Gov. Paul LePage and Republicans in the Legislature continue to push illtimed and irresponsible “tax reform” proposals in their effort to remake Maine into a fantasy land where wealthy people keep more of their riches, state government runs on peanuts and we all can blissfully ignore the fact that tax cuts historically have failed to pay for themselves.

The latest magic beans Republicans are trying to plant come in the form of LD 849, which would incrementally reduce the personal income tax rate and effectively gut the state’s “rainy day fund.”

LD 849 offers more evidence that Maine’s Republican Party no longer recognizes fiscal restraint and being able to pay for what you promise as core principles.

Of more pressing concern — and reflective of how low “integrity” has fallen on the Legislature’s and LePage administration’s priority list — is the fact that state government continues to ignore voters’ 2004 mandate to fund 55 percent of the total cost of K-12 public education and 100 percent of the cost of special education.

Until that commitment is fulfilled — or a manageable new means of adequately funding public education emerges — no one at the State House should be discussing “tax reform.”

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