Anti-business rhetoric holds us back

Here we go again. Two more commentaries beating the anti-business drum, one promoting higher taxes and another questioning the value of tax incentives for businesses. It’s like the movie “Groundhog Day.”

For almost two years now, Maine businesses — especially small businesses — have been struggling to stay afloat and keep their employees on payroll, healthy and safe, while experiencing even smaller profit margins than usual. Yet some continue to criticize the business community for taking advantage of “loopholes” that simply don’t exist. Others continue to push for increased taxes that do not make sense.

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Editor’s Note: The following Letter to the Editor was written by Linda Caprara, Senior Government Relations Specialist for the Maine State Chamber and appears in the Central Maine newspapers on Sunday, January 16. She can be reached by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 106, or by emailing lcaprara@mainechamber.org.

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The fact is that tax incentives and competitive, fair tax rates are critical to Maine’s economic stability and future, and to the success of every hard-working Mainer and Maine business owner.
 
While nothing good can be said of this pandemic, one silver lining is that it has presented Maine with a rare opportunity to attract new businesses and people to our state because of the safety and quality of place Maine offers.
 
Instead of beating the old, tired, anti-business drum, we should be working together to leverage the opportunity before us, further promoting all Maine has to offer, so we continue to attract the new businesses and people Maine’s economy needs.
 
We must be laser-focused on building a more robust economy, one in which every Maine person, family, community, and employer can succeed. That requires an end to the policies, and the rhetoric, that stand in the way of Maine’s progress.