Maine Income Tax Rates (Portland, Paris: fit in, health insurance, college)
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Actually discovering where cuts can and should be made would take WORK. It's much easier to talk and complain about things, than is it to come up with a solution.
Talking, complaining, and debating, is a right and can and does encourage people to dig deeper and seek facts..
IMHO there has been enough information disseminated in this forum, in the news papers, and on the news to raise concerns over Maines tax burdon to support a general deabate and cause discussion over whether or not we are over taxed.. I clearly think we are.. Allbeit how much over taxed we are I have no idea..
How many of these debates have we had about taxes.
In this case little johnny, as far as I am concerned, was not interested in really gaining knowledge or debating anything. He just wants to cause trouble by stirring the pot..
fly, I'm not picking on you. I am making a point, and judging by your reaction, you understood it perfectly. I want to note however, I didn't view *your* posts as the ones that were so.... combative.
Incidentally, I think if you knew more about mensaguy, you'd understand that he is certainly *not* stirring the pot. But, that's his story to tell if he'd like~ I'm sure he'll get a chuckle out of that the same way I did. It's interesting when people have nicknames and others make assumptions on what their life experience is.
Oh, I'm not trying to stir anything up. Here, and in politics forum discussions, people talk about cutting government and taxes, but nobody ever has any specifics to offer. I'd seriously like to know what people think could be cut from the government to allow lower income taxes ( and other taxes too). This discussion did bring out one item. We could reduce benefits for legislators and the governor.
Oh, I'm not trying to stir anything up. Here, and in politics forum discussions, people talk about cutting government and taxes, but nobody ever has any specifics to offer. I'd seriously like to know what people think could be cut from the government to allow lower income taxes ( and other taxes too). This discussion did bring out one item. We could reduce benefits for legislators and the governor.
1. Benefits only for the lowest paid governor in the US at $70K per year. He could just donate his salary like a couple other governors do. Then it's a moot subject. Who could deny him just benefits then?
2. Start offering Traffic School for traffic infractions. It would create a new industry in Maine from internet schools to local weekend schools in each county. The revenue the state would recieve would be great and each indivual would save on their insurance by not getting raised points. Can only go to traffic school once every 18 months.
3. Jury Duty...use Unemployment pool. Lots of talented people collecting right now.
4. Parks and Rec...use Unemployment pool, welfare recipients. Same with them.
5. Infrastructure...Prison population. Wouldn't they love to work outside?
6. Look for ways to eliminate redundancy, waste and creative avoidance in each town by participating in town meetings by being practical and prudent citizens who want total tranparency in where their tax dollars are spent....always looking for corruption, distortion and fraud.
7. State workers take one day a month furlough. One day every other month for lower paid workers. It hurts them financially but it would give them more time with their families and noone would lose their job.
8. Lower Maine's Income Tax Rate to compensate for the higher gas prices but only for lower wage earners, lower tax brackets. Maybe eliminate taxes for many.
9. Put billboards all up and down the interstate...oh wait, maybe not.
That's all I've got right now. Of course they're easy to pick apart but at least it's something. I think in terms of efficiency first, revenue second and taxation last.
As I have to leave for work in a few minutes, let me tell you that something is wrong in Maine with our employers. There was a $500 rebate for installing a new fuel efficient furnace. Why did all the paperwork and the check come from MASS? I mean a program giving out MAINE money should be administered by MAINE people. Recently I had a billing question for the Calais Hospital. Why does Calais farm out their billing to a firm in Alabama? This is about the 3rd or 4th time this has happened. Why does Maine farm out all these jobs that could be done right here in Maine. I guarantee you those people in Alabama and Mass don't pay a dime of Maine income tax. We need to get our elected officials to re-write the laws requiring business to be done in Maine. Don't get me wrong, none of the jobs were high paying, but with the tax laws currently in place, they most certainly would be sharing some of the Maine tax burden. We should give businesses in Maine whose business is completely done in Maine a tax break, and tax the heck out of the people who come in and take our money out of the state.
I just don't get it. It would be simple to require that programs instituted for Mainers be administered by people from Maine.
I have an answer to your Calais Hospital billing question. It's simple. Neighbors don't want to ask their neighbors for payment, and neighbors don't want to have to explain some things to neighbors. It also works in reverse. People are reluctant to call people who owe when they know for a fact that a job was just lost or worse, life threatening illness has happened. In a community where everyone knows everyone, the line is draw at this point. Currently there is not a company in Maine that the hospital is willing to use.
As I have to leave for work in a few minutes, let me tell you that something is wrong in Maine with our employers. There was a $500 rebate for installing a new fuel efficient furnace. Why did all the paperwork and the check come from MASS? I mean a program giving out MAINE money should be administered by MAINE people. Recently I had a billing question for the Calais Hospital. Why does Calais farm out their billing to a firm in Alabama? This is about the 3rd or 4th time this has happened. Why does Maine farm out all these jobs that could be done right here in Maine. I guarantee you those people in Alabama and Mass don't pay a dime of Maine income tax. We need to get our elected officials to re-write the laws requiring business to be done in Maine. Don't get me wrong, none of the jobs were high paying, but with the tax laws currently in place, they most certainly would be sharing some of the Maine tax burden. We should give businesses in Maine whose business is completely done in Maine a tax break, and tax the heck out of the people who come in and take our money out of the state.
I just don't get it. It would be simple to require that programs instituted for Mainers be administered by people from Maine.
The same question could be asked about who runs the state lottery.
In states with a lower income tax than Maine, what are they doing to generate revenue that Maine isn't? I haven't looked... I haven't even looked up the other thing I was going to. It seems to me that a big part of the issue isn't just budget cuts either, but accepting that comparing apples and oranges doesn't help the oranges. For example, a large state like New York might have a lower income tax rate (I don't know if it does or not, I'm just using it for an example), but you have a larger population to spread that burden across too. You could argue that it costs a state with that number of people more to run it, but that doesn't necessarily compound the way you might expect. Once a service is in place, it's not necessarily double the amount of $$ to double the amount of service. I hope you guys get what I'm saying~ my morning has not been typical, and I'm still on my first eye-opening cup of coffee.
As I have to leave for work in a few minutes, let me tell you that something is wrong in Maine with our employers. There was a $500 rebate for installing a new fuel efficient furnace. Why did all the paperwork and the check come from MASS? I mean a program giving out MAINE money should be administered by MAINE people.
Was the program funded, wholly or partially, with Fed $$? If so, they may have had control over the administration of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maine4.us
Recently I had a billing question for the Calais Hospital. Why does Calais farm out their billing to a firm in Alabama? This is about the 3rd or 4th time this has happened. Why does Maine farm out all these jobs that could be done right here in Maine. I guarantee you those people in Alabama and Mass don't pay a dime of Maine income tax.
A hospital is a business, regardless of its current 'not for profit' status (it was originally incorporated as a 'for profit' entity in 1918). Dictating how they run their operations would be infringing on the rights of the business owners/operators. The State does not own the hospital and has no control of who they hire to get the jobs done (except as far as concerns licensing and protecting the public by ensuring that caregivers are not quacks and frauds).
Quote:
Originally Posted by maine4.us
We need to get our elected officials to re-write the laws requiring business to be done in Maine. Don't get me wrong, none of the jobs were high paying, but with the tax laws currently in place, they most certainly would be sharing some of the Maine tax burden.
Can't do it, it would be infringing on the rights of the business owners to conduct business as they see fit. A business is in business to provide a product and/or service and meet the goals of the owners.
A business is NOT in business to provide 'jobs'. If the owner of a business needs a task done that (for whatever reason) he is not going to do himself, he hires someone to do it and a job is created for as long as the owner needs the task done and is willing to pay someone else to do it. The business and the [prospective] employee negotiate a rate which is mutually acceptable- what the owner is willing to pay and what the person being hired is willing to accept to do the job.
There is no obligation for the owner to continue to employ the person if he no longer requires the job to be done, or if someone else is willing to do the job for less money and the current employee is not willing to accept that rate. (To keep it simple we'll leave out the consideration of gov't mandated unemployment 'insurance' considerations and unions, and how they can hobble businesses.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by maine4.us
We should give businesses in Maine whose business is completely done in Maine a tax break, and tax the heck out of the people who come in and take our money out of the state.
These people are not 'coming in' and taking 'our' money out of state. The business is hiring people who are willing to do the job for what the business is willing to pay in order to meet its goals and remain in business. The hospital in Calais employs over 200 people in the local economy. If they cannot meet their goals and remain in business, then they shut the doors and 200+ more jobs are lost...or the business must be artificially supported by infusing it with tax $$ taken from *our* pockets.
Tax 'breaks'- taxing should be fair and equitable for all, corporations are subject to double taxation so it's hard to argue with that, especially since reduced tax *rates* actually lead to increased revenue.
But, requiring that operations be restricted to the state? Not with technology and interlinked national and even global economies. How many people do you think are employed here in Maine by companies that are headquartered in other states? How many people would become unemployed if what you are proposing were to be met with reciprocal programs by other states? I'd suggest that our economy would croak in very short order.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maine4.us
I just don't get it. It would be simple to require that programs instituted for Mainers be administered by people from Maine.
Many of the programs are funded and administered with Fed $$, it simply isn't that 'simple'.
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