Early last month, Maine People Before Politics first called attention to the risk of higher gas prices stemming from Maine’s participation in the Transportation Climate Initiative negotiations. This initiative, if agreed to, would create a permit system that would use permits to cap the amount of gasoline and diesel fuel that could be sold, with the cost of the permits being passed on to drivers—a cost that could be as high as 20 cents or more a gallon. The TCI Framework public comment period has been covered by the Boston media as well as Forbes and Politico, but not the Maine media. In fact, Politico highlights MPBP’s role in raising awareness about the TCI: “In Maine, a nonprofit group linked to former Republican Gov. Paul LePage issued an alert about the proposal, warning it would raise gas and diesel prices. A flood of comments opposed to the framework from Maine residents poured in.” 

At the same time as the Mills Administration participates in the TCI negotiations, a special commission on transportation funding is at work in Augusta—established by a bill passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Mills. This special commission is trying to find another $100 million dollars to fund Maine’s transportation infrastructure. This commission may recommend new fees or gas taxes. The work of this commission is completely separate from the TCI negotiations.

Governor Mills, in the interview with Mal Leary, not only tries to avoid saying that she will support a gas tax increase recommended by the transportation funding commission she signed into law, she avoids acknowledging the potential for the 20 cent increase in fuel, the “secret tax,” when asked by Mal Leary, by attacking the organizations like MPBP raising awareness of the TCI— as partisan “trolls.”

MPBP thanks everyone who has already submitted a comment on the TCI Framework, and urges Mainers who have not to exercised their right to comment to do so. Public comment on the draft will be accepted through Tuesday, November 5, 2019, in writing via the online portal on TCI’s website. You can also contact Governor Mills directly from our website.

In sum, in this one interview, Governor Mills does three things:

First, Janet Mills calls people and organizations expressing their honest opinions about higher gas prices “trolls.”

Second, she avoids making a commitment to support the recommendations of a commission she signed into law. If she won’t support their recommendations, why did she support the commission in the first place?

Third, she avoids acknowledging her administration’s participation in the TCI discussions, the purpose of which is to implement a cap and permit system and raise the price of gasoline. 

We at MPBP are not concerned that she called us a name; what does concern us is that she did not address whether she supports either a gas tax increase or the TCI scheme that could add as much as 20 cents to a gallon of gas.

Governor Mills is not being up front with the people of Maine.

Here’s the transcript of part of her Maine Public interview, you can hear the entire interview here.

Mal Leary: I have got to bring up the gas tax because you—

Governor Mills: Why?

Leary: I have got to bring up the gas tax because you mentioned that the group is being bipartisan. Yet, I just saw a whole bunch of social media ads, talking about “Janet Mills’ secret 20 cent gas tax increase.”

Governor Mills: Really? Not from me.

Leary: It’s from Republican sources.

Governor Mills: Oh, I’m shocked.

Leary: So how do you deal with that when they’re kind of setting up the straw dog right now, that you can’t have a gas tax increase as part of the solution.

Governor Mills: I don’t respond to partisan social media attacks and trolls and the like, they’re not worthy of responding to.