AUBURN, Maine - Gov. Paul LePage used a town hall meeting in Auburn Wednesday night to once again attack Question 1 on the November ballot.
He called the 13-page proposal to expand public campaign financing "a scam" because, he said, it does nothing to get big money out of politics. In addition, LePage said it comes with a hefty price tag.
"In 2010, if this law was in place, there were 23 candidates in the primaries that would get up to a million dollars. This is what the law says - up to a million dollars," he said. "Now, the Legislature's going to have to fund it - but that's like giving my wife my checkbook - I'm telling you, it's giving your wife your checkbook."
Later, the governor acknowledged that his wife is, in fact, the person who handles the couple's finances.
Supporters of Queston 1 say the Clean Elections law will put elections back in the hands of Maine people instead of wealthy lobbyists, and maintain that it can be funded by repealing tax expenditures that have no proven benefit to the state.
