Collins not honest about tax cut 

It seems the CBO wasn’t too far off in its predictions related to the tax cut bill passed by the GOP House and Senate majorities in December 2017. The CBO projected a nearly $1.5 trillion increase in the federal deficit within ten years. It looks like this is going to happen a lot sooner. In just two years, the deficit has nearly doubled under the Trump administration to a staggering $984 billion. “This is the first time in our history that we are seeing a boom in the economy at the same time deficits are rapidly rising. It’s alarming,” said Marc Goldwein, senior policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Senator Collins in her December 2017 Press Herald OpEd said,”I supported this legislation [the tax cut] because it will help lower-income and middle-income families keep more of their hard-earned money, boost the economy and encourage businesses, both small and large, to grow and create jobs here in Maine and around the country.”

Collins was not honest with Mainers in laying out the benefits of this bill. There was a temporary tax savings in 2018. However, starting in 2019, reduced tax savings and decreased benefits will begin hitting the poor and middle class, according to the CBO analysis of the tax bill. In addition, Trump’s tariffs are costing the average American family more than $831 a year. This will virtually wipe out the temporary tax savings Senator Collins touted Mainers would receive.

Senator Collins is now traveling coast to coast attending lavish fundraisers cashing in on her tax bill vote that lined the pockets of her wealthy donors. These needless tax cuts place mounting debt on the backs of our youth and will result in less money in the bank accounts of lower and middle class Mainers. We cannot afford to be hoodwinked by politicians using trumped up talking points designed to deceive constituents. 

Jennifer Jones 

Falmouth 

Maine should honor Bath during state bicentennial  

I was born and raised in Bath (MHS ‘58); graduated from a large mid-western university then spent the next half century in the corporate jungles of Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York before happily retiring to my “City of Ships”.
Now, as I’m sure most of you know Bath has been building ships for over 400 years. Over the past four decades BIW has constructed a “fleet” of Navy ships including the very impressive Arleigh Burke cruiser and in doing so earned the “seaman’s” expressed agreement that as for a ship “Best Built is Bath Built.” 

Next year Maine celebrates its 200th Birthday as a State. The overall motto for Maine’s Birthday Celebration is “Leading the Way.” Therefore I believe my City of Ships, since it has been “Leading the Way” in worldwide shipbuilding for centuries, deserves recognition. Over the past weeks to hopefully get Bath recognized appropriately during the festivities of 2020, I have been trying to communicate with our representatives in the U.S. House and Senate.

Sad to say my efforts to date have been extremely frustrating so I’ll ask others to join in and assist in getting Bath it’s uniquely historical appreciation for 400 years of shipbuilding! Call /email the offices of Gov. Mills, Sens. Collins and King and Rep. Pingree to hopefully get support for our City of Ships!

Chuck Pierce,

Bath 

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