The Maine Economy (work, property, assessment)

[JimMe]

Last year there were two states that had negative economic growth: Louisiana and Maine. Louisiana was recovering from Katrina, so they had an excuse. Maine? Well the trajectory of Maine governance and economy has held steady for the past 30 years. One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. We can argue taxes and regulation till we are blue in the face but nothing will change until we have real change in the Legislature and executive. The ones who are there (and have been there for the past 30 years) are running this state into the ground. Soon there will be only two classes of people in this state: the rich tourists and the rest of us catering to them as wait staff in restaurants and chamber maids in hotels. Time for a revolution or time to get out. I'm not holding my breath for a revolution, so I'm counting the days till we can escape this insane asylum.

[Let's tell the truth]

Originally Posted by JimMe

Last year there were two states that had negative economic growth: Louisiana and Maine. Louisiana was recovering from Katrina, so they had an excuse. Maine? Well the trajectory of Maine governance and economy has held steady for the past 30 years. One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. We can argue taxes and regulation till we are blue in the face but nothing will change until we have real change in the Legislature and executive. The ones who are there (and have been there for the past 30 years) are running this state into the ground. Soon there will be only two classes of people in this state: the rich tourists and the rest of us catering to them as wait staff in restaurants and chamber maids in hotels. Time for a revolution or time to get out. I'm not holding my breath for a revolution, so I'm counting the days till we can escape this insane asylum.

I will be escaping soon to! But you know what I don't believe government has ruined our small town's. When the local's who actually run our town's want to do something it doesn't matter if it's legal or not they have the final word and will do what they want!!!!

[dramamama6685]

I think that while negative economic growth is obviously not a good thing, the uncontrolled suburban sprawl, strip mall, business complex mess we have in Ohio is not the answer either. I, for one, cannot wait to move to Maine full time.

[DavidoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by JimMe

Last year there were two states that had negative economic growth: Louisiana and Maine. Louisiana was recovering from Katrina, so they had an excuse. Maine? Well the trajectory of Maine governance and economy has held steady for the past 30 years. One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result...We can argue taxes and regulation till we are blue in the face but nothing will change until we have real change in the Legislature and executive.

So you are saying that the majority of voters in Maine over the past 30 years are insane? I think maybe some are just naive.

[Let's tell the truth]

Originally Posted by DavidoftheNorth

So you are saying that the majority of voters in Maine over the past 30 years are insane? I think maybe some are just naive.

No I'm not saying thier insane but they don't like change so I think they just keep checking off the same names they have for year's knowing full well the town's will do what they want anyway. Just my opinion but I was born and raised here.

[DavidoftheNorth]

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007
Paper mills, PUC challenge electricity rates
[/SIZE]Representatives from two Maine paper mills joined Gov. John Baldacci and the Maine Public Utilities Commission yesterday to challenge increased electricity rates from ISO New England, which operates Maine's power grid.
[SIZE=2]The Huhtamaki paper mill, in Waterville, will pay an additional $65,000 per month on its $1 million electricity bill because of a six percent increase in rate charges imposed by ISO New England late last year, according to the Bangor Daily News. The company says Maine’s rates are 2.5 times higher than rates at its facilities in Alabama, California and Indiana. Keith Van Scotter, president of Lincoln Paper and Tissue, told the paper electricity rates “mean dollars not available for wages, benefits and plant improvements.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]On Monday, the Maine PUC filed legal briefs with the Federal Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to challenge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of the ISO New England rate hike, which MPUC[/SIZE][SIZE=2] officials estimate will cost Mainers an extra $300 million over the next four years.[/SIZE]
source: Mainebiz Daily=

[DavidoftheNorth]

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007

Report: gov’t spending outpaces income growth
Maine’s state and municipal government spending is increasing faster than Mainers’ personal income, according to a new report by the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a Portland think tank.
Between 1960 to 2004, the most recent year from which data is available, Maine’s per capita state and municipal government expenditures increased 358.6%, while the average personal income in Maine increased only 201%, according to the report. During the same period Maine’s population only increased 34.8%.
The report, which is available here, found that government expenditures in Maine double every 9.25 years, while average personal income in Maine only doubles every 10.25 years.

source: Mainebiz Daily=

[Let's tell the truth]

Originally Posted by DavidoftheNorth

Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007

Report: gov’t spending outpaces income growth
Maine’s state and municipal government spending is increasing faster than Mainers’ personal income, according to a new report by the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a Portland think tank.
Between 1960 to 2004, the most recent year from which data is available, Maine’s per capita state and municipal government expenditures increased 358.6%, while the average personal income in Maine increased only 201%, according to the report. During the same period Maine’s population only increased 34.8%.
The report, which is available here, found that government expenditures in Maine double every 9.25 years, while average personal income in Maine only doubles every 10.25 years.

source: Mainebiz Daily=

Great reading. But be careful you may be put on ignore too!!It doesn't bother me to be ignored as long as people are being told the truth and if people ignore the truth then it is not my fault if they are unhappy when the get here. High electric is one part of it!

[flycessna]

Government whether fed, state or local is a hungry lion that consistantly needs to be fed. The problem I see in Maine is that so much of the population is now depends on State government. 1/4 of our population is on Medicaid. And "MORE" than half of the rest of the population works in some capicity for the state. So we are never able to pass true tax reform. Reform that will cap state and local spending.

NH has it made. They get more tax revenue from cigarette tax then Maine because their tax is lower, They get more business tax revenue because they have no sales tax and their business florish with people from Maine and Ma going there to shop, they have one of the highest liquore sales rates because again out of stators are buying all there liquore there. And then they have on of the most expensive toll roads on per mile bases where they again extract money from Ma and Mainers travelling throught the state. Maine doesn't have to necessarily compete with california or Florida. We need to be competitve with NH. And unless all these Ma people moving to NH start voting for Democrats and actually change the political climate I do not see anything getting better for us here or worse there.

[Zymer]

...They get more tax revenue from cigarette tax then Maine because their tax is lower, They get more business tax revenue because they have no sales tax and their business florish with people from Maine and Ma going there to shop...

I think it is counter-intuitive to most people that lowering the tax 'rate' actually increases the tax 'revenue', but in actual practice, that is what happens.

Theoretically, communism (which I see as an extreme model of taxation) should be an excellent system. In actual practice it sucks.

Did I see where ME is trying to raise the tax on cigarettes by $3/pack?

I've a feeling that that isn't going to accomplish what they want. There are companies who now offer tobacco seeds and growing guides to the general public. I don't have to stretch my imagination too far to see bootleg cigarretes becoming a cottage industry. Maybe some of the marijuana growers will get involved too.

I already roll my own smokes, it's much cheaper than buying ready-mades, and I grow my own hops to brew my own beer. If my deal goes through, I'll have enough cleared land (@ 10 acres) to grow a thing or two more.

Incidentally, does anyone know what the property tax reduction is for putting land into 'tree growth'? I've been looking for it, and though I've found out how to go about it I haven't seen any numbers.