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Socially, economically, politically, and culturally, do you feel the Shire and Maine are twins?
It seems to me that there are few other states that are as close as these two. This isn't to say there aren't differences, but they feel the same. Do you agree? Disagree?
NH and ME are divided by the Piscataquog River, but that's not the only division amongst these 2 states.
NH's population is scattered throughout the state. ME's population is limited to the cities and immediate surrounding area.
NH has high property taxes, but so does ME. Additionally, ME charges sales tax and a fairly high income tax, one of the highest in the nation. NH property owners are being socked with huge increases in property tax rates plus home assessments are often well over 100% market value. It's just a matter of time before taxes are raised to 200% of market value, IMO. They are already at 120%.
NH has more lawmakers than ME, but they only earn $100 per year. Therefore, only unemployed or retired people reach out for the NH position. ME pays $18K including benefits to their Legislators. While still at poverty rate, the job attracts younger residents.
ME is 3X's bigger than NH and has twice as many public roads. Both states have about the same number of students and both states pay roughly the same for education. ME, however, has more schools and a thousand more teachers.
ME is known as Vacationland and deservedly so. NH has some nice spots as well, but it's hard to compete with a thousand miles of shoreline.
I have lived in both states and found them to be very different! Maine really feels separate and disconnected from the rest of the country (in a good way)....NH doesn't have that special feeling. I lived in NH for more than 20 years.....Maine a much shorter period of time.
NH and ME are divided by the Piscataquog River, but that's not the only division amongst these 2 states.
Actually, the river separating NH and Maine is the Piscataqua. The Piscataquog River is a tributary of the Merrimack, and begins in Deering, flowing through Weare, Goffstown and Manchester before joining the Merrimack.
Actually, the river separating NH and Maine is the Piscataqua. The Piscataquog River is a tributary of the Merrimack, and begins in Deering, flowing through Weare, Goffstown and Manchester before joining the Merrimack.
thank you for the correction. I should have double checked my spelling first.
No, not at ALL! And please do not call NH "The Shire." That is a Free Stater term. I grew up in Maine and I assumed NH would be very similar and I actually find it to be different in many ways. There's a certain intangible and difficult-to-articulate "personality" to NH which is VERY different from Maine. I'll probably get run off the NH board for saying this, but I think Maine is a much better state in a number of ways (except for taxes.) This is of course my subjective view. Yes, if I could move back to Maine I would but there are a number of considerations... not as easy as just picking up and moving.
Maine is actually more like 5 times the size of NH. And its population is scattered throughout the state, too, although when you get into the northern region you do have a lot of unnamed townships and very, very low populations.
I agree with the VT/ME comparison. Both states are now quite liberal, and the populations of both states are, in general, more "urbane" than that of NH.
Hey Buck Naked - you might already be aware of this, but I'll mention it for those who are not (and I only learned this recently)... NH requires average tax assessments to be between 90% and 110% of average "fair market value" (apparently based on actual sales stats) once every 5 years. My town is currently over 120% and this is with the market getting better and no reassessment since 2010. My house was assessed at $50K more in 2009, when the market was much worse... so I'm guessing we were probably around 165% at that time. I can't imagine we've been within the required range since maybe 2006, and even then we were probably right around 110%. So, either we're in violation of this requirement or the 5 years is not a rolling time period... meaning, as long as we're within the range at some point between 2005 and 2010, and again between 2010 and 2015, we're good. It seems that it's "okay" with the state for us to only fall between the range once in 9 years. Well... I suppose it really doesn't matter, because if the assessments go down, the rate will just go up. Tax bills are not going down in any significant way, ever.
Last edited by cowbell76; 01-24-2014 at 01:34 PM..
Thank you. I'd never heard the term before and it rubbed me the wrong way when I first read it. I felt like I was in The Hobbit.
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