Found a interesting article on Maine taxes (Bangor, Orono: insurance, home)

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by Different Drummer

"...yet we stay....why??"

Well, some of us leave.

Some leave every state.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by Different Drummer

I lived in Maine for over 20 years before I finally left. Maine is going to be facing a bigger financial crisis very soon, once oil resumes it's inevitable rise in costs. And having cities so far apart, with no public transporation system, driving will also become an expensive undertaking for the poor folks who are driving the pot-holed roads to their low-paying jobs. It's just one more issue facing Mainer's in the coming years, with no way to pay for it. Increase taxes? Increase fees? The majority of working age people who are lucky enough to have jobs, are being taxed up the *ss, and I doubt they will take much more. Many of the doctors in Maine are fed-up with the low-paying Medicare/Medicaid system so prevalent in Maine, and are leaving in frustration.

I sold my 2-unit apartment in Maine due to rising oil prices which are again starting to creep up, and the high property taxes. The property tax on my small 2-unit in Augusta was over $1800/yr (assessed at $80k) was equal to what my friend in China Village, Maine was paying on his antique cape with 50 acres, (assessed at $250k) because Augusta has many welfare recipients who sponge off the system.

One of my biggest complaints about Maine (I worked for the legislature for 11 years) is that it supports welfare to the extent that the State encourages welfare leaches to move to the State, (the word is out that Maine is 'generous' and 'easy') because the more welfare recipients they get, the more FED funding they get, which in turn supplies more jobs for the State welfare offices, and that means there will be more people in Augusta paying taxes. The largest budget for the State of Maine is DHS. If the State of Maine would get rid of every member of the current legislature and elect only fiscally conservative people who would run the State as a business, it would be the best thing for the people of Maine, but this will never happen. The State profits too highly from being a welfare State. Maine is also the 'whitest' state and the 'oldest'.

I now live in Oregon where I can register a brand new BMW for a total of $60 for 2 years, and not pay a single penny in sales tax. in Maine, when there is something that is not taxed, it usually comes with a 'registration fee'..so that one way or another, you are paying a tax to the State. And it's a yearly fee. As in paying a registration fee every summer for your 'personal watercraft.' I think when the legislature tried to pass a law to charge a yearly fee to register a kayak, the poor people in Maine finally said 'no.'

Maine is generally anti-business, through their aggressive tax structures, so many companies leave, or just don't bother to come in the first place. Once the kids get out of high school, or college, they leave the State to find jobs elsewhere, as there are few, unless you want to work for DHS and hand out welfare checks and food stamps. Even the poor summer folks who come to 'VACATIONLAND' land are getting fed up with every new tax the Legislature comes up with during the year. It should be called "TAXATION LAND"...

I think Maine is a lovely place to visit...maybe for a week in September, after mud season, and the black flies and mosquitos are gone, and you can find a place to park at the beach where you are now free to freeze your toes in the ocean, and before hunting season, where it's only safe to go for a walk on Sundays...because oh yes, after all it's "Maine, the way life SHOULD be"....AYUH!

[quote=Maineah;8867205]I'll agree with most of your sentiments up to the "only safe to be in the woods on Sunday during hunting season" line. You're statistically safer in the Maine woods during hunting season than you are driving the turnpike....about 10 times safer!
Maine is a very poorly governed state. It has always been a poorly governed state. The weather is no prize, winter is long,the roads are bad, the bugs are rampant, there is little divirsity, employment is hard to come by and pay is low, heating costs are high, taxes and fees are higher than most other states,
etc. etc....we've heard it all before.....yet we stay....why??[/quote]


I left for the military. After I retired I came back. Left town here for the bright lights of Bangor then moved back again. I'll not move again. I stay (and keep coming back) because I love Maine and this town; warts and all. And there's dang few warts as far as I can see. I've lived all arount CONUS and parts aof Europe. I don't believe Maine is more poorly run than any other state, prvince, or country. It is what you mnake it. If you choose to cling to the negatuive don't be surprised at what you see.

As for taxes and assessment being higher in Augusta than China; well of course they are. Look at what you are comparing in the range of sales, services, etc. I bet taxes and assessments are higher in Dallas than they are in Augusta. I think we get just what we ask for. If youwant more services and aid then expect to pay for it. Someone has to.

I think I live in a decently run, dang good state and town. Now that's just my opinion but I believe I'm correct. Could it be run better? I suppose but I don't know how to and sure don't want the job to figure it out. But I'll continue to express my opinion/wants to my reps and if they don't do as I think they should I'll vote against them in the next election. Just the rantings of a frustrated city employee.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Different Drummer

I lived in Maine for over 20 years before I finally left. Maine is going to be facing a bigger financial crisis very soon, once oil resumes it's inevitable rise in costs. And having cities so far apart, with no public transporation system

Public transport connecting all Maine towns?

Wow, that would be very expensive to operate.

I am thankful that Maine has no such system

... driving will also become an expensive undertaking for the poor folks who are driving the pot-holed roads to their low-paying jobs. It's just one more issue facing Mainer's in the coming years, with no way to pay for it. Increase taxes? Increase fees? The majority of working age people who are lucky enough to have jobs, are being taxed up the *ss, and I doubt they will take much more.

Than obviously they should stay away from any of the other states which have higher taxes.

... The property tax on my small 2-unit in Augusta was over $1800/yr (assessed at $80k) ...

Want to compare what I am paying for property taxes on a rental in Connecticut?

LOL

... Even the poor summer folks who come to 'VACATIONLAND' land are getting fed up with every new tax the Legislature comes up with during the year. It should be called "TAXATION LAND"...

This is simply not the Maine that I have found.

Not by any stretch.

... it's only safe to go for a walk on Sundays ... because oh yes, after all it's "Maine, the way life SHOULD be"....AYUH!

???

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by Different Drummer

"...yet we stay....why??"

Well, some of us leave.

And some of us are very happy at being so lucky to find such a low tax, low cost-of-living region.

[reloop]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I'll agree with most of your sentiments up to the "only safe to be in the woods on Sunday during hunting season" line. You're statistically safer in the Maine woods during hunting season than you are driving the turnpike....about 10 times safer!
Maine is a very poorly governed state. It has always been a poorly governed state. The weather is no prize, winter is long,the roads are bad, the bugs are rampant, there is little divirsity, employment is hard to come by and pay is low, heating costs are high, taxes and fees are higher than most other states,
etc. etc....we've heard it all before.....yet we stay....why??

Because to many of us, it is very simply "home." We may become disgusted with its direction from time to time, but fundamentally that's what it boils down to.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I'll agree with most of your sentiments up to the "only safe to be in the woods on Sunday during hunting season" line. You're statistically safer in the Maine woods during hunting season than you are driving the turnpike....about 10 times safer!
Maine is a very poorly governed state. It has always been a poorly governed state. The weather is no prize, winter is long,the roads are bad, the bugs are rampant, there is little divirsity, employment is hard to come by and pay is low, heating costs are high, taxes and fees are higher than most other states,etc. etc....we've heard it all before.....yet we stay....why??

I hear alot about the fact that Maine is a very "white" state and has little diversity. It sounds as if we choose to be that way. You can't make folks move here. You can't go out of state and tell people "Ok we need people like you in Madawaska, you need to go to Blue Hill, and so on. People kinda don't like that more than segregation.; which is the feeling I get is being touted when I'm asked why this state is so "white".
Brings to mind the interview with Geo Wallace about desegrgation saying "There are no Chinese in Mobile. Should we bus them in from Chicago?" OK, just dated the heck outta myself. Lets make it clear, It's not as if we are a "white" state by our choice.

[reloop]

Originally Posted by retiredtinbender

I hear alot about the fact that Maine is a very "white" state and has little diversity. It sounds as if we choose to be that way. You can't make folks move here. You can't go out of state and tell people "Ok we need people like you in Madawaska, you need to go to Blue Hill, and so on. People kinda don't like that more than segregation.; which is the feeling I get is being touted when I'm asked why this state is so "white".
Brings to mind the interview with Geo Wallace about desegrgation saying "There are no Chinese in Mobile. Should we bus them in from Chicago?" OK, just dated the heck outta myself. Lets make it clear, It's not as if we are a "white" state by our choice.

Good point.

[tcrackly]

There's always mail order brides to boost diversity.

[chaosX5]

Quote:
Originally Posted by chaosX5
I finally took the time to find a website that would help me calculate state taxes for comparison purposes. I compared NC and ME with our current salary, etc..... North Carolina state tax costs us 1,000+ more a year than Maine will. Of course this our own personal tax situation.

Now back to health insurance................I'm sure there will be cost difference there DH will find that out as soon as possible

Not to be picky, but you also have to include sales and property taxes. It's out there somewhere, I'm going to look for it.

Found it:

The Tax Foundation - Maine's State and Local Tax Burden, 1977-2008

Maine takes 10%. It's .3% above the national average, but you can compare other states on this website. Even this website doesn't really give the whole picture. The fewer taxpayers there are, the higher the per capita TAXPAYER cost would be, which is the only real measurement. Haven't found that yet


Ok this is the first tax thread I could find.................(Y'know I promised myself I'd never participate in a tax thread)



I am only comparing NC to ME ...........any other state comparison doesn't interest me. I'm sure there are many cheaper states to live in but I'm looking at Maine and how it compares to my current state.



Maine's state sales tax is 5% (Food and prescription drugs exempt)
Gas 29.9 cents



North Carolina state sales tax is 4.5% (4.75% on 10-1-09)
Food and prescription drugs are taxed 2%
Counties have their own additional tax...........(I pay 7.25% on everything that isn't BASIC food and scripts)

Gas is 30.2 cents






Property Taxes are variable, as I understand it Southern Maine is higher than Northern Maine.



The State-Local tax burden compared to U.S. Average is 10% for Maine (15th highest) just like you said...............
North Carolina is 9.8% (20th highest)

We pay tax every year on our cars, our cigarette tax just went up a buck and the county is talking about raising our taxes again........... It's not the worst just not the best.

I don't understand why some people want to make the tax situation in Maine seem so rough It's certainly not great, but it's not the worst either (at least for us)



Maybe Maine isn't isn't so bad? ........................

[frogcreekwoods]

In my research of Maine I've found that the property tax burden completely depends on the town you choose. Property taxes for a home in Bangor is on the high side, but still not as high as I pay in CT. On the other hand, there was a 41 acre farm with many outbuildings in Winterport with yearly taxes of $2000, which to me is unbelievably cheap. Taxes in Old Town tend to be quite low, Orono a bit higher but still not too bad. It's all about your perspective and what you consider "high".