I agree with V. What isn't discussed here is the tax situation. The Maine state government is one thing -- they seem to grasp there is a bit of a problem at the moment. The small town governments are entirely another -- school boards run rampant, local town governments are fatally inexperienced, and many, quite frankly, are unconcerned with anything but making sure the "good old boys" are taken care of nicely. In my town, where the local council wanted a 24% increase in property taxes, the budget included new top of the line laptops for school board members, a new top of the line truck for the head of maintenance at one of the schools -- so he could make "emergency trips to school in winter" and have something for his private use.....and, yes, full freight health insurance for all town employees.
Living in Maine is fine if you want to rent. Lunacy if you are a resident. If you are, you have to understand that your job is to provide all municipal employees with the finer things in life.
andy resnic
of ME
@
Jan 29, 2009 13:50:45 PM
Portland
and where people like Eric clearly don't need to be educated to live....Eric,you should not be calling other writers work "crap" in light of your own.
Kelley King
of NH
@
Oct 27, 2008 04:55:41 AM
do some research
I went to college in Portland. Even as a young person, I found the climate challenging. As I remember walking around the streets were almost always slushly, slippery and dangerous. The heating bills are a major concern in Portland. Now that I am older, my joints and arthitis would definitly be a concern as well.
of SC
@
Sep 30, 2008 16:07:58 PM
Left out of this article is the fact that long-time residents are being priced out of Peaks Island by newcomers like Saltonstall; taxes, in fact, are going through the roof on Peaks Island, so much so that a group of Peaks Island residents led a movement to secede from Portland last year. In addition, retirees can anticipate that oil prices will continue to skyrocket and 80% of Maine houses are heated with oil. So retirees who come to Portland should be aware that they will continue to face high taxes, and high, and going higher heating bills, as they go through their retirement years.
v
of ME
@
Sep 22, 2008 13:55:58 PM
a joke corect what about the hi taxes
really who write this crap or comes up withthe words thie is one of the most hightst taved states in the natuin coldest places in the north east and one of the worst places for arthritice in the world .. whoever writes this crap needs to do more investigating . if portland goes the way he is saying in these words that are written in this article there will be niothing left in maine but old reitred people just walking around no wonder there are no younger people staying around .. also retired living in the philipines for three years now at age 54 . where it is warm everydat and you can live on 5 .oo a day
andy resnic of ME @ Jan 29, 2009 13:50:45 PM
Kelley King of NH @ Oct 27, 2008 04:55:41 AM
of SC @ Sep 30, 2008 16:07:58 PM
v of ME @ Sep 22, 2008 13:55:58 PM
eric a taylor of ME @ Sep 19, 2008 17:35:54 PM
Terry Cummings of ME @ Sep 19, 2008 10:37:52 AM
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