Dear Editor:

Since 2011, state income and sales tax cuts have totaled almost 300 million dollars, fully half of which have benefited the wealthiest 20 percent in our state. This loss has been a primary driver in the recent drops in the proportion of state aid to education from a high of around 53 percent a few years ago, to a shrinking share of around 47 percent this past year. This difference has meant millions of dollars in lost state aid every year to equalize education opportunity across the state.

Question 2, passed by the voters last fall, supported a small increase in state income tax for income amounts over $200,000 a year. This new law reverses somewhat, the unequal tax cut given to the most well-off Mainers, and it puts the increased revenue toward increased state aid to the schools. State aid is distributed in a formula that equalizes educational opportunity for kids growing up in real-estate poor towns with those growing up in real-estate rich towns.

Now there are five bills in the Legislature to repeal or drastically change the results of this voter-passed referendum. This is wrong. Voters passed this clearly-worded referendum, and the resulting law should not be nullified, or amended before or has even had a chance to work. Senator Dana Dow is the sponsor of one of these bills. I hope your readers will contact him to ask him to reconsider.

Do we want a state where the wealthiest pay lower tax rates than the middle class while poverty is growing and the equality of educational opportunity of kids is compromised? I hope not.

Bruce MacDonald

Boothbay