As a mom, a Lewiston City Councilor and a School Committee member, I am extremely concerned about Gov. Paul LePage’s budget, which gives huge tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations while crippling the state’s ability to invest in the very things that allow communities to prosper, including schools, job training and health care.

Like so many parents, I want my child to have an opportunity to get a good education, which is key to the success of all students and the economy. That’s why I am urging lawmakers in my area to support an alternative to the governor’s plan: The Better Deal for Maine.

The Better Deal for Maine will invest in the schools, students and workforce by bolstering funding for public education by $20 million per year; increasing property tax relief for Maine families by $120 million; and giving a bigger tax cut to middle- and low-income families than the governor’s plan.

The Better Deal for Maine takes the right approach to growing Maine’s economy. It is based on the simple premise that if you create more opportunity for people, they will have a greater chance at success; if you put more money in the pockets of the middle class, they will spend it at local businesses.

The Better Deal for Maine will grow the economy from the middle out and it won’t put students and schools in jeopardy.

Most importantly, it is fully paid for now and into the future.

Kristen Cloutier, Lewiston