New Hampshire Has the Most Freedom, New York the Least in New State Rankings

About Maine, and it may apply to Alaska as well: Since its origin as a colony of Massachusetts (statehood did not come to Maine until 1820) through the days of the lumber barons to today's summer people, Maine's economy has been dominated by outsiders. Traditionally, Mainers have made a living as independent contractors subject to the whims of a a market dominated by outsiders. Fishermen answered to markets in Boston and now answer to federal bureaucrats and scientists' estimates of the fish population; lobstering, which is regulated by the lobster fishers themselves, is a highly successful exception. To this day, lumbering is done by independent contractors working in forests owned by large corporations and selling trees to mills owned by other large coporations. Vast tracts of land owned by corporations have not passed into public ownership because, traditionally, the corporations have allowed Mainers to hunt, fish, erect 'camps', and ride snowmobiles across their lands. In coastal towns, people make a living as independent contractor caretakers of "cottages" owned by summer people, plowing snow in winter, cutting grass in summer, and making minor repairs all year. Others own small businesses that cater to tourists. Economic regulation may be intended to apply to large businesses not usually owned by Mainers. Being on your own in an unforgiving environment may give one a taste for personal freedom while desiring government regulation of the economy in an effort to level the playing field.

Jim Linnane of ME 6:38AM March 11, 2009