Chairman's Blog
A Future for Our Kids and Grandkids
On the campaign trail, I frequently observe that TABOR isn't about the obscure details of taxation and budgeting. Not at all. At its most basic, TABOR is about our children and grandchildren and their ability to live and work and raise their families in Maine. That's not happening now because our young people are fleeing the state.
Their departure is accelerating Maine's demographic collapse, which is assuming proportions only seen in places like Russia, where I travel on business from time to time.
Maine is the oldest state in the country and getting older. As we've collapsed our economy, our young people are departing, most never to return. My own stepdaughter is attending university in Colorado. My wife and I are increasingly resigned to the fact that she might never return. I don't think she sees any future in Maine.
Our only chance to reverse this trend is to control the size of our government and put money back into our citizen's pockets - to liberate the drive, ingenuity and initiative of our own people.
TABOR is a step in the right direction - gently slowing the rate of government growth while providing the breathing room needed for private sector growth.
But Maine's demographic decline is accelerating and we have fewer young people in Maine every year.
Here's a graphical "history" of Maine's population from 1970 projected out to 2030. It will not make you comfortable.
On the campaign trail, I frequently observe that TABOR isn't about the obscure details of taxation and budgeting. Not at all. At its most basic, TABOR is about our children and grandchildren and their ability to live and work and raise their families in Maine. That's not happening now because our young people are fleeing the state.
Their departure is accelerating Maine's demographic collapse, which is assuming proportions only seen in places like Russia, where I travel on business from time to time.
Maine is the oldest state in the country and getting older. As we've collapsed our economy, our young people are departing, most never to return. My own stepdaughter is attending university in Colorado. My wife and I are increasingly resigned to the fact that she might never return. I don't think she sees any future in Maine.
Our only chance to reverse this trend is to control the size of our government and put money back into our citizen's pockets - to liberate the drive, ingenuity and initiative of our own people.
TABOR is a step in the right direction - gently slowing the rate of government growth while providing the breathing room needed for private sector growth.
But Maine's demographic decline is accelerating and we have fewer young people in Maine every year.
Here's a graphical "history" of Maine's population from 1970 projected out to 2030. It will not make you comfortable.
David Crocker, Chairman
TABOR NOW