Hard to find work in Maine?!? (Portland, Bangor: violent crime, lawyers, buying)

[skippingstones]

Psssst, Peter....If Mainers didn't have things to ***** about, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves.

I say this lovingly, of course.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Petertherock

Thanks. But you all that say Maine is affordable must be living in the sticks. Because anywhere within 50-100 miles of the Portland area you are paying $1000+ for an apartment that is decent in a safe neighborhood, ....

You are correct.

I do not live in Northern Mass.

I came here with my pension, and my wife got a job working at a grocery at $16.50/hour.

We love it here.

[MsJL]

Originally Posted by Petertherock

Thanks. But you all that say Maine is affordable must be living in the sticks. Because anywhere within 50-100 miles of the Portland area you are paying $1000+ for an apartment that is decent in a safe neighborhood.

That isn't true, Peter.

In the past 5-10 years it has got really bad. Drugs are everywhere and crime is increasing. There was a shooting murder out on the streets of Portland on the 4th of July last year. Drugs, guns, and other crimes are getting more and more frequent. Not as bad as other areas but it's getting there.

As I'm moving to Portland ASAP, I'm truly interested in where I can find your stats on what you're saying there (other than the shooting - I'm sure that made the news, and that's why you're talking about it). Where did you get your information?

If you are looking at buying a house anywhere close to Portland you are looking at at least 200,000 for anything good.

That isn't true either, Peter - I'm looking right now. There are nice houses and condos under $180K.

Then being the #1 taxed state in the Union you will have to fork over the rest of your money to the government.

That's true everywhere, and it's far worse in every other state I've lived in (total of 7).

But the uneducated idiots that live in this state keep voting for Democrats, approve every bond that comes up on the ballot, and defeats every measure that would lower taxes.

I'm very sure that there are idiots in every state, every country. If you want to try, you will likely find intellectually deficient persons no matter where you go.

That said, coming on here and calling Maine's residents "idiots" serves only to cause us to hope you go seeking very soon.

I have never seen a state like this where everyone is *****ing about taxes but when it comes to election time when we have a chance to do something about it they all vote for more taxes.

First, please watch your language.

Second, serious question: how many states have you lived in?

Third, please open your mind up enough to at least consider that there may be other reasons we elect Democrats. Sure, we could go with the GOP, but then we get the many-tentacled Patriot Act, and all its invasive spawns, shoved into every part of our lives. Instead, we have a legislature which was the first in the nation to say "NO" to the GOP's "National I.D. Card" idea.

Or perhaps, the Dems care more about keeping Maine Maine - and not Boston North? Perhaps that's another reason.

It could also be that we don't like Republicans, period. (And BTW, I'm a Libertarian.) The one thing that Republicans are adept at is getting elected by standing on Democrats. Other than that, like the Dems, they make a mess out of everything.

You can't have it every way you want it, Peter. On the one hand, you bemoan the increase in crime. On the other, you complain about low-paying jobs. Get enough industry and techies in here, you'll have your income - and a state full of cookie-cutter cul-de-sacs, all priced to reflect roughly 20% over what the average wage earner can offer. You'll get those crime increases you mentioned, times 10, and you'll see the natural beauty wither and die from the clouds of exhaust from 100,000 SUVs.

Look, I have to wonder if there's more that's bothering you than hating where you live; but nonetheless, be very cautious of thinking that your life will be any different someplace else - someone as angry as you appear to be may have problems living contentedly any place at all.

Again, I hope you can move soon, and please let me know where you got those crime stats you were talking about. Thanks, and God bless.

[patsfan]

Have to say the obvious, the paper is full of jobs. Not all the best.. but if want to move to a "metro" (I use the term loosely) area there is work. My husband was downsized this year. He had a new job before his last day at work, 2/3 the pay, but hey... it's better then nothing, especially when you're over 50 . Loved the post MsJL But I'm afraid you may have put Peter over the edge

[forest beekeeper]

Fortunately Maine is not the highest taxed state.

You can only present the idea of it being the highest taxed state if you first twist the data. Re-indexing the stats by average household income, is the only way that such an argument can be made, and such is dishonest.

Saying that 8% is higher than 10%, and everyone getting so upset when we point out that such is not honest, is crazy.

No individual tax in Maine is any higher than the rest of the states.

Since there is no tax of Maine's higher than every other state has, there is no way to add a bunch of medium taxes, and somehow come up with the highest taxes.

To have the highest taxes, somewhere, somehow you must first find a couple taxes that are truly high. Maine has none.

California has a far higher sales tax. California has far higher property taxes.

Sure, Maine's average income is lower. But Mainers fight like crazy to keep jobs far away. Mainers vote to outlaw jobs. Mainers picket job openings. If the average income in Maine is low, that is due entirely to Mainers.

[Acadianlion]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

How about this?

Pass a law that says anyone owning a home has to live in the home a certain amount of time each year (say 9 months) or face a heavier property tax. That way, if the wealthy "NIMBY types" really want those fancy vacation homes, they can still have them, but the communities in which those homes exist can get back a good chunk of change to re-invest back into the community. If the rich don't like paying the higher tax, they can either move in and become locals or sell the homes to someone who will.

Actually, there is a modification to the law regarding residential property taxes that will tax seasonal residences owned by non-residents at a higher rate than year round homes.

[forest beekeeper]

Wow, I am new to this scene. Though so far, nobody has asked us what part of the year we live in our Maine residence.

We just filed our income taxes. Maine income-tax filing did get very sticky about how much of the year we reside in Maine, and about what percentage of our Gross income is from Maine. But that is all income taxes. and not property taxes.

Now what about all of these camps?

Around me there are many seasonal camps, that are occupied off and on through-out the summers. Are you thinking that they will be seeing some kind of property tax hike?

[Petertherock]

As I'm moving to Portland ASAP, I'm truly interested in where I can find your stats on what you're saying there (other than the shooting - I'm sure that made the news, and that's why you're talking about it). Where did you get your information?

Why do you think in Maine, in order to buy cough medicine you have to go to a pharmacy and sign your name and put your drivers license number on a sheet of paper. They will only let you buy 1 package of medication. Being on the fire dept and also knowing a few friends who dispatch for the Portland police dept., and also having some friends that are on my local police dept. I get info on everything that doesn't make the news. About 90% of the crime doesn't make the news. If Portland gets an ambulance call anywhere in the old port after dark they will send the police and fire dept. This isn't because they need the extra help, it's because if they leave the ambulance parked on the street druggies will be in stealing the drugs within minutes.

Westbrook is nothing but crack houses. There is also a lot of denial in this state too. Since I live in one of the wealthiest communities in the state whenever the police catch high school kids with drugs the parents swear the police set them up because there is no way their kid would be doing drugs. Because we all know the kids of doctors and lawyers would never do drugs.

As is probably the case in most areas, 95% of the real crimes don't make the paper.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Petertherock

Why do you think in Maine, in order to buy cough medicine you have to go to a pharmacy and sign your name and put your drivers license number on a sheet of paper. They will only let you buy 1 package of medication..

Because nationwide, there is a problem.

And nationwide many drug companys are being pressured to maintaining this information.

It is fairly new.

[MsJL]

Originally Posted by Petertherock

Why do you think in Maine, in order to buy cough medicine you have to go to a pharmacy and sign your name and put your drivers license number on a sheet of paper. They will only let you buy 1 package of medication. Being on the fire dept and also knowing a few friends who dispatch for the Portland police dept., and also having some friends that are on my local police dept. I get info on everything that doesn't make the news. About 90% of the crime doesn't make the news. If Portland gets an ambulance call anywhere in the old port after dark they will send the police and fire dept. This isn't because they need the extra help, it's because if they leave the ambulance parked on the street druggies will be in stealing the drugs within minutes.

Westbrook is nothing but crack houses. There is also a lot of denial in this state too. Since I live in one of the wealthiest communities in the state whenever the police catch high school kids with drugs the parents swear the police set them up because there is no way their kid would be doing drugs. Because we all know the kids of doctors and lawyers would never do drugs.

As is probably the case in most areas, 95% of the real crimes don't make the paper.

Then by your own reasoning (see the last sentence), every other place is reporting only 5% of their crimes, as well. How dangerous does that make every place else, in proportion to Maine?

I'm quite sure that we won't hear too often on WABI about the 5 Halloween pumpkins that got smashed in the middle of 14th Street, so in that vein I agree: not all crime is reported. But unless you're there actually watching the doctors and lawyers get their kids off the hook, and unless you're there at the destination of every cruiser that's dispatched (a dispatch doesn't necessarily mean a crime has occurred), I have to wonder first, if you're being honest about what you hear from your "friends" and second - if you are - if perhaps you're talking with people who think as you do.

BTW, what you've claimed here indicates that you have inside information that really needs to be reported to the appropriate governmental bodies.

But overall, Peter, your posts are so far out there that you don't have much credibility. You make no sense, your agenda is clear, and you use stories that can't be certified to support your position. I hope people take the source into consideration as they read you.