Tag Archives: Taxes

Infrastructure funding will determine whether Maine is not Washington

Well, at the very least, things are consistent. Just over a year ago, I wrote that Democrats — in Augusta and Washington — are a study in contrasts. It’s still true today. In the past 10 days, we saw two traditional ceremonies take place. In our nation’s capital, a procession of House Democrats marched to […]

A new bipartisanship in Augusta? Not really.

Now that Democrats are in charge in Augusta, everything is hunky-dory. Right? After all, that is the gist of a recent headline appearing in the Bangor Daily News. The gist of that reporting, by Maine Public, suggests former Gov. Paul LePage was a grump, and Gov. Janet Mills’ administration offers a sunny new approach to […]

Measure growth, cut government, and grow the economy

It’s that time of year. No, not mud season (although it is that too). It is the time when the “Maine Economic Growth Council” — an organization established by law at the end of Gov. Jock McKernan’s tenure — releases its annual report known as the “Measures of Growth.” It takes a snapshot of certain […]

Local options sales taxes should remain lost

“Get lost.” It’s not a terribly friendly sentiment. That said, the idea has fractured the partisan divide in Augusta, which means Maine voters can pressure their officials without running afoul of silly political games. In this case, “lost” is an acronym for “Local Option Sales Taxes.” L.O.S.T. Last week, Portland’s Democratic Mayor Ethan Strimling joined […]

I’m with Mills rather than a vague “green new deal”

Well, with a new Congress being inaugurated and Janet Mills taking the oath of office, one thing is coming into focus: Democrats are a study in contrasts. In Washington, a large contingent of newly elected representatives are calling for a “Green New Deal.” What actual, concrete policy does this slogan encompass? No one is really […]

Job one for new lawmakers is to get more young people to Maine

Dear Members of the 129th Maine Legislature, On Wednesday, Dec. 5, you will raise your right hand and swear an oath to the Constitutions of the United States and Maine. Then, it’s official. You will hold the office to which you were elected. And the real work will begin. Maine is in an interesting place. […]

Democrats won, but voters still hate taxes

For all the (not incorrect) talk about “blue waves” and “Republican rebukes” in the election results, there is one undertow which has been under-reported: Voters still hate taxes. In Maine, one of the biggest winners on Nov. 6 was not Angus King. Or Chellie Pingree. Or Janet Mills. It was the “No on 1” campaign, […]

Want to get back at Donald Trump? Simplify the tax code.

You have to give The New York Times credit. Their 13,000-word expose on the inner workings of the Trump family business is fascinating. How much of it is true is a different question. And the boundary between bias and objectivity is unclear; much of the piece uses words with loaded connotations, such as describing certain […]

Skip the extensions and pay your sales taxes

Tax day hath cometh and goeth. I hope you sent your paperwork to the IRS, or got an extension. Meanwhile, the state Legislature is no longer meeting. Maine law requires them to adjourn their “short session” by April 18, or get an extension, which they failed to do. Like the proverbial college student, they waited […]