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Old 08-03-2008, 10:25 AM
 
Location: Washington, DC
1,795 posts, read 3,630,503 times
Reputation: 1432

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Having grown up and lived in MA I often wonder to myself if our state leader's will wake up one day and realize that they are destoying this state's liveability for people. It's true that the wages in this state are high compared to most of the country but I feel the cost of living is insane and I'm not talking about housing prices. I think it's ridiculous to pay an "excise tax' just to own an automobile. Every year I get this bill and I cringe because I think it's just terrible. As if we're not paying enough taxes in MA already. Plus, you have to look at the statistics. More people are leaving MA than moving here and unemployment right now is high. You would think the state government would step in and make life easier for us MA residents during these difficult times, which are sure to last many years. The state legislature is constantly concerned about people leaving MA but they don't take any steps to promote growth or make this state attractive to people to move to. It's business as usual and I just think it's sad. I can say with all honesty that I'm not going to be a MA for life. I don't like how the state is run and the miscellaneous costs of living here are off the chart. How does everyone else feel?
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Old 08-03-2008, 10:35 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts & Hilton Head, SC
10,029 posts, read 15,675,599 times
Reputation: 8679
"Will the Taxachusetts legislature ever wake up and smell the coffee? "


A better question would be "When are the Massachusetts residents going to wake up and smell the coffee?"

Let's see what happens with Question 1 on the November ballot...
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Old 08-03-2008, 12:09 PM
 
Location: Massachusetts
9,537 posts, read 16,525,000 times
Reputation: 14576
I left Mass in 2005, I am a native of the state. I did not leave because I disliked Mass or New England. Some things about Mass I don't miss at all, but overall I do miss New England. I simply left because the cost of living there was overwhelming me, I had to face the fact I could not afford to live in Mass after retirement. Much of the housing in Mass is way overpriced, it is old and requires alot of upkeep. Between the high property taxes on housing and the cars and the lack of competion in auto insurance, the prices are out of sync with reality. I think with me I felt we had serious energy problems in this country, I knew heating an old house in New England was going to break my budget as I grew older. Im glad now I had the instincts to realize in 2005 that by 2008 the cost of fuel and oil would hit the roof. I would never have been able to afford what oil is costing now in Mass. I would have had to sell and then deal with this severe housing slump. Yes I miss Mass, and like I said I really miss New England but it has become a state and region that is basically for the higher income types. I don't know if the cost of living in Mass could ever be anyway but the way it has always been, Very Expensive. I doubt the legislature has alot of interest in the cost of living, if so it never showed very much.
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Old 08-03-2008, 03:02 PM
 
Location: New York City/San Diego, CA
686 posts, read 1,138,640 times
Reputation: 1107
This is such a silly post! The taxes are so reasonable especially by Northeastern standards . In fact 31 states have higher tax burdens than Massachusetts!

Tax Foundation: Massachusetts State and Local Tax Burden Falls in 2005 -- FreedomWorks.org

If you think Mass taxes are high, try living in New York or New Jersey! If you think Mass automobile excise tax is bad, try Virginia!
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Old 08-03-2008, 06:17 PM
 
894 posts, read 1,559,045 times
Reputation: 259
Depends whos counting but MA comes in somewhere between 25 to 35 for taxes. Really not to bad. VT and ME compete pretty hard for the number 1 spot. Add heating and home prices and it ain't cheap but the New England sticks are a lot worse.
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Old 08-03-2008, 06:23 PM
 
3,292 posts, read 4,475,416 times
Reputation: 822
You also have to keep in mind that the school system in MA is great and you've got a decent public transportation system.
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Old 08-03-2008, 07:24 PM
 
Location: Washington, DC
1,795 posts, read 3,630,503 times
Reputation: 1432
Quote:
Originally Posted by sfosyd View Post
This is such a silly post! The taxes are so reasonable especially by Northeastern standards . In fact 31 states have higher tax burdens than Massachusetts!

Tax Foundation: Massachusetts State and Local Tax Burden Falls in 2005 -- FreedomWorks.org

If you think Mass taxes are high, try living in New York or New Jersey! If you think Mass automobile excise tax is bad, try Virginia!
If it's such a silly post when why even post then. I guess you're silly too.
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Old 08-04-2008, 07:29 AM
 
3,076 posts, read 5,651,875 times
Reputation: 2698
Just wait as they continue to increase the tolls and we continue to pay for the big dig and other ongoing useless projects. Don't forget Deval Patrick's promise to reduce taxes on a local level...which will never happen because neither he or the state legislature here ever do. They always complain they don't have enough money, while spending our money any way they want.

We passed a resolution a couple years ago to drop the state tax back to 5%, but the politicians in this state still don't listen. They could care less what the people of MA say when they continually get reelected.
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Old 08-04-2008, 07:58 AM
 
Location: Southern New Hampshire
4,643 posts, read 13,950,928 times
Reputation: 4626
If you always vote the way you always did...
You'll always get what you always got...
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Old 08-04-2008, 08:42 AM
 
50 posts, read 121,603 times
Reputation: 52
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimrob1 View Post
I left Mass in 2005, I am a native of the state. I did not leave because I disliked Mass or New England. Some things about Mass I don't miss at all, but overall I do miss New England. I simply left because the cost of living there was overwhelming me, I had to face the fact I could not afford to live in Mass after retirement. Much of the housing in Mass is way overpriced, it is old and requires alot of upkeep. Between the high property taxes on housing and the cars and the lack of competion in auto insurance, the prices are out of sync with reality. I think with me I felt we had serious energy problems in this country, I knew heating an old house in New England was going to break my budget as I grew older. Im glad now I had the instincts to realize in 2005 that by 2008 the cost of fuel and oil would hit the roof. I would never have been able to afford what oil is costing now in Mass. I would have had to sell and then deal with this severe housing slump. Yes I miss Mass, and like I said I really miss New England but it has become a state and region that is basically for the higher income types. I don't know if the cost of living in Mass could ever be anyway but the way it has always been, Very Expensive. I doubt the legislature has alot of interest in the cost of living, if so it never showed very much.

Jimrob1,

Based on some of your posts, you do not appear to enjoy living in Portland. I am living in Prov. and work in MA now and am considering moving to Portland. I am originally from the Midwest, so I don't have any personal attachment to New England.

Can you tell me what you don't like about Portland? I am thinking about Portland for semi-retirement in a few years. Thanks.
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