To compete with no-income-tax states like New Hampshire next door, and Florida, where so many Mainers spend six-months-plus-a-day to avoid Maine’s incomes taxes, it is imperative that Maine continue to move toward eliminating the income tax to retain job creators and attract workers.

The surplus revenues now on the state’s balance sheets should be returned to Maine families. By cutting taxes an additional 20 percent, from the current 7.15 percent to 5.72 percent Maine’s income tax rate would become more competitive with that of Massachusetts at 5.35 percent.

Cutting taxes for Maine families under the LePage Administration proved to be an excellent policy decision. Despite a 20 percent cut, the state took in record tax revenues in Fiscal year 2019.

Tax revenue is generated by the hard work of Maine’s people. “Surplus” tax revenue should be returned to the wallets of the people who earned it in the first place.