AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers are figuring out how to ensure Mainers aren’t hit with a higher state tax bill due to the Republican tax overhaul that President Donald Trump recently signed into law. Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration said Thursday he’ll submit legislation aimed at preventing a state tax hike. The federal policy […]
tax reform
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
New tax plan is a $1.5 trillion bribe
WASHINGTON — What I most dislike about the Trump/Republican tax plan is the shameless cynicism with which it has been peddled. Recall how it works: The government borrows $1.5 trillion over a decade and instantly uses that money to cut taxes for major constituencies — workers, families, small businesses and big companies. The handouts aim […]
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Posted inNation / World
House tax bill threatens to scuttle hundreds of new low-income housing units in Maine
A provision in the House Republican tax reform bill could eliminate funding for hundreds of new low-income apartments and home loans in Maine, and might substantially increase construction costs for hospitals, colleges and other institutions. Maine’s congressional delegation is rallying to try to save an obscure program called private activity bonds that was eliminated in […]
Posted inNation / World
Paul Ryan won’t commit to deal that Susan Collins was promised for her tax reform vote
House Speaker Paul Ryan told staff Tuesday that he wasn’t part of the deal that Sen. Susan Collins obtained from Senate Republican leaders to secure her support for a tax reform bill being negotiated between the two bodies of Congress. According to a report in The Hill, the Wisconsin Republican said he had not given the same […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Senate OKs tax bill as Trump, GOP near big legislative win
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans pushed a nearly $1.5 trillion tax bill through the Senate early Saturday after a burst of eleventh-hour horse trading, as a party starved all year for a major legislative triumph took a giant step toward giving President Donald Trump one of his top priorities by Christmas. “Big bills are rarely popular. […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Tax proposal not good for U.S.
This country needs to stop spending more than it has and start repaying the national debt. The national debt is slowly sinking this nation. The privileged 535 representatives in Congress made that happen. Going back to 1990, the debt was $3 trillion and, during the next 25 years, it climbed to $18 trillion. It is […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
U.S. companies should benefit from tax reform
My company, Revere Copper Products, was founded in 1801 by Paul Revere. During the past few decades, I have watched this nation’s domestic manufacturers struggle against subsidized competition from overseas, particularly from multinational firms that have little attachment to supporting a vibrant American middle class. One of the key problems U.S. manufacturers face is that […]
Posted inMaine
Ivanka Trump joins Sen. Collins in Biddeford to pitch Republican tax reform effort
The two speak about potential benefits to the middle class and small businesses at an event in Biddeford that draws about 250 mostly Republican invited guests. BIDDEFORD – The eldest daughter of the president teamed up with Maine’s senior U.S. senator Friday in an effort to build support for the Republican tax reform effort at […]
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Reform the tax code
Raising a family in rural Maine was my American dream and I got to live it. We worked hard and played by the rules. As an accountant, my job was also to make sure my company played by the rules, and we did. But those rules grew increasingly complicated and tilted in favor of multinational […]
Posted inNation / World
GOP budget deadlock imperils Donald Trump’s hopes for tax overhaul
WASHINGTON (AP) — If Republicans can’t pass a budget, forget about a major overhaul of the nation’s tax code — at least if they want a GOP-only approach with President Donald Trump that would avoid Democratic delaying tactics. Congressional Republicans are struggling to first figure out a budget, but despite weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, they […]