A top elected official is at the forefront of a politically motivated campaign of misinformation. Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald is misrepresenting state lawmakers from Lewiston, putting his loyalties to Gov. Paul LePage above his duty to serve the people of Lewiston.
The mayor blames Democrats for the passage of LD 369, mischaracterizing both what the law does and how it came to be.
The truth is that this legislation represents a compromise and a reasoned approach. The final version, rewritten by a Senate Republican, passed both the Republican-controlled Senate and the House, where Democrats hold the majority.
This new law ensures that no person in Maine illegally receives general assistance. It also put in place a new, two-year cap on general assistance to asylum-seekers, who are in this country legally but are prohibited from working while the federal government processes their request for asylum.
The mayor fails to understand that Maine’s population is aging, its work-force dwindling, and that it is prudent invest in people who wish to live and work in Maine. General assistance provides asylum-seekers fleeing persecution in their countries with temporary, state and municipally-funded help in securing life’s basic necessities — food and shelter — until they are allowed to work. Once given the opportunity, they prove themselves hard workers. Many are now naturalized citizens, like the Iraqi who became an American in Lewiston last week.
All of this is absent from the mayor’s disinformation campaign, aided by the Twin City Times — a media outlet founded by the governor’s communications director, Peter Steele, and published by Steele’s wife. Given that fact, it’s no surprise that the mayor ignores the governor’s policies that would hurt Lewiston residents.
The mayor claims taxpayers are his chief concern, but what has he really done on their behalf?
General assistance to asylum-seekers accounts for less than one percent of Lewiston’s budget, costing the average Lewiston homeowner $3.87 in fiscal year 2016, but the mayor makes noise about it while remaining tight-lipped on major, harmful proposals.
The mayor gave the governor a free pass on his proposal to eliminate the homestead exemption for homeowners under the age of 65 — a loss of a $10,000 property tax exemption, representing a $242 tax increase for the average Lewiston homeowner.
The mayor wrote nothing in his column about the governor’s proposal to end revenue sharing, which would cost Lewiston $2.7 million and result in a $186 tax increase for the average homeowner.
Where was the mayor when it came to the governor’s plan to tax hospitals, reduce their funding and put at risk hundreds of Lewiston residents’ jobs? The mayor was silent when it came to the governor’s attempt to cut the Drugs for the Elderly program.
If not for the compromise budget passed by Democrats and Republicans, these proposals would have cost Lewiston residents significantly. Instead, the budget, crafted with the leadership of Rep. Peggy Rotundo, doubles the Homestead Exemption to $20,000 for every Maine homeowner. It preserves revenue sharing. It increases state funding to Lewiston’s schools. It protects jobs by rejecting the tax on hospitals and it helps seniors afford their medicines by preserving funding for Drugs for the Elderly. This budget protects Mainers’ from increased taxes. The budget also reduces the income tax.
Lewiston’s legislative delegation fights for the financial benefit of its constituents. Meanwhile, the mayor does the governor’s bidding to their detriment.
At the beginning of this legislative session, the mayor promised to support efforts to expand passenger rail to Lewiston. A passenger train linking Lewiston to Portland and Boston would result in significant economic development for our city.
My bill, LD 323, requires the state Department of Transportation to study and create a service development plan for a train to Lewiston. Sen. Nate Libby played a leading role in securing funding for this bill which became law as part of the budget.
The mayor met with the governor about this bill, but the governor still vetoed it. Fortunately, Sen. Libby, Reps. Peggy Rotundo, Mike Lajoie, Heidi Brooks, Gina Melaragno and I were able to override the veto.
We fought for economic development for our community, but when push came to shove the mayor — again — followed the governor’s lead, and said and did nothing.
Rep. Jared Golden is serving his first term in the Maine Legislature representing House District 60 in Lewiston.
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