Should Northern Maine have a right to exist?? (Portland, Kennebunk: how much, new house)

[flycessna]

This is a question I thought about when reading through the school consolidation thread. Does northern Maine have a right to exist......as it currently does....or does things need to change to make the system fair.

First............anyone has a right to live where they want.

but at what point is the rest of us responsible to make that happen.

When I think of the money spent on mainting roads, educating children, providing police and fire protection (no matter how loosly it is) ect. It comes to a point when people need to decide at what cost is it too much.

I don't have any figures.......but pose this a basic question. I do not believe School children that live on peaks island get free transportation from the island to the mainland. And I don't know if there are any caps on how much busing is provided for school children in Northern Maine.

[Mainer61]

What??

[mollysmiles]

You know, it's getting so that this forum is less and less fun to visit....the entire North vs South issue is disgusting. I pay my share of taxes and deserve to live where I want. I see this thread as yet one more thing to spark debate that is less than intelligent and can only become regionalized and create hard feelings among CD forum members.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

You know, it's getting so that this forum is less and less fun to visit....the entire North vs South issue is disgusting. I pay my share of taxes and deserve to live where I want. I see this thread as yet one more thing to spark debate that is less than intelligent and can only become regionalized and create hard feelings among CD forum members.

Well put. a few meager points your direction.

[Fighter 1]

Originally Posted by flycessna

This is a question I thought about when reading through the school consolidation thread. Does northern Maine have a right to exist......as it currently does....or does things need to change to make the system fair.

First............anyone has a right to live where they want.

but at what point is the rest of us responsible to make that happen.

When I think of the money spent on mainting roads, educating children, providing police and fire protection (no matter how loosly it is) ect. It comes to a point when people need to decide at what cost is it too much.

I don't have any figures.......but pose this a basic question. I do not believe School children that live on peaks island get free transportation from the island to the mainland. And I don't know if there are any caps on how much busing is provided for school children in Northern Maine.

WOW! your life must be real boring to ask this type of question but being a Fighter for Constitutional Right there is only one response to your question and that is this. Is the area you speak about ( Northern Maine ) part of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA ? Then they have the same rights that you have ! It's that simple . EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL ( Not just if it's not too expensive). PS you speak about a lot of the services that you have no figures as to cost ? , then you assume that they are free . Do you think that the people in that area don't pay taxes?

[flycessna]

Get over yourselves. I mean, I am so sorry I offended anyone; But I wasn't sparking a debate. I really could careless either way about whether or not anyone has divisive feelings about north south. I thought this is a good question to pose. I have spoke in depth with many people on the troubles of northern Maine with employment, jobs and such. I was just interested in learning more about the viability of some of the remote places of Maine and how much does or should the state invest or be obligated to invest those areas. Give me a break!! I am not from this state and don’t care about your petty quarrels! This is a real question…..that IS discussed among many people including your beloved legistlature.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Fighter 1

WOW! your life must be real boring to ask this type of question but being a Fighter for Constitutional Right there is only one response to your question and that is this. Is the area you speak about ( Northern Maine ) part of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA ? Then they have the same rights that you have ! It's that simple . EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL ( Not just if it's not too expensive). PS you speak about a lot of the services that you have no figures as to cost ? , then you assume that they are free . Do you think that the people in that area don't pay taxes?

I am not assuming anything!!! It was just a question that I was thinking of because I was reading some of the posts on the school consolidation. it looked as though money was being diverted from those more remote areas of maine and schools would be struggeling. It is a legitimate question. I am not talking about wiping it off the map.


Id like to see you people attack those that want to create two states.

[Maineah]

After reading many posts directed at Southern Maine.. like we should become part of Massachusetts etc. Perhaps Flycessna was just tired of having Southern Maine dissed as the root of all evil in the State. People are quick to point out "The Volvo Line" when it suits their point. Though indirect, it is a slam at a perceived snootiness we all supposedly share in common in Southern Maine according to the Northern preception.
Fly was just trying to remind those who dislike the Southern population centers of the state that OUR taxes also pay for YOUR schools, roads, bridges, and bussing your kids long distances to school. I'm not saying it is necissarily a bad thing because logistically speaking there is not enough population in a great many Northern Maine towns to support these services without State help which is derived from taxing Southern Maine. We also are not asking you to get on your knees to thank us either. Just remember who butters your bread the next time you want to say something about the Southern Maine snobs below The Volvo Line and how we're ruining the flavor of Maine.

[dmyankee]

Anybody has a right to live anywhere they want, as long as the government does not subsidize their lifestyle by picking the pockets of the other residents.

Down on Cape Cod, they have a program where they are actually auctioning off affordable new houses to a few 'lucky winners' that will purchase them for about $150k. This is far below the $350k they are worth in the free market.

About a year ago, the Portland Press Fishwrap ran a front page puff piece highlighting a teacher in Kennebunkport who was crying that the town should subsidize affordable housing for teachers in the lovely coastal town.

Much of Northern Maine is privately owned except for the major 'population centers.' Things were fine before the demise of the manufacturing, agriculture and fishing industries. Families could make a living and the trade off for crappy roads and long winters was plenty of time for recreation in one of the most beautiful areas of the Northeast.

Unless the business climate picks up and the environutjobs leave us alone up here, I fear that families that could barely make it here for the last 20 years will be forced to move to where they can.

Schools and municipal buildings are costing twice as much to maintain. Buses and equipment are costing more to run. The people paying the taxes have to ask their town if they really need that extra two people at the town hall desk they hired on when the going was good. Same for the full time police departments.

How many times do you see the DOT plowing when the first flakes hit the ground?

How in the world is it costing $3.3 MM a year to run a school system graduating 20 kids annually? Why on earth are we spending surplus town money on new buildings and equipment, that could be earning interest? Just because it's there?

The working taxpayers will have a breaking point. The special interests scared a majority into voting against The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR,) which would have let the towns people have a say in extra spending.

Fortunately, for many places, there are plenty of retirees, wealthy and just plain working folk from away (they work in business friendly states) to move in, behind some of the exiting locals.

The "Quality of Place" argument that the State and green industry activists are using is just a scam. There are plenty of other places with the same quality of place argument that have a robust business atmosphere. In Maine, it is a catch phrase for remove the dams, smokestacks, mills, skidders and any new development proposals.

The granola crunchers bring their Utopian ideas to the table every chance they get up here. Their only stipulation is that we are not to put up any proposal of our own. Rural cleansing has begun in earnest. All is not lost yet.

Gotta get the bozos out of the legislature. My big worry this election is the big show being put on by Tommie the Commie Allen. He will lose this Senate race to Susie Rhino and will slide in to become the next Governor. Horrors!!!!!!!!!

[Boomerang]

Meaning no offense to anyone, just being an innocent bystander cog-in-the-machinery ---- I think I might have used a different title for this thread , but I honestly don't see anything wrong with civil debate of any topic.

Actually I think that debate in general is long-lost art, gone the way of the horse and carriage. Debate is a wonderful mental exercise that stimulates the brain cells to think, ponder, come up with new ideas, better understand your own perspective and that of others, maybe even persuade you to change your mind about a subject or at least gain new respect for the opinions of others even if you don't agree.

Exploration of subjects and ideas is always interesting and valuable, if done in a civil environment.....IMHO....

P.S. Do I really have to buy a Volvo if I stay in the southern half of Maine? I mean, I like the little windshield wiper thingies on the headlights, but I really love my big ol' FMC bomber...