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Old 11-16-2011, 02:43 PM
 
5 posts, read 9,642 times
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My spouse has to relocate again due to work profession. The latest option he was given is Western ME. Prior to this, he was given the choice of Western NH, but ME is a permanent location assignment. We both grew up in different areas of Northern CA when it was a decent state, and relocated often. We planned to stay in West TX despite the intense heat, unpredictable weather, numerously huge insects, rattle snakes, dense cactus and weeds, remoteness of plants and trees, long drives through "nomansland" to get anywhere, and scarce resources and commodities. We stumbled upon a nice home on acreage, and later a better one that we'll be able to pay off. TX has no state tax, an extremely low cost of living, and is business and family-friendly. I know for a fact that CA has the highest taxes in the nation in combination with a high cost of living, and CT and NY are not far behind. Businesses and people are leaving CA in droves, as I still have some family there; NV is low-cost living, but it has a desolate, dry landscape, and crime & corruption is plentiful in parts of the Wild West; I liked AZ, except for the fact most of it has a similar landscape and too much sunshine. My state of choice is OR, as it is beautiful and has no sales tax, but the housing costs and property taxes are still beyond the 2003-2004 levels despite the recession. I am looking for specific information about Western ME, and I must let you know many of the blogs were helpful and informative. Here are some issues I consider important, as we are supporting a large immediate family with minor children, and an occasional visiting relative: 1) Crime-number of prisons/jails/detention centers in area vs. population, crime rate, crime in schools, drugs and abusers, prostitution, gambling, strip clubs, massage parlors. 2) Population Density-Population vs. number of grocery stores, doctors' offices, places of business. Are they overcrowded, stocked well, picked out of, messy, or neat? 3) Schools-how they compare to the nation as a whole and activities for kids at school, involvement and support, (sports, academics, clubs, band, career fields, ect...). 4) Commodities-are they easy-to-come-by or overpriced and hard-to-find(fresh produce, plants and trees, utilities, automobiles). 5) Business- taxes, entrepreneurship, advantages and disadvantages. 6) Any tax information-especially important for taxpayers. 7)Anything to do with Environment, Outdoors, Nature, Rural living, or Self-reliance and sustainability. 8) Protection, Self-Defense, & Freedom- One should be able to protect oneself against injustice and crime to self or property in regards to rights of owners along with weapons laws. 9) Community Involvement & Togetherness achieve greatness; this also coincides with justice. Issues of non-importance include: 1) Cliques, trends, and trendy friends, including anything Hollywood, as they don't pay our bills and I rarely pay theirs by taking kids to the theatre/theater. 2) Fancy clothes, jewelry, and the high-maintenance lifestyle, as everything is not about one person all the time; we are getting older anyways, and no one really cares about what another person has unless they want a piece of it. The quality and content of an individual's character matters, not superficiality. 3) Programs and services, as all they do is raise taxes & the cost of living for law abiding tax payers & the general public. 4) Abundance of corrupt lawyers, lobbyists, & politicians-who create chaos, anarchy, loopholes in order to legally steal funds, corrupt laws, screw things up, & make things more difficult to fix each time. Thank you kindly for the informational blogs, and reading the script, as we do have to make a decision soon. Any relevant input you have is greatly appreciated.
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Old 11-16-2011, 04:55 PM
 
19,959 posts, read 30,021,130 times
Reputation: 39992
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeaV View Post
My spouse has to relocate again due to work profession. The latest option he was given is Western ME. Prior to this, he was given the choice of Western NH, but ME is a permanent location assignment. We both grew up in different areas of Northern CA when it was a decent state, and relocated often. We planned to stay in West TX despite the intense heat, unpredictable weather, numerously huge insects, rattle snakes, dense cactus and weeds, remoteness of plants and trees, long drives through "nomansland" to get anywhere, and scarce resources and commodities. We stumbled upon a nice home on acreage, and later a better one that we'll be able to pay off. TX has no state tax, an extremely low cost of living, and is business and family-friendly. I know for a fact that CA has the highest taxes in the nation in combination with a high cost of living, and CT and NY are not far behind. Businesses and people are leaving CA in droves, as I still have some family there; NV is low-cost living, but it has a desolate, dry landscape, and crime & corruption is plentiful in parts of the Wild West; I liked AZ, except for the fact most of it has a similar landscape and too much sunshine. My state of choice is OR, as it is beautiful and has no sales tax, but the housing costs and property taxes are still beyond the 2003-2004 levels despite the recession. I am looking for specific information about Western ME, and I must let you know many of the blogs were helpful and informative. Here are some issues I consider important, as we are supporting a large immediate family with minor children, and an occasional visiting relative: 1) Crime-number of prisons/jails/detention centers in area vs. population, crime rate, crime in schools, drugs and abusers, prostitution, gambling, strip clubs, massage parlors. 2) Population Density-Population vs. number of grocery stores, doctors' offices, places of business. Are they overcrowded, stocked well, picked out of, messy, or neat? 3) Schools-how they compare to the nation as a whole and activities for kids at school, involvement and support, (sports, academics, clubs, band, career fields, ect...). 4) Commodities-are they easy-to-come-by or overpriced and hard-to-find(fresh produce, plants and trees, utilities, automobiles). 5) Business- taxes, entrepreneurship, advantages and disadvantages. 6) Any tax information-especially important for taxpayers. 7)Anything to do with Environment, Outdoors, Nature, Rural living, or Self-reliance and sustainability. 8) Protection, Self-Defense, & Freedom- One should be able to protect oneself against injustice and crime to self or property in regards to rights of owners along with weapons laws. 9) Community Involvement & Togetherness achieve greatness; this also coincides with justice. Issues of non-importance include: 1) Cliques, trends, and trendy friends, including anything Hollywood, as they don't pay our bills and I rarely pay theirs by taking kids to the theatre/theater. 2) Fancy clothes, jewelry, and the high-maintenance lifestyle, as everything is not about one person all the time; we are getting older anyways, and no one really cares about what another person has unless they want a piece of it. The quality and content of an individual's character matters, not superficiality. 3) Programs and services, as all they do is raise taxes & the cost of living for law abiding tax payers & the general public. 4) Abundance of corrupt lawyers, lobbyists, & politicians-who create chaos, anarchy, loopholes in order to legally steal funds, corrupt laws, screw things up, & make things more difficult to fix each time. Thank you kindly for the informational blogs, and reading the script, as we do have to make a decision soon. Any relevant input you have is greatly appreciated.


I'd be looking at Bethel- town in western Maine

beautiful area
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Old 11-16-2011, 06:40 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,246 posts, read 60,987,691 times
Reputation: 30134
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeaV View Post
My spouse has to relocate again due to work profession. The latest option he was given is Western ME.
Welcome to Maine.



Quote:
... We both grew up in different areas of Northern CA when it was a decent state
I used to live in Upper Lake, Ca.



Quote:
... I know for a fact that CA has the highest taxes in the nation in combination with a high cost of living, and CT and NY are not far behind.
I have heard that before.



Quote:
... I am looking for specific information about Western ME ...

... 2) Population Density-Population vs. number of grocery stores, doctors' offices, places of business. Are they overcrowded, stocked well, picked out of, messy, or neat?
Most of Maine has a very low population density.

As for grocery stores and doctors you really need to focus on specific towns. Each town is different.



Quote:
... 3) Schools-how they compare to the nation as a whole and activities for kids at school, involvement and support, (sports, academics, clubs, band, career fields, ect...).
From what we have seen the schools here tend to be excellent.



Quote:
... 4) Commodities-are they easy-to-come-by or overpriced and hard-to-find (fresh produce, plants and trees, utilities, automobiles).
Farmer's Markets are popular through-out the state with local veggies, fruits and meats.

Car dealerships are scattered, the bigger cities tend to have more of them.



Quote:
... 5) Business- taxes, entrepreneurship, advantages and disadvantages.
I see a lot of sole-proprietorship businesses. Generally they are not over-regulated. However once a business begins employing others, the regulations seem to pile-up quickly.

It is often claimed that these regulations hinder business. We have a new governor who seems to be focused on consolidating these regulations.



Quote:
... 7)Anything to do with Environment, Outdoors, Nature, Rural living, or Self-reliance and sustainability.
Most of the state is forest, privately owned and open to the public.

We have many rivers, lakes and ponds.

The entire state is mapped-off into townships. Most of those townships are rural and 'unorganized' townships.

Hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, snow mobiling/dog-team mushing are all big features in the local culture.

Maine also has about the best network of organic farms of any state. They are very active and host a wonderful fair each fall. As well as a full calendar of events all year-round.

I also see a number of families who live off-grid and sustainable lifestyles here. My township has two families who are off-grid.



Quote:
... 8) Protection, Self-Defense, & Freedom- One should be able to protect oneself against injustice and crime to self or property in regards to rights of owners along with weapons laws.
Maine is well known for being among the top in terms of gun-ownership 'rights'. This is a 'shall issue' state. No registration exists. If you want a Concealed Carry permit, they 'shall issue' you one [unless they can prove your a felon].



Quote:
... 9) Community Involvement & Togetherness achieve greatness; this also coincides with justice. Issues of non-importance include: 1) Cliques, trends, and trendy friends, including anything Hollywood, as they don't pay our bills and I rarely pay theirs by taking kids to the theatre/theater. 2) Fancy clothes, jewelry, and the high-maintenance lifestyle, as everything is not about one person all the time; we are getting older anyways, and no one really cares about what another person has unless they want a piece of it. The quality and content of an individual's character matters, not superficiality.
When I began coming to Maine to shop for land to buy, I was struck by a few things about Mainers.

I sat in a diner one evening eating supper, when a lady came in with her daughter. The daughter was wearing a cheerleader outfit. Everyone in the diner knew them, and suddenly everyone was talking about the latest basketball game. It was the high school girls basketball games they were talking about. I was amazed to see a community that even paid attention to girls basketball. That said a lot to me.

Another thing was at the time we were foster-parents in Ct, and our foster-daughter was totally absorbed in tween-music-stars, inappropriate-clothing, far too much make-up, and it seemed that all in her age-group in the school were likewise caught-up in that culture. Making trips to Maine it stood out to me that ladies in Maine can be in public without having to first put on their make-up with a putty knife. Clean skin, long hair, smiles and healthy glows were what I saw more often up here.



Quote:
... 3) Programs and services, as all they do is raise taxes & the cost of living for law abiding tax payers & the general public.
Down in the Southern tip of Maine is a concentration of people. In one small compact area resides most of the people who live in Maine. In that area, a wide array of municipal services are provided, and as the residents have demanded their taxes are high to pay for it all.

Generally it seems that as town populations get higher, the residents make demands that they want their taxes to be higher, so their mil-rates go up and more municipal services are provided.

Most of Maine is rural, so fewer services are provided, and taxes are lower.

One exception to this however, is the coast.



Quote:
... 4) Abundance of corrupt lawyers, lobbyists, & politicians-who create chaos, anarchy, loopholes in order to legally steal funds, corrupt laws, screw things up, & make things more difficult to fix each time. Thank you kindly for the informational blogs, and reading the script, as we do have to make a decision soon. Any relevant input you have is greatly appreciated.
I think I like your attitude.

I recommend that you come out for a visit, or four. See what Maine is like for yourself. Before deciding which region to settle in.

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Old 11-16-2011, 10:11 PM
 
Location: Sacramento, CA/Dover-Foxcroft, ME
1,816 posts, read 3,375,419 times
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forest beekeeper said a mouthful with the usual Mainer wisdom. All I got is, go west young lady, go western Maine that is. It's got everything and more.

Maine Recruitment Bureau
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Old 11-17-2011, 12:02 AM
 
Location: Caribou, Me.
6,928 posts, read 5,859,996 times
Reputation: 5251
Western Maine is pretty rural, but it is pretty. You'd fit in there, I think. Sounds like you'd be a welcome addition, too.
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Old 11-17-2011, 06:32 AM
 
Location: Northern Maine
10,428 posts, read 18,570,904 times
Reputation: 11562
Maine needs people. The pattern is that our young people leave at age 25 or 30 and come back at age 50 or 60 when the kids are out of the house. A graph of our demographic profile shows this clearly. As a responsible self sufficient family you will be welcomed into most any Maine town away from the coast.

In Maine open carry is legal. You can strap on your .357 Magnum and go just about anywhere. Stay out of schools, post offices, court houses and federal buildings. That said, most people don't carry openly. We don't want to freak out the tourists who think all states should be like New York or Connecticut where such freedom would get you locked up.

Don't limit yourself to Western Maine. It's nice and scenic, but it's tough country to hunt as you get older. Check out the area around Lincoln. There are more lakes, more open ground and gentler terrain. Something else we have in the freedom category are ATV and snowmobile trails. You can ride from Mattawamkeag, Maine to the ocean; put your tires in salt water just to say you did and ride back. It's over 200 miles round trip and it's completely legal. There is no place else in our country where you can do that. While at the salt water in Machias, stop at Helen's Restaurant for the best fried clams and blueberry pie in the whole world.

www.lincolnmaine.us

You'll like Maine and you'll fit right in.
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Old 11-17-2011, 06:48 AM
 
Location: Bangor Maine
3,440 posts, read 6,518,376 times
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Are you moving to Western Maine because the job is there? One of my favorite places in W Maine is Bridgton.
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