Where Seven stands
Real solutions to the problems Mainers actually have. Not just buzzwords.
01
affordability
The Business Equipment Tax Exemption program exempts almost all business property from being taxed. It was initially designed for small businesses who wanted to grow but were afraid of increased taxation alongside the growth; however, the program has now just become a cash grab for any business to get out of paying taxes. These are local taxes that aren't being paid so our towns and schools are the ones missing out. Gorham alone is missing out on $2.3 million dollars from this corporate handout, and statewide the total is close to $150 million.
To make up for the lost revenue, the state reimburses towns 50% of the lost revenue. So not only are businesses not paying their taxes, we the individuals have to pay for their share! We are paying $75 million dollars yearly to subsidize these businesses! If we reduce this program to really be about small businesses, towns across the state would get $150 million total to use on their cars and roads, and we could reduce our state budget by $75 million!
What this looks like
A bill to severely reduce the companies who are BETE-eligible to small businesses and farms operating under a certain amount of revenue who have been operating in Maine for over a decade. Make sure that a giant corporation who opens in Maine can't just immediately get a huge tax break when they don't need it.
02
healthcare
Over four out of ten households in Maine have incurred medical debt within the past two years. And three out of four of those families with medical debt were covered by insurance when they took on that debt. Meanwhile, rural hospitals and health centers are closing across the state because it isn't profitable. This is not sustainable. We need strong healthcare reform in this state and a public option for health insurance.
The goal is for everyone to get access to care at no-charge, and that everyone in the state can access all the care they need, no matter where they live. We can get there piece-by-piece, but we need to start doing something.
What this looks like
This begins with creating a public option for health insurance similar to what has been done in Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, and Washington. Alongside this plan needs to be stronger requirements for what private health insurance plans must cover and caps on premiums and deductibles.
Next, we need to pass LD 2196, “An Act to Lower Health Insurance Costs, Reduce Barriers to Health Care and Ensure Fair Prices for Health Care,” a bill limiting the increases of hospital costs. Finally, we need to cap prescription copays. These are the steps that we can within the next legislative cycle, and there are many more before we reach universal healthcare, the ultimate goal.
03
data Equity
Every day, data brokers sell a product made in Maine: your data. But they aren't being charged sales tax on it. Companies we have never heard of are getting a hold of our data and selling it to the lowest bidder. Those companies need to be taxed, and they need to report who is selling and who is buying.
One of my top priorities will make it so all companies that sell Mainer data are required to report that sale, and are properly taxed for it. That money will then be collected by the government and dispersed as a tax credit to Mainers across the state. If your data is being sold, you should be knowing it is happening and getting some of that money.
What this looks like
A bill that will require companies that sell the data of Mainers to report that data to the Attorney General's office, including how much they purchased for it, and who they sold it to. This will let Mainers know which companies they can trust with their data or who they can't.
In addition, the bill would also tax every sale on Mainers data. That tax money would specifically be collected into a separate account and dispersed evenly as a tax credit on a yearly basis. This would function very similarly to the Alaska Permanent Fund, but for the digital age.
04
childcare
As a teacher, I can admit that one of the reasons for public school is child care. Yes, students are learning and growing in the classroom, and also schools provide a way for adults to be in the workforce without worrying about their kids. We are seeing the success of public Pre-K across the state, and it is time that we expand that to include public services for two and three year olds as well.
Our society is increasingly making it increasingly hard for families to have a stay-at-home parent, and the cost of childcare is ballooning out of control. With universal childcare, we can make it easier for people to return to work, fill gaps in our workforce, and lower bills for young parents.
What this looks like
The public Pre-K model we have seen begin to take shape around the state is perfect to emulate. The public Pre-K model is a combination of some school space being used and public-private partnerships to bridge the gap and increase the number of spots.
This same model can be used to expand the offerings by beginning with day-long 3-K programs (also called Pre-pre-k), and then opening it up to 2-year olds as well. Private childcare centers could choose to be a public partner, and would get paid per child. Strictly private childcare centers could still operate just as they have been previously.
05
Housing
We cannot keep giving tax dollars to private developers and expecting that to fix the housing crisis. To actually improve Maine’s housing situation, we need the state government to step up and build social housing. Not only would it be better for the people, it would be cheaper to build as well.
The state and towns already own buildable land, so there is no cost to acquire it. In addition, state governments can obtain lower bond rates than private developers, making it easier to make the housing cost-neutral. Finally, the government is not looking to make a profit, and thus doesn’t need to continually raise rents. Currently, private developers are building housing and profiting from it with their existing costs; with the government having access to lower costs, it will be even easier to build and build affordably; social housing is the key to lower rents and improving Maine’s housing situation.
What this looks like
Using state bonds, the state can allocate building projects to towns around the state who need the additional housing most. Once built, the housing can be managed by Maine Housing or local housing authorities. The monthly rent to the tenants will cover paying back the bond and maintenance, but no profit is needed so rent can be kept low.
06
REturn-Free tax filing
If you are a person working one job, Maine Revenue Service already knows how much money you made over the year. Why should people with a simple W-2 have to send information the agency already has? Other countries have what is called return-free filing for taxes, meaning they have eliminated the need for many taxpayers to file any income tax return. The government sends you a postcard with the information it believes to be correct, and if it is, you don't have to do anything.
In the UK, only 1/3 of people needed to fill out a tax return. We can have that simplicity in Maine too. We should be taking steps to make it easier to interface with the government. Less paperwork, less headache.
What this looks like
If you have the same job you had last year, and have a single W-2, the Maine Revenue Service sends you a postcard with your information, including wages earned, taxes paid, and credits taken. If the information is correct, then you don't have to do anything. If there are changes that need to be made, you can then fill out a correction form and submit it just like normal tax filing.
Ready to act?
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