Beer has food value, but food has no beer value. Can't quite remember who to credit for that one, but I love it. And use it often. Thanks to whomever.

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. How true! Thanks to the great beer-swilling Ben Franklin for that fine quote.

Where am I going with all this you ask? Well, right now, to the fridge for another cold brew. Excuse me...

Ahhh. Back to work with a cold one at hand. How nice.

You see, what I'm's getting at is this: You hikers, bikers, boaters, skiers - recreationalists of all stripes - you know darn well the importance of beer, the nector of the gods.

What do you crave after a long hike in the woods? A beer.

After a grueling pedal over the single-track? A beer.

What's your first stop when you get down off the slopes at the Loaf? The Bag for a... yes, yes, you know it now... a beer!

Mmmm... beer!
Image courtesy www.ilovemainebeer.com

OK, so now that you're with me, and we're all in the same six-pack if you will, let's talk.

Tuesday, June 10th is voting day. Now there's plenty o'stuff on the ballot, for sure. But there's one item that just might sneak by you if you ain't careful.

That's the effort to repeal the new taxes enacted to prop up the sagging Dirigo health program. And part of the scam to help pay for this failure is to raise taxes on beer and wine by more than double.

That's already happened. And I noticed - you too, I trust - that beer prices at the cooler immediately jumped a buck anyway.

Great, eh?

More taxes for less. Ain't government wonderful?!

Sorry, but Dirigo and the forced healthcare monopoly should be put out of its misery. Bring back market competiton and reduce the onerous regulations and we might just get more affordable health care.

But I digress.

Back to the beer.

I plan to vote to repeal the beer tax. Maybe you will, too.

I mean c'mon, what's more important? Cheap beer or a health care program that ain't all it's cracked up to be?

Less expensive beer, of course.

Besides, folks, beer is already way over-taxed. Yep, it is. It's estimated that 40% of the cost of every beer sold is due to taxes. 40%! $5.2 billion a year outta you's and my's pockets.

Good God!

And guess who was majorly responsible for the luxury tax bill that got pushed through Congress in 1990 that raised taxes on beer and a whole host of "luxury" items... our own George Mitchell!

And have these taxes ever gone down, or been done away with? Hah!

Worse, since when did beer become a luxury? It's a gosh darn necessity! And why in heck are we allowing our leaders (choke!) to heavily tax another of life's necessities?

So please my dear friends - fellow outdoor enthusiasts and beer drinkers - please take this opportunity to turn back the stupid beer tax.

Voat to repeel!

And beer me please!!