Like other Mainers, I am distressed over the cuts in the services to children in Gov. Baldacci’s budget proposal. Tax relief, specifically property tax relief, is ever on my mind but tax relief on the backs of children is unacceptable.

Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing Rob Brown, from the Maine Citizen Leadership Fund, explain the Homestead Plus plan for a fair budget.

Obviously, we cannot lower property taxes without making adjustments somewhere else. Homestead Plus advocates, among other things, increasing the lodging tax, broadening the sales tax base to include services and adding a penny to the sales tax. This makes sense to me and I urge others to look into Homestead Plus for themselves.

We want tax reform but not at the price of harming our most vulnerable members.

Joan Duplessis

Orland