Found a interesting article on Maine taxes (Portland, Jefferson: rental, how much)

[Raffie]

Are taxes really high in Maine? | Portland Press Herald (http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=165005&ac=PHedi - broken link)

Yes, they are, but our infamous No. 1 ranking doesn't tell the whole story, and that's why the issue tends to stall.
John W. Porter January 27, 2008
— We tax ourselves in lots of different ways, and as a result, there are lots of ways of looking at how much we in Maine pay in taxes.

Perhaps the most common yardstick is the Tax Foundation's state and local tax burden computation, which takes how much money we collect for state and local taxes and holds it up against our incomes. This measure shows Mainers to be at or near the top in terms of tax burden.

[dmyankee]

Especially telling! "This is especially important to economic development because businesses contemplating coming to Maine couldn't care less about how much we pay relative to our incomes. They want to know how much they'll actually have to pay."

Businesses ARE NOT worried about what their executives will pay. They ARE worried about what their business will have to pay in expenses and graft to the State to do the work of their company. Add to that the cost of energy, transportation and environment impact standards.

Maine receives a $1.40 for every dollar they send to the Feds because of the poor business climate. Getting rid of the overlap in municipal services is long overdue, however!


"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government". Thomas Jefferson

[Submariner]

sigh

Blow some smoke, shine some lights on that smoke, and with some mirrors and handpuppets, and we can spin statistics in any manner that we wish to spin them. Maybe add a tap dance to go along with the show, and you might have something that is very entertaining.

Folks like to argue. sigh

We moved to Maine, and since then we have heard many times folks going on about how high taxes here are. I think it is like a religion in Maine. Folks are told as children that Maine is expensive and taxes are high. Meatheads running for office say it again and they get a chant going. And everyone agrees that Maine has the planet's highest taxes.

As I have said before, I am from 'away'. I have lived in many different places before we decided to move to Maine. We had never experienced such low taxes as this, in any area where we have lived previously.

If no one single individual tax is bigger; then no group of taxes can be bigger. You see 'lesser than' and 'lesser than' and 'lesser than' all summed up, can not equal 'greater than'.

But who am I? I am just a nobody. A military retiree who moved here because I found a place where my military pension could be enough to support me [without having to live in a third-world nation and speaking Tagholog. I prefer English].

And a lot of other military retirees have been moving here too!

[shadowfax1997]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

sigh

Blow some smoke, shine some lights on that smoke, and with some mirrors and handpuppets, and we can spin statistics in any manner that we wish to spin them. Maybe add a tap dance to go along with the show, and you might have something that is very entertaining.

Folks like to argue. sigh

We moved to Maine, and since then we have heard many times folks going on about how high taxes here are. I think it is like a religion in Maine. Folks are told as children that Maine is expensive and taxes are high. Meatheads running for office say it again and they get a chant going. And everyone agrees that Maine has the planet's highest taxes.

As I have said before, I am from 'away'. I have lived in many different places before we decided to move to Maine. We had never experienced such low taxes as this, in any area where we have lived previously.

If no one single individual tax is bigger; then no group of taxes can be bigger. You see 'lesser than' and 'lesser than' and 'lesser than' all summed up, can not equal 'greater than'.

But who am I? I am just a nobody. A military retiree who moved here because I found a place where my military pension could be enough to support me [without having to live in a third-world nation and speaking Tagholog. I prefer English].

And a lot of other military retirees have been moving here too!

sigh. You do understand your situation is rather unique?

Most people can't retire when you did, and most either can't/or don't want to live the way you do. Nothing wrong with that, but it is rather unique.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Raffie

One conclusion might be that, despite all the complaints about taxes here, Mainers are inherently liberal and don't mind that their taxes are high. Maybe.

I am not fooled by the maybe. It is common knowledge that conservatives and Republicans magically believe that somehow liberals just love to pay taxes. Give me an effin' brake dude. Maybe if people swore allegiance to common sense instead of to some kooky radio nincompoop more people would realize this. EVERYONE moans and groans over taxes. But I am sure that someone on here is going to tell me that they know some Volvo driving lefty from Amherst who just lloooovvvveeesss to pay taxes

Originally Posted by Raffie

Because our incomes are lower and the federal government relies heavily on income taxes, we pay less in federal taxes. The federal tax burden in Maine puts us at No. 37 among the states. When you combine the state and federal burden here, we have the 10th highest overall tax burden in the nation.

Ok, this does not make sense and is just a play on words. Just because Mainers contribute less money in Federal taxes than other states does not mean that Mainers pay less taxes overall. Federal taxes are a percentage of your income so it does not matter HOW much you are paying because you are PAYING the same amount as everyone else across the country who falls into your same tax bracket.

And, do I need to point out the obvious? Maine contributes less because Maine is sparsely populated state.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

As I have said before, I am from 'away'. I have lived in many different places before we decided to move to Maine. We had never experienced such low taxes as this, in any area where we have lived previously.

I don't doubt that your current taxes are the lowest that you have payed in your life, but I have to ask, did you live out in the sticks and receive tax 'breaks' for growing trees while you lived in CT, CA, Italy, or where ever else?

I am not trying to flame you but based on your posts I get the impression that your taxes are low because of your current living situation/specific location and not because of the state that you live in.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by K-Luv;

... I don't doubt that your current taxes are the lowest that you have payed in your life, but I have to ask, did you live out in the sticks and receive tax 'breaks' for growing trees while you lived in CT, CA, Italy, or where ever else?

I am not trying to flame you but based on your posts I get the impression that your taxes are low because of your current living situation/specific location and not because of the state that you live in.

I do not see it as a matter of the state's name as much as it is rural.

Sparsely populated.

There are other areas stateside with lower taxes too. But they tend to be arid desert land.

Maine has water. It is hard to live without water.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by shadowfax1997

sigh. You do understand your situation is rather unique?

Most people can't retire when you did, and most either can't/or don't want to live the way you do. Nothing wrong with that, but it is rather unique.

I am can not help what careerfield anyone else choose, or when they get a pension.

I see many folks who likewise got 20-year pensions, perhaps it is my circle of associates.

[retiredtinbender]

In the UT services, what there are, are sparse and the state sets the taxe rate and the assessment in the UT. But even in small city format gov't places (like Eastport) there is a need for services; police, fire, you all know. Services cost money and money comes from taxes which are based on assessments. The better and bigger your property the more assessment then tax. Basically, if you can afford to live high on the hog then you can afford to be taxed more.

I think (my opinion) the "liberal" reference in the article is that liberal thinking generally means if you have money you should support programs that help less fortunate. I'm not putting a label to it or deriding the idea just my opinion of the assumption. The premise has it's roots in Christianity and other religions.

But when I read artcles like this I remember the first thing I learned in stats: There are lies, damn lies, and then there is statistics. They are like surveys; the first question is usually "What kind of answer are you looking for?"

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by retiredtinbender

But when I read artcles like this I remember the first thing I learned in stats: There are lies, damn lies, and then there is statistics. They are like surveys; the first question is usually "What kind of answer are you looking for?"

That's pretty much been my experience whenever I look at any "statistical" information. It's oftentimes subject to interpretation. All I can go by is what I experience first-hand.

I have a friend who grew up in MA, went to UMaine, and lived for a period of time here after college. When the opportunity to transfer his engineering skills to NH came up, he ran the numbers. He lives there to this day, and he lives quite well now having developed his own rental property business. One of his biggest deciding factors was the raise he'd get just by way of what taxes came out of his paycheck. Although his property taxes were higher, he is still much better off there then here.

IMO, it's hardest for those of us who don't have pensions from which to draw (thus in my mind is why retirees seem to be moving here more often now). Those who have been born and raised here (and are trying to raise children here) see their well-paying jobs fly the coop, and it then becomes obviously much harder to pay for a mortgage, property taxes, etc, so when taxes go up yet again, it raises ire yet again. The hole gets deeper.

I guess in the long run, speaking for myself anyway, it doesn't matter whose taxes are highest wherever - IMHO, it's more about keeping income leveled at the same pace as taxes.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by retiredtinbender;

In the UT services, what there are, are sparse and the state sets the taxe rate and the assessment in the UT. But even in small city format gov't places (like Eastport) there is a need for services; police, fire, you all know. Services cost money and money comes from taxes which are based on assessments. The better and bigger your property the more assessment then tax. Basically, if you can afford to live high on the hog then you can afford to be taxed more.

That is how I understand it.

... But when I read artcles like this I remember the first thing I learned in stats: There are lies, damn lies, and then there is statistics. They are like surveys; the first question is usually "What kind of answer are you looking for?"

Exactly.