Rep. Richardson - "No Tax Increases in Budget"

Heard him make that statement on WCSH tonite. Is this true?

quote:Originally posted by threeputt:
Heard him make that statement on WCSH tonite. Is this true?

It depends upon what you call a tax. There are lots of fee increases, which certainly increase state revenue, but you also have a choice on whether or not to use that service. There were not any increases on fees that practically everyone pays like car registration and drivers license fees. The biggest money in fees is coming from hunting and fishing licenses. The budget also delays conformity with federal tax changes that passed last year. This also increases revenue. These changes never actually went into effect at the state level so it is not a tax increase but a delay of a tax cut that would have gone into effect.There is also a change to the Homestead Exemption that effects people with homes valued at over $150,000. (I think that's the right number.) That's the one that is the hardest for me to swallow. To the people effected by that change, it is a direct increase in property taxes that is due to the budget.Some would argue that the small increase in state aid to education will cause an increase in property taxes. Of course, there hasn't been a budget passed since the late 1980's when that claim hasn't been made. The schools yelled and screamed when the sales tax was cut that that would cause a property tax increase.To be entirely correct, it would be best to say that the budget doesn't include an increase in state tax rates. That would make a distinction between state and local taxes and tax rates and fees.And there is still a $22 million shortfall in this fiscal year and a $48 million shortfall in the next two years so the game is not over yet.It is a hell of a lot better than I expected the day after the election. It is also better than what we would have had if Angus King was still Governor. He said the budget could not be balanced without tax increase and he wasn't talking about the kind of things listed above. He was talking about real sales or income tax increases.

Stand by for heavy rolls. Richardson has talked often of his desire to reap another $600-800 million a year in sales tax revenue. Of course, it won't be a tax increase, it will just be "broadening the tax base." One of his lackeys in the house even suggested lowering the sales tax rate by a quarter of a point or so at the same time to enable them to call it a tax cut. How's that...a tax cut that brings in another $800 million in tax revenue.Richardson is an ambitious self-promoter and schemer intent on making it to the Blaine House. I wouldn't believe anything he says that appears to give taxpayers or business owners hope.He will talk tax reform....which has nothing to do with making you and I better off; it has only to do with making Government better off and making him and his gang look like heroes in the process. He fully understands the need to deliver goodies to get votes.

Fellas,You must remember that Representative Richardson (D) Brinswick is a Lawyer. I don't really think that anything more needs to be said.Gotta go feed the pigs...Henry

Say what you want, the bottom line is state and local governments are going to take more of our money.Every rational person I know calls that a tax increase.

fee increase = new taxes that aren't supposed to look like new taxes"broadening the tax base" = new taxes that aren't supposed to look like new taxesSame old story, just a new spin...

I don't agree that every fee increase is actually a tax increase.Some fees are used to cover particular services to individuals and businesses that are not used by most of the public. One fee increase in the bugdet is to cover the cost of criminal background checks requested by private individuals pr businesses. Shouldn't an individual or business requesting such a check cover the cost of receiving that service? It is not something that I believe should be supported by the taxpayers.One of the "fee" increases in the new budget is co-payments for some people on Medicaid. Are we against people getting government paid healthcare contributing some to pay for their care? I hope not.The largest fee increases in the budget were license fee increases for IF&W. Until recent years, IF&W has been funded entirely by fees. The new budget goes back to that system. The Governor's original proposal contained deeper cuts to IF&W. Fees were increased to reduce those cuts. I heard more complaining by sportsmen's groups about the job cuts than I do now about the fee increases. The deeper cuts were OK with me but if sportsmen would rather pay higher fees to support their programs, why should we object?Some fee increases are only hidden tax increases and should be opposed. Fee increases that nearly everyone pays, like car registration fees and driver license fees, are just like tax increases but others are not. Some fee increases properly assess the cost of a service to those that directly benefit from it. Most of the states that have lower tax rates make a greater use of fees for services.

quote: The deeper cuts were OK with me but if sportsmen would rather pay higher fees to support their programs, why should we object?

George,That kind of thinking is great in theory, but has no application in the real world. You see, if Maine DIF&W is funded only by fees for fishing and hunting licenses then they should focus only on fishing and hunting issues and totally manage their mission with the license buyers opinions in mind.In recent year Maine has seen an increasing demand for equality of management between so called non-consumptive wildlife users and sportsmen who hunt and fish. The only major difference is that the non-consumptive wildlife users do not pay for a license. The State even created a voluntary license for them to buy and that did not amount to much.If one of these idiots goes out and get lost, guess who has the pleasure of organizing and executing the search? You guessed it, the Maine DIF&W at the expense of all the Maine Sportsmen and women who have paid their fair share. This kind of situation hurts the department because money used for searches cannot be used to comply with the Departments mission.Maine Sportsmen got screwed in this budget and there is no other way to put it. I guess we can thank George Smith and his SAM board for endorsing Peter publicly and promoting the "Pimp" in private. It only took him Baldaci 2 months to screw us.Thanks George! I gotta go feed the pigs...Henry

Henry: I don't disagree with your point but we funded IF&W by fees for the whole history of our state until about three years ago. With the $1 billion shortfall, the department was going to see either program cuts or fee increases. Less people hunt and fish every year. Sportsmen don't have the political clout that they used to. There was no way that the Legislature was going to cut education or healthcare so IF&W's budget could be protected. One of the new fees does hit non-motorized canoes and kayaks so more pople will ve contributing to IF&W's budget than before. I'm not saying that what was done was the perfect solution, butI think under the circumstances, IF&W was going to get hit one way or the other. Everyone calls for cuts, until the cuts hit a program they care about.

I have only one question to ask. When if ever will the people of Maine stand up and say no? No more taxes. We will not pay any more taxes. Our forefathers had the courage to say no. Has our courage ebbed to such a low that we are willing to become slaves to the infernal revenue and the state tax collector? If we have lets stop bitching and pay.
Bud

Bud, the answer is when the tax man is standing on the stoop demanding your home for nonpayment. Of course, that only upsets the poor schmuck losing his home. The people standing in line for government largess funded by the theft of this home are all salivating for a bigger bite of someone elses pie.maine has simply gone too far into the dark side. too many with their hands out. Too many interests who simply do not pay "their fair share" but want to tie into someone elses money.In short, until the final crash..rushing at this state, arrives, nothing will change. :(

OK--George. If you make a change in the Law and the result is MORE money goes to the tax department--what is it exactly?Or if your property tax was one amount, but then they chnaged the law and now it is an amount that is more--what is it exactly?If you increase spending by 40 million or so in the state budget , using money from the roads budget(that comes from gas taxes) then propose to raise the gas tax by about the same amount...what is it, exactly?[ 04-02-2003: Message edited by: Tardus ]

Per front page of today's Bangor Daily -- State Gas Tax Likely to Increase (by 2.5 cents).What happened to "no new taxes?" Or when is a tax not a tax?

What are they going to do when fewer people buy hunting and fishing licenses, because of the higher price?.It wouldn't surprise me if they take in less money after the increase.

Doug,Your posts on AMG show great concern about taxes and spending by the state. Do you support the state putting a 32 cent per gallon tax on milk? It will cost Maine milk consumers over 1 million per month if they continue to buy the present amount of milk.I think I note hypocrisy in your posts.

got milk, Your probably right, but I sleep well at night believing it's okay to help hardworking farmers at the same time believing over paid bureaucrats don't need a raise.Besides it's those overpaid bureaucrats that we hired that have caused about 90% of the farmers problems, and we hired them, we ought to pay to clean up the mess they've made.

James, I try to understand where you are coming from but I am very glad that our founding fathers did not have that attitude. We would all be singing god save the queen now. There are ways without things like you describe happening.
If the taxes keep going up at the present rate we will lose it all anyway.
Bud[ 04-02-2003: Message edited by: budlandry@mid ]

I just watched the school board down here in a meeting with the Superintendent as they reviewed their budget submittal plans.The overwhelming impression after watching this is that everyone on the school board seems to have only one motivation - a singular sense of obligation to spend more, improve everything, and do any and everything any parent or student asks for. Every item is an investment in the kids. Every nanny request (sometimes the kids go to the nurse for some TLC, or to have someone to talk to) is summarily seen as an obligation of the taxpayer.They recognize seniors have trouble paying taxes, but then suggest that if we don't do a better job teaching our kids (meaning spend more money), they won't be there paying in to social security for us old folks. They've got it covered on all bases.There is no will to knuckle down to hard times. There is no will to tell people they can't have everything they want. And it is very clear that the majority of the problem is due to preprogrammed generous salary increases and near total payment of insurance benefits, no matter the increase.So they want 6% more in property tax support for a budget that is going backwards, in their view. Between what I heard people wanting the state to do and this, I am disheartened beyond measure.m.

Melvn, so what are you going to do about it?
Bud

quote:Originally posted by budlandry@mid:
James, I try to understand where you are coming from but I am very glad that our founding fathers did not have that attitude. We would all be singing god save the queen now. There are ways without things like you describe happening.
If the taxes keep going up at the present rate we will lose it all anyway.
Bud[ 04-02-2003: Message edited by: budlandry@mid ]

Bud, it's simple. Each and every year I see the amount of money the state and the local pols take go up. Simple fact, never down, always up. Even our current budget crisis is a crisis of expectations. I may well be wrong but i would bet this years revenues without any change in taxes is up over last years. What we have is a crisis in spending desires.How do the people of Maine deal with this unpleasant reality? They continue to elect the exact same politicians who put us in our current mess. Didn't Einstein once say something to the effect that the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things yet expecting different results.making the situation worse is the tendency of elected republicans to go along with, compromise with, or actively support the process of destroying the state. We should have stood as a party and absolutely refused to support any action that allowed the state to spend ANY new money. Instead we once again compromised.That is where i am coming from. I really, truly believe that nothing will change until either a tax cap passes or the economic mess reaches such a critical mass that not even the most blind democrat can ignore it. Did you note the article in the PPH the other day in which a local town did it's revaluation tax increase? The one that had the retired couple who bought their home 40 years ago for a bit more than $3000 have it valued at a smidgen under a million and receive a tax bill of over $16000!! Just what makes anyone believe these people HAVE $16K to feed to the town? Nothing at all. They only are "rich" if they sell their home. Who gave some local bureaucrat the right to decide just who gets to live in their family home? The answer is the politicians of Maine.Of course, my view is tainted by living in Portland, the center of the free lunch and the capitol of the peoples republic of Maine. I have absolutely no chance what so ever of seeing my taxes stabalize or come down. None, zero. They will tax and spend until there is no one left who is not either on the take or so rich nothing the city does can effect them. Then they will loudly complain about the greedy middle class that fled instead of staying and supporting the cause.Tell me Bud...just what does a citizen of maine get for all this taxation that a resident of Montana not have? They have schools, roads, police and fire protection? Remember, we pay taxes only to get a service from govenment. Taxes are not a full employment plan for government unions. What do we get?I contend nothing but bureaucrats.As to our founding fathers...remember, it took decades of rabble rousing before they had enough people fed up enough to change anything. They did not get to that state by compromising with the King and helping the british rule. They fought each and every reach the redcoats tried. We compromise and as a result enable the dems to loot us and destroy our state.That's where I am coming from. The fed up wing of the republican party :confused:

I head a taxpayers association, and we will do what we can, like last year, to resist tax increases. We publish to our capacity on the op-ed pages. We dig up data and analyze and present it. We hope for more and more to realize what's going on, but our effort is frequently seen as anti-social and mean spirited, as you would expect.But we are overwhelmed by those crying "more, more, more. It's for the children. We owe it to the people. We can't balance the budget on the backs of our seniors."Through other organizations, we look for candidates oppose the status quo and work to elect them. Again, our success is very limited, and our efforts are definitely bucking the tide (and the apathy.) We live in a generation of socialists and government firsters.We are working to find alternate media channels, etc. We challenge the words from Augusta in public.It is never enough. And it is not much fun working on a losing cause. The state of the GOP in Maine only adds to the dismay.So there. That's what I could think of at the moment that I am doing. Do I pass your test?m

My complaint is with our elected officials and their never ending ability to compromise away what makes maine special (and that is not more social workers per squarte mile than any other state in the country).I have a bizarre view of compromise. In my mind, compromise means BOTH sides get something. In Maine it works like this. The dems want say a million for a new or expanded project. We counter with a plan that only spends $750K and settle on $900K. Then we propose a plan that costs (or cuts) a million and the dems say no and that's that. then the dems are back for their next compromise. We get nothing and only serve to grow democratic power and our taxes a bit every year instead of a whole lot.Shut the buggers down. No new taxes, none at all.You sir fight the good fight but where are our republican successes? I see none. More importantly, where is our republican spine? Instead we get "compromise".Sad :(

From an adjacent thread:You want inflation adjusted increases in gas tax? They give us inflation based decreases in income tax.What's wrong in Augusta? Probably a number of things. But first and foremost is a leaderless group of Republicans with no consolidated platform, vision, plan, or other elements that would provide cohesiveness. And that is a reflection of the status of the state Party. You can argue who's the chicken and who's the egg, but unless we fry the egg and pluck the chicken, nothing much will ever change.Absent this leadership, Baldacci is the leader of the Republicans.

James and Melvin, I will try to answer you both in one post so if I wander around a little please try to read between the lines. I do agree with everything you both say. The bottom line is we send to much money to Augusta. If we send it they will spend it. It seems from what you both say is that you are both waiting for the people of Maine to elect budget responsible people to Augusta and that is not going to happen. The takers far outnumber the givers so we are outvoted to begin with. James mentions our founding fathers and every thing he says is true but he left out one fact.
Our founders only had ten per-cent of the people with them when they started but they won anyway. It took hard work and sacrifice but they did it. I just happen to believe that we could win too but it would take some hard work and some sacrifice. I just wonder if we have that kind of American left in the state of Maine. Melvin, I did not mean what I asked you as a test, I was just curious. What you both say sounds defeatist to me and I was not raised to be a defeatist. I was taught very young that if you wanted something you fought for it. This may be a little incoherent but it is the best I can do for now.
Bud

The reason I fight is because I want it. But I'm not going to blow smoke up everyone's ass and tell them we are making great headway. Have we effected some changes in town spending and adherence to charter requirements, yes we have. But it is a slow and painful process, angering any number of folks along the way.The latter doesn't really worry me; but it does make for a joyless and unpleasant working atmosphere. But the worst impact on morale is the knowledge that our state Party apparatus is leaderless, feckless, disoriented, incoherent, and voiceless. There is no rallying point, no leader to spur us on. No tangible evidence of hope. No direction, no plan, no battle objectives. No ten top priorities. Without this overarching structure, we don't have a framework, we don't have a puzzle to be a part of.But hey....always look on the bright side of your life. We don't live in Baghdad, or Baghdad by the Bay.Mel

Bud, it's not defeatist but a demand to stop operating in a self defeating manner. It's a demand for action that might actually do something to change our sorry plight. I say drive a stake throught the heart of bipartisanship and compromise and dig our heals in. Demand an end to business as usual and shut the state down till they begin to compromise with us. Reverse direction here. Stop what does not work and try something new. Develop a spine and hold our leaders accountable.Is it defeatist to tell the simple truth, that our decades long record of compromise has resulted in a state with the highest taxes in the country and a business climate second to all? Again, if something simply does not work, DO NOT DO IT ANY LONGER! :eek:

Melvin and James, again I agree with every thing you are saying. We cannot depend on any party or party leader. We can demand and be damned, they will not listen. As James said, that has been tryed for decades and it does not work. As James also said," do not do it any longer." Now that is what I have been driving at. We do not have to send them the money. There are many legal ways we can deprive them of the money. They will cry and say we are taking it from the kids but if they do not fund the kids it will be the legislature's fault. If we can get twenty five per-cent of the working people with us we can do it. I do not mean we three can do it, I mean the twenty five per-cent can do it.
Bud

Yep,we have to fight the good fight. I was at a budget forum on Monday. We had a good deal of talk about the school consolidation program and about other capital improvement plans way off in the future but they were way short of details about how to make next years budget balance without a tax increase.Again (for the third year) I pointed out the very simple facts on the school budget that we have had over a 15% drop in enrollment, an increase in employees and that the employees take 80% of the budget and all of our last few tax increases.I asked the question..."why can we simply bring employee numbers down to match enrollment?". You would of thought I had proposed BBQing babies! They would rather close an entire school (with annual saving of $500K) then lay off the 10 employees that would produce the same savings in salary and benefits.No, until a tax revolt hits in the form of Citizens for a strong maine economy of carol Paleski's effort, nothing will change. :eek:

Bud: please give me the punch line; how do I stop sending in so much money?m

James...Your remarkable efforts are admirable. Alas, you'll get the same thing I got: "He's an ideologue".Take solace in the fact that you are correct in your quest. At some point in time, there will be an accounting in the state and it won't be pretty.
People are leaving every day, and they are young, productive types.Economics is a science, with hard and fast laws. The signs are there, and the conclusion is inescapable.