“The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp.” -John Berry

Lane: Tommy is once again traveling and will join this column next week.

Someone recently asked me if I would stay in Maine forever or would I give up the fight to lower spending in Windham and Augusta only to abandon my fellow taxpayers. The answer is complex but please remember I am not a Maine native (I’m from the state next door that believes in not taxing its citizens to the poorhouse and then supporting them with other peoples’ money). I am here because I have ties to the state of Maine from both my wife (a Maine native), her numerous family members plus the fact that this state meets my needs for fishing and other recreation.

Maine is a great state to live in if one forgives the horrible tax burden that we live under. We have basically lived under one party control for the past 30 years and that party has forced many citizens of this great state to relocate to other states in order to make a living wage. We all know which party that is.

We have also had a couple of tax reform measures that have failed while the Maine Legislature has promised tax relief if those measures failed. But something is wrong because the legislation called LD 1 that was passed because of the so-called Palesky Tax Cap did nothing but increase our taxes. Oh, your property taxes might have decreased slightly but overall you are still paying more taxes because you are paying for your own tax relief.

Since the citizens’ initiative called the Taxpayer Bill of Rights failed, our governor and legislature said they get the message and will work for tax relief. Well, you can believe it if you want but the governor’s proposed budget for the next two years calls for an increase so how can that be tax relief? His buddies in the Democratic Party want to increase the sales tax to everything but food and medical. They want to increase the meals and lodging taxes and give the municipalities the power to do so, too. All of this is being called rebalancing the tax structure in our wonderful state. What this amounts to is nothing more than a tax increase.

Another problem Mainers face is the high cost of living in our beautiful state. As far as the price of food goes, has anyone noticed how high the prices have become? Those prices are affected by many factors including the price of fuel such as a diesel and the pressures caused by Mother Nature.

Now that corn is being used to make an alternative to gasoline, the price of corn on the commodities market is skyrocketing. I just read a recent article that the price of chickens will rise 40 percent. So what about pork and beef, to say nothing about a can of corn or a bottle of soda?

I have always said that the weather in Maine will be the first factor to force me to leave. I have severe arthritis in my spine which cold weather only makes worse. I have joined Tommy in writing a column ridiculing those who promote the destruction of our planet by global warming by stating I would love to plant a palm tree in my front yard. Although I have no doubt that our planet’s weather is changing, I do have doubt about those who state we humans are the total cause, but that’s another story.

What bothers me the most is that our government at the local, county and state level just don’t get it. Look at the school department in Windham. Our student population looks like it will decline and our school board has proposed an increase of more than a million dollars in its budget. If you had your own business and lost customers, would you spend more money? On the municipal side, just the development at the Keddy Mill appears to significantly impact our property tax bills.

The town council approved a $2 million sewer extension to Westbrook and now there appears to be a storm drain that very well may run under the Keddy Mill. Maybe it’s time for the town councilors to take out their checkbooks and start writing. Remember, we the voters did not approve the spending of $2 million.

And to add insult to injury, the town manager just recently announced the leaf and brush pile located by Public Works was not licensed. I have to ask, who’s running the prison? The inmates?

I certainly will stay in Windham as long as there is hope for a change. Change does not come easy and fighting government doesn’t either. One of my biggest disappointments in Windham and Maine is that when you stand up and fight you automatically become the enemy. I know I can speak for Tommy so I will state we are here for the long run. We want our town and our state to be affordable for all those who wish to stay and enjoy the beauty of the state of Maine.

Lane and Tommy, of Windham, are starting on a program called Rope-a-dope. No, they are not going to bring Muhammad Ali. Instead, they are going to expose politicians who state one thing and do the opposite. They feel it is necessary because they have seen politicians who call for longer jail sentences and then complain the jails are crowded.