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V O L . X X I I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 32 Heritage Policy Center warned that the surcharge will keep primary care doctors and other high-income professionals from considering Maine as a place to live and work, "threatening Maine's ability to provide medical services to its aging population and further exacerbating our demographic challenges." Call for repeal Despite Gov. Paul LePage's pledge to keep lowering income taxes for everyone, a handful of bills have been introduced to either scrap the sur- charge or mitigate the eff ects, includ- ing one that would require another referendum in 2018. A public hearing is due to take place in Augusta on March 20. One bi-partisan business group, called Keep Maine Competitive and led by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, is calling for a repeal. "We are not opposed to increas- ing funding for education, because in eff ect education goes hand in hand with a successful economy," says Dana Connors, president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. "Let's fi nd another funding source that does much less harm and helps us to grow." e coalition hopes to have the issue resolved by June. " is is all in the hands of the legislature," says Phil Harriman, a for- mer state senator and co-founder of Lebel & Harriman LLP in Falmouth who is involved in the Keep Maine Competitive coalition. He says that while some legislators are receptive to the group's concerns, he urges citizens to get in touch with their state rep- resentatives and senators, saying, "To persuade those legislators is going to take the constituents in their district to reach out." Renee CorDeS, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at rcorDeS @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E S E C U R I T I E S O F F E R E D T H R O U G H C O M M O N W E A LT H F I N A N C I A L N E T W O R K ® , M E M B E R F I N R A / S I P C . I N V E S T M E N T A D V I S O RY S E RV I C E S M AY B E O F F E R E D T H R O U G H C O M M O N W E A LT H F I N A N C I A L N E T W O R K ® , A R E G I S T E R E D I N V E S T M E N T A D V I S E R , A N D / O R A N T O N L E M I E U X F I N A N C I A L G R O U P, A R E G I S T E R E D I N V E S T M E N T A D V I S E R . C A R E E R C O U N S E L I N G , L O N G - T E R M C A R E C O N S U LT I N G , A N D A G I N G C O N S U LT I N G S E RV I C E S O F F E R E D B Y A N T O N L E M I E U X F I N A N C I A L G R O U P A R E S E PA R AT E A N D U N R E L AT E D T O C O M M O N W E A LT H . F I X E D I N S U R A N C E P R O D U C T S A N D S E RV I C E S O F F E R E D T H R O U G H C E S I N S U R A N C E A G E N C Y O R A N T O N L E M I E U X L L C . Foreside Place 202 US Route One Falmouth, ME 04105 207-899-4248 www.antonlemieux.com ASSET MANAGEMENT | CONSULTING | FINANCIAL PLANNING Anton lemieux A L THE SOURCE FOR INDEPENDENT THINKING Foreside Place 202 US Route One Falmouth, ME 04105 207-899-4248 www.antonlemieux.com The source for independent independent thinking. When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, When someone leaves, we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the we don't just lose the 3%, we lose the 7.15%. — Jonathan Block Pierce Atwood David Erb, head of the tax consulting and compliance group at BerryDunn, says a double-digit tax rate is a 'deal breaker' for some Maine taxpayers. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S

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