The Reason for Poverty in Maine (Brewer, Old Town: lease, taxes, live)

[patsfan]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Alton had a tannery, but it smelled, so folks complained and got it shut down.

One piece of property that I looked at buying, had been owed by a fellow who had backing to start-up a peat processing operation. He would have hired 20 people and been shipping peat throughout NE. They ran him out of town quick. How dare some local come up with an idea of hiring folks and giving them jobs!

Being from away, and just asking questions about the story, I was amazed at how upset folks still get over the idea. They really get MAD, at the idea of having jobs here.

Boy Forest you hit the nail on the head with that one. The very idea of wanting to start a business! yikes We have the same problem in my small town. Nice lady spent 1,000,000 for mansion, got an offer of 2,000,000within a month or so.. the neighbors got so mad at the fact the buyers were opening a B/B/resort, the buyers changed their mind. So the owner is out a million dollars and the town lost the jobs..not to mention the money brought into town from the guests. It happens in my town all the time. If someone wants to start a business of any size they have fits. The favorite phrase is "it will change the character of the town". In this case it was the noise.
Unbeleivable.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by patsfan

Boy Forest you hit the nail on the head with that one. The very idea of wanting to start a business! yikes We have the same problem in my small town. Nice lady spent 1,000,000 for mansion, got an offer of 2,000,000within a month or so.. the neighbors got so mad at the fact the buyers were opening a B/B/resort, the buyers changed their mind. So the owner is out a million dollars and the town lost the jobs..not to mention the money brought into town from the guests. It happens in my town all the time. If someone wants to start a business of any size they have fits. The favorite phrase is "it will change the character of the town". In this case it was the noise. Unbeleivable.

LOL

It is 'unbelievable' but it is true.

[mainebrokerman]

the "not in my back-yard" syndrome, it seems the very same folks that complain about maine, not having jobs, kids are leaving the state, are the ones, that kill businesses, before they even start. very sad, indeed

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

the "not in my back-yard" syndrome, it seems the very same folks that complain about maine, not having jobs, kids are leaving the state, are the ones, that kill businesses, before they even start. very sad, indeed

Sadly this seems to appear as a political division.

Republicans who want small businesses everywhere: trading goods and monies, hiring folks and paying taxes. Keeping money flowing and everyone taking care of themselves.

Democrats who want: free education, free arts, free parks, free medical care, guaranteed minimum household incomes, and undisturbed scenery. No businesses that make noise, no businesses that make smells, no businesses built where frogs used to croak, and no farming.

Am I missing some part of it?

[mainebrokerman]

forest, im neither a dem or repub(not owned by either party) however, im a strong advocate of individual responsibility and for growing business, for secure jobs, businesses , often get dumped on,,,they provide, jobs, benefits, allows, employed workers to purchase in service industries, its a domino affect. also, taxes, monies to buy cars, houses, etc.
85% of all business, is small business, its the fuel of our economy!
no such thing as a free ride, someone else is paying for it!

[Submariner]

MBM -
I did not mean to imply nor insult anyone.

From your statement, you sound very republican. Meaning that you see society as being helped by having businesses.

When I look around here, and talk to folks, what I seem to be hearing more often is the opposite. Guaranteed income, free medical, and to close down all businesses [except big box stores].

[skippingstones]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

the "not in my back-yard" syndrome, it seems the very same folks that complain about maine, not having jobs, kids are leaving the state, are the ones, that kill businesses, before they even start. very sad, indeed

That's it in a nutshell...and that's why I live in New Hampshire.

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Maine, but it's not the state I grew up in anymore.

I lived in California for 20 years before moving back to New England. It's amazing to me how much Maine resembles California. Both states like to portray themselves as utopia, but internally there's a lot of conflict. Both states are in major denial.

You know what they say, "To fix a problem, first you have to admit you have one!" If you Mainers like the way the state is run, fine. Who cares what anyone else thinks? But if you don't, stop complaining and start changing things.

[mainebrokerman]

skipping, oh we have our problems, like all states,
but, i believe, a politician, running for office, cannot even be honest anymore, most are out, buying votes, now i blame, the media for half of this, trying to inflame conflict and controversy,
for example, say i was running for public office, and i made the statement, "lets take the fraud and fat out of maines' state welfare program, and make sure the ones that NEED it, receive more"
now, first of all my opponents, would have a field day with this as would the media, saying i'd want to starve old folks on fixed incomes and single mothers with kids, they'd even interview, a single mother, saying how difficult it is now, and the kids go hungry.
so, you cant even have an honest debate about issues.
before you all attack me, yes, there are single mothers on welfare, and thats what it is there for, a helping hand in time of need, however, how many single mothers have a loser boyfriend ,,living with her?? usually a pot-smoker, or drunk, or beats the hell out of her, or the kids. ive just seen so much, that wants to make me vomit, how, when, the charity/welfare is there to help the kids, the parent(s) ..make sure they have thier smokes (150 mnth) and alcohol, not to mention pot, and other drugs.
i've also met many mothers, that , used that helping hand and worked thier way out of poverty, i respect the hell out of that.
ive heard its the "poor" that buy and use the most drugs, where do they get there money for this??

[skippingstones]

I'm not going to attack you....and I probably won't insult Maine again on this board. It's not my place, especially since I don't live there anymore.

Maine is like an ornery, old uncle who won't stop complaining. You roll your eyes and put up with him because deep, down, you love him.

[DavidoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

the "not in my back-yard" syndrome, it seems the very same folks that complain about maine, not having jobs, kids are leaving the state, are the ones, that kill businesses, before they even start. very sad, indeed

Ah yes, NIMBY. As I think about my 51 years in Maine, my whole life, so far, except for a few years away at school, it seems to me that NIMBY started in the 60s with the environmental movement. Their main concerns then, if I remember right, were proposed oil refineries on the Maine coast and water pollution in the rivers. A related concern or target was the pulp and paper industry, which was the foundation of Maine's economy. And they brought attention to some things that needed attention. It is here that I think Maine has created an internal philosophical inconsistency: "Maine (The Way Life Should Be)=Vacationland" vs. Industrial Forestry and Pulp and Paper Mills. They are not very compatible visions, but one need not destroy the other, as seems to be happenning now. I'm afraid we have "thrown the baby out with the bath water" in Maine, however, to the point where practically anything new is subject to NIMBY. It's almost as if we have to decide if Maine is going to be allowed to have an actual economy or is it just going to be a place for self-sufficient rusticators (no offense against rusticators) and that includes wealthy coastal residents.
We all know that there is something special about Maine's largely unspoiled wilderness. How do we co-habitate with it? The larger towns have land-use planning ordinances. The smaller towns don't. I believe that creating land-use policies in these smaller towns can help to avoid NIMBY down the road.
If you read this far, maybe you need to consider getting a life! But thanks for bearing with me.