Last week in Washington, D.C., a federal budget deal passed the Congress. I am glad that we are not facing another government shutdown, but this deal is not a good one for our country.

For too long, all of our budget talks have focused on cuts, but there is not much left to cut that does not have huge impacts on our friends and neighbors. We need to start talking about raising revenue. Otherwise, we will never get out of this crisis cycle.

This budget deal reduced some really scary cuts, but it will cut pensions and unemployment benefits to do so. A budget that trades cuts for more cuts isn’t a fair budget, and it isn’t a budget that works in the long term.

In two years, Congress will be back at it again, and the only way we can have a budget that invests in the things that Mainers need and that works for everyone is if we raise revenue by making sure corporations are paying their fair share.

Wall Street has rebounded, but Main Street is still struggling. Isn’t it time corporations stopped shirking their responsibilities and put their tax dollars back to work here in America?

Philemon Dushimire

Portland

 

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