state would get 25 percent of revenue from slot machines, which an industry expert said is too little compared with what gambling facilities pay in other states. The other weakness of this proposal is that it leaves unanswered many oversight and regulatory concerns raised by the attorney general. Among them: Many provisions in the legislation are weak; when in doubt, bill provisions “must be liberally construed in favor of gaming by and on behalf of the tribes”; and the legislation can’t be changed without the consent of the tribes.

It is hard to reject a proposal that promises thousands of jobs and perhaps $100 million for the state coffers, but given the weaknesses in the hundreds of pages of law behind Question 3, saying no now will avert many problems, some unforeseen, later.

.

Yes on Question 4

Upgrading pollution control facilities and stopping overboard discharges are not glamorous projects, but such work must be done to safeguard the water supply of Mainers. A yes vote on Question 4 will enable the state to issue $6.9 million in bonds for such work, plus other local and regional water quality and water quantity projects. The money will be matched by $14 million in federal funds.

.

Yes on Question 5

By now everyone should have heard the message about the importance of education in improving the state’s economy as well as the lives of its workers. Clearly, many students have as enrollment at the state’s community colleges increased 16 percent this year and 17 percent last year. A yes vote on Question 5 will enable these schools to upgrade classrooms, laboratories and other buildings with the $12 million they would receive. The rest of the $19 million in this bond will go to the University of Maine System, Maine Maritime Academy and the Maine State Library for similar projects. All of these institutions are important to the state’s future, yet each have long lists of deferred maintenance. A yes vote on Question 5 will shorten that list.

.

Yes on Question 6

The link between good transportation and a robust economy is undeniable at any time. At this particular time, the potential of transportation-related construction jobs to energize a drooping economy cannot be ignored. That’s why a yes vote on Question 6, the $63 million transportation bond issue, is important. Anyone who has driven over – or not been allowed to drive – over the Waldo-Hancock Bridge can attest to the cost of ignoring the state’s transportation infrastructure. The worn bridge, which is now off-limits to heavy trucks, is currently being rehabbed and the bond contains $4 million to help construct a new one. It also contains money for airport, railroad, ferry, highway and medical helicopter work and will be matched by $217 million in federal funds. It is a good investment and worthy of voter support.