“Read my lips: no new taxes” is one of the most memorable sound bites in modern politics. It was famously proclaimed by the patriarch of Maine’s most beloved “from away” family, collectively revered from both sides of the aisle as our long captivating brush with national political royalty. Being tough on taxes, then and now, remains the all-consuming conservative mantra. It’s what anchors the Republican establishment’s agenda. Though its overtly obliged Grover Norquist allegiance was largely credited with elevating George H. W. Bush to the presidency, “No new taxes” is now ranked by Google’s analysis as among the “Top 10 Unfortunate Political One-Liners.” Walking the talk isn’t easy.

Bush campaigned against raising taxes, but eventually that executive intention was forced by an unforeseen downturn in the economy to accommodate the legislative branch’s desire to do so. Ultimately viewed as an ideological betrayal, many political pundits regard his inability to fulfill that political promise as the principal reason he failed to gain reelection, becoming one of the rare one-term residents of the White House.

That history lesson has apparently escaped remembrance, or is taken as a political challenge to be conquered, by H.W.’s adopted state’s now newly elected Democratic governor. Like Bush, Janet Mills campaigned on the assurance that she wouldn’t raise taxes, calculating that the economy will remain sufficiently robust as to provide necessary revenue for planned spending increases. Now in office, she still holds that her first biennial budget’s projected 11% increase in the state’s General Fund spending, reaching an unprecedented 8 billion over the next two years, can be accomplished without raising or creating “a single tax or fee on Maine’s people, businesses or organizations,” while still protecting the state’s budget stabilization Rainy Day fund. “Maine must always be prepared to weather future downturns.”

The big question is whether that optimistic economic forecast, even if described as “fairly conservative,” will hold true and not result in an inevitable shortfall instead of addressing “our challenges while living within our means.” What will certainly hold true is the tax reduction implemented by her Republican predecessor during the state’s recent period of economic growth and low unemployment in which the Democrats nevertheless negotiated away a voter mandated surtax on Maine’s highest income earners while failing to stop LePage’s tax boon to the state’s wealthiest electorate.

Governor Mills confidently claims that more money for healthcare, education, public safety, infrastructure, municipal revenue sharing, and economic development will be adequately provided while basically leaving LePage’s tax inequality playbook in place. New policy initiatives will be advanced without any assured new revenue streams guaranteed to state coffers. Democratic “Tax and Spend” governing will be self-limited to a tax strategy designed by a Tea Party vision of minimal regulatory governance and a privatized social safety net. Not exactly what some envisioned when voting to restore some balance in government’s role to safeguard everyone’s ability to pursue a fair share of our vast collectively derived wealth rather than unjustly favoring those already financially blessed.

Mills’ fiscally conservative centrist game plan may well succeed, but it hardly demonstrates the visionary leadership needed to provide a truly progressive and proactive fundamental remedy to Maine’s ongoing economic underperformance. It’s more akin to setting the clock back to the hopeful but failed leadership of past Democratic incrementalism where class warfare’s always won by the haves over the have-nots and an ever diminished middle class never really gains ground. It’s certainly a far cry from the rallying mantra of “Feel the Bern!” so enthusiastically embraced by so many Mainers just one election cycle ago.

Maine Dems now enjoy a freshly won political trifecta. Now’s the time to relevel the economic playing field and prime Maine’s economic engine as never before. Not by giving tax breaks to the rich that may or may not “trickle down,” but by a wellspring of bottom-up liquidity that will truly create a radically improved rising tide that lifts all boats. There’s a difference between economic means and economic meanness. Trying to govern as best one can within one without rectifying the other isn’t actual leadership, no matter how competent one’s administrative prowess. Trying to improve the general welfare on a shoestring instead of rebooting a historically successful progressive tax system that used to exact the most from those that make the most isn’t going to solve the problematic reality of ever increasing, growth inhibiting income inequality. The once greatness of America’s world envied infrastructure was built upon a top federal tax rate above 90%. No wonder we can’t make America great again when we now have a regressive tax system that stifles investment, monopolizes wealth and concentrates economic control into the hands of the mega privileged few.

Nothing brings people together like a common enemy. The real enemy of “The Way Life Should Be” isn’t political but economic. Maine and America have the resources to improve everyone’s lot in life. Demand for tax and income equality is rapidly gaining a broad political consensus. Capitalism needs a serious makeover. Janet Mills can choose to lead in that transformation or she can follow.