By Jo Trafford

“There is one thing that all people who work in the United States of America have in common. We pay taxes. We pay taxes because we have an obligation to contribute our fair share based on the money we earn, to the running and maintenance of our country. Although we may quibble that we pay too much, that there are too many tax breaks for the wealthy, that our tax money goes to things we don’t agree with, none of us would argue that we have a moral obligation to contribute. By contributing our fair share we then have the absolute right to demand that every working person pay their fair share based on their individual income. This is the grand equalizer.

This should make us all participate in our government. This is what enables us to be able to make more demands: we pay for the government that we voted into office and therefore we get to have a voice. The government of the people and by the people is beholden to us. So when Donald Trump or Paul Manafort, who make far more money than they would ever need to live on reasonably, skirt the law, manipulate their income for self-gain, I am galled to my soul.

Now Donald Trump is doing everything in his power to ignore a clear and unambiguous law that states his tax returns should be released when requested by leaders of Congress and to throw every possible obstruction in the face of this law.

Donald Trump has lived a life of skirting laws, manipulating facts, rewriting his past to profit himself. He is an American citizen. He is obligated to pay his fair share of his tax obligations. To do anything less is morally wrong. We must and shall demand his tax returns be released and made public for every tax paying citizen to read.

Hold Donald Trump Accountable!

“Senator Susan Collins (R) voted for the Trump Tax Plan despite overwhelming opposition from her constituents, promising that a trickle down effect would lead to higher wages. Instead evidence suggests that the average tax refund has gotten smaller while buybacks for large corporations have soared,” said Maria Follayttar, executive director of Mainers for Accountable Leadership at the rally at Lobsterman Park.

Hold Senator Collins Accountable Next Year!

note: If you have not already read this, please scroll up and click on “Moral Movement Maine” for more information on Collins’ Trump Tax Plan. Please see prior post herein dated April 8, 2019 on Collins’ funding for 2020 re-election.