April 17, 2008 - 7:38am
Beer tax rebellion in the making?
By Wally EdgeNow that the Legislature has increased taxes on Maine staples like Moxie and Bud, it appears that the beverage lobby is getting ready for drastic measures.
There are rumors circulating around the State House that industry people are considering funding a people's veto to repeal the Dirigo funding bill that passed with a Democratic party-line vote Tuesday night. House Republican Leader Josh Tardy has been not so quietly encouraging people to organize the veto effort.
A people’s veto repeals a law the Legislature passed. It’s no easy task, however. To enact a people’s veto, over 55,000 signatures of Maine citizens must be collected. Those signatures must then be verified by the town clerks where the petition signers reside, and then the verified signatures must be turned in to the Secretary of State. And, all this must take place within 90 days after the legislative session adjourns. You can guarantee that folks like Mary Adams who ran the TABOR collection effort would take a pass on something like this, given that many of her people are collecting for TABOR 2.0. As there are few groups in Maine capable of an effort of this magnitude, and it would likely be run by professional signature collectors for out of state.
From start to finish, backers are probably looking at a few hundred thousand dollars to mount a successful people’s veto campaign. But, with $17 million in taxes at stake, the cost of a people’s veto doesn’t seem so large, does it?
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Quote of the Day
August 8, 2008
"We think this will help end the myth about Maine being the highest taxed state in the country. We didn't think it was true."
-- David Farmer, spokesman for Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, on new data from the Tax Foundation that shows that Maine ranks 15th, rather than among the top states, in terms of tax burden on residents.
-Portland Press Herald, 8/8/08
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Bye Bye Barley
Also the climate shift is starting to cause lower yields of malting barley. This will likely cause beer prices to rise significantly on their own over the next 1-3 decades.
Also I believe this tax is on large major brands. Smaller companies and micro-brews will be unaffected. This will support local companies and hopefully push people to stop drinking crappy beer and try the real stuff.
...
We just shot our fledgling wine making industry in the foot and assured that none of our home grown beers will ever grow beyond the region. Does that really seem like a smart move?
People's Veto
The process is already underway. More information soon.
People veto
i need to know more. me and a group are trying to get something together so we can poll our resources?
pool
pool
People's Veto Initiatative
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Greater Bangor Young Republicans Speak Out Against Higher Taxes
Young Republican Group to Begin People’s Veto Drive of LD 2247
Bangor, Maine, April 21, 2008 – The Greater Bangor Young Republicans are taking action on behalf of Maine’s citizens who are fed up with an ever-increasing tax burden. They have announced the start of a People’s Veto attempt for LD 2247: An Act To Continue Maine's Leadership in Covering the Uninsured.
Greater Bangor Young Republicans Chairman Chris Perkins explained the motivation behind the People’s Veto: “Taxes are a real problem in Maine, and that seems to be a message that the Legislature has thus far failed to understand. It’s not that we’re specifically against Dirigo Health, but Maine working families are fed up with the State reaching deeper into our pockets every time they need additional funds, which seems to be more and more frequent as of late.”
While LD 2247 would open up the state’s Dirigo Health program to more funding, it does so with an increase of taxes on beer, wine, soda, and other “soft drinks”. The law would more than double the current tax on beer and wine, and institute a tax of $0.42 per gallon on “bottled soft-drinks”.
Maine Federation of Young Republicans Chairman Kerry Sullivan added, “Our legislators have a duty to the taxpayers of Maine. They are elected to be responsible with our money. Maine has enough taxes and it’s time for the people of Maine to send the message to Augusta that this abuse of power has got to stop.”
“Under this law, organizations that used to buy a ‘flat’ of soda at a discount club and then sell it in order to raise funds will end up paying almost $1.00 per 24 cans of soda directly to the state in taxes,” said GBYR Treasurer Aaron T. Sterling. “Furthermore, the wording of this law not only includes beer, wine, and soda, but also any bottled iced tea or other “juice drink” that doesn’t contain more than 10% fruit juice.”
A People’s Veto requires a notarized application to be submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office. The application must include the signature of 5 registered Maine voters, and must be filed within 10 days of the end of the session in which the legislation was passed. Once the People’s Veto initiative is approved, organizers have 90 days from the close of the session to submit 55,087 signatures (10% of voters in the last Gubernatorial election) to the Secretary of State’s office.
The Greater Bangor Young Republicans strive to provide a forum and outlet for young people to learn more about the National Republican party and to get involved in politics at all levels. The GBYR is a chartered local chapter of the Maine Federation of Young Republicans (MFYR).
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