RE: Police cracking down on excise tax evaders

[melinuxfool]

Originally Posted by Acadianlion

I have often suggested that the cost of government in Maine should be reduced beginning with the downsizing of the legislature, to include the elimination of the state senate, and making representatives responsible to groups from ALL parts of the state.

A larger legislature is necessary to keep the critters accountable to their constituents. You shrink the state legislature and you increase the size of the congressional districts. Sure, that just makes them more efficient. But we're not supposed to be efficient. The reason our government was set up the way it is, and our state modeled after it, is to prevent the congresscritters from making spur of the moment decisions based on emotion. Give them time to reconsider, so to speak.

If you want to decrease the expense of the legislature, how about New Hampshire's approach there? They haven't had a raise since the 1800s. Why should people be able to earn a living at politics? NH Representatives get a 100 dollar a year salary, and they have 400 or so.

You cut the representation and you end up with oligarchy, which always seems to be a nanny state.

A few years back, there was little to differentiate Maine and New Hampshire, we burned garbage in metal barrels in the back yard, rode in the back of pickup trucks with a rifle hanging from the back window, and simply not wearing your seatbelt was not probable cause to be detained by police.

The difference is that New Hampshire has resisted the influence from Mass and NY transplants and told them to mind their own business, and the Maine legislature has bought their nanny-state, big government BS hook, line, and sinker.

[AustinB]

I was wondering if the cops had nothing else to do. If they have nothing to do, maybe you don't need them.