All posts tagged "Taxes"
-
Students should learn more basic life skills in high school
The Maine Department of Education has certain requirements students must complete before they...
-
In light of ProPublica report, Congress looks primed to ravage IRAs
Clearly, the vast majority of people taking advantage of IRAs are everyday Americans...
-
Disney is moving 2,000 jobs from California to Florida—here’s why
One of the great things about America’s 50-state federal system is that people...
-
In missed opportunity, SCOTUS declines to rule on WFH tax case
The issue of how this subset of workers is taxed is not going...
-
Legislature sustains Mills’ veto on LD 920, a victory for communities and consumers alike
Gov. Janet Mills made the right choice in vetoing LD 920, sponsored by...
-
Mills’ veto stops new graduated real estate transfer tax
Should Mainers have to pay more in taxes for buying a new piece...
-
Systemic tax reform is better than one-time gimmicks
This week, Maine lawmakers will vote on LD 221, Governor Janet Mills’ supplemental...
-
Bills to increase income and estate taxes die in the Legislature
Two bills to increase taxes on hardworking Mainers failed to pass at the...
-
‘Modern taxation without representation’: Legal pushback on unfair work from home taxes
During the stress, added financial and mental burden brought on by the pandemic...
-
More wrangling to come on supplemental budget, federal relief spending
On June 17, the Maine Legislature is expected to adjourn a special session...
-
Shifting recycling costs to producers an easy way to raise the cost of groceries
A recent study by Dr. Calvin Lakhan of York University has found that...
-
ProPublica misleads the public on ‘bombshell’ tax report
Over the last few days, headlines have been dominated by a story that...
-
ProPublica’s bombshell tax report that wasn’t
ProPublica’s deceptive and misguided campaign to convince the American electorate that billionaires don’t...
-
Tax Committee at odds with Mills administration on increases to income, estate taxes
A pair of bills recently voted out of the Committee on Taxation have...
-
Time to pursue real tax fairness in Maine with a flat income tax
This week, my legislative colleagues on the Taxation Committee held a public hearing...
-
Tobacco tax increase would reduce revenue, hurt the poor and undermine safe alternatives
The 100 percent increase in taxes on all tobacco products as proposed recently...
-
Majority budget showdown set for Tuesday in Augusta
Maine’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee met on Thursday to hold a work...
-
Democrats confirm plan to approve majority budget by April 1
The Maine Legislature will convene in person on Tuesday to approve the state’s...
-
Biden’s planned corporate tax hike will cost jobs and reduce economic growth, because that’s what taxes do
President Joe Biden is reportedly considering a plan to hike taxes on individuals...
-
Lawmakers convening Wednesday to debate supplemental budget, state of emergency
Maine lawmakers will convene in-person in Augusta this week for the first time...
-
After a difficult 2020, some lawmakers want to raise taxes on struggling Mainers
The last year has been challenging for most people in the country and...
-
Mills unveils new compromise on PPP issue, tax conformity
Maine Governor Janet Mills issued a press release Tuesday outlining a proposed path...
-
Governor Mills’ budget sleight of hand
Maine Governor Janet Mills released the details of her second proposed biennial budget last Friday...
-
Maine not out of the woods despite rosier revenue projections
Though Maine’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly taken a toll on...
-
Should remote workers pay a tax for the ‘privilege’ of using their home as an office?
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the service sector, made millions unemployed, and forced...
-
Governor Mills among the most fiscally irresponsible governors in America
Last week, the Cato Institute released the newest edition of its Fiscal Policy...
-
BDN Editorial Board tells Mainers to pay up for Gov. Mills’ mistakes
The BDN editorial board’s recent commentary on the state budget shortfall reminds us...
-
Why Mainers should be skeptical of the bond questions in the July primary election
In the past 13 years, Maine voters have approved 38 of 39 bond...
-
-
Frivolous spending leaves Maine ill-equipped to weather economic slowdown
Unnecessary spending in Governor Janet Mills’ biennial budget, approved by Maine lawmakers in...
-
Governor Mills extends state tax filing deadline, deems firearm retailers ‘non-essential’ businesses
Governor Janet Mills announced Thursday she is extending the state of Maine’s income...
-
The left is making big push to raise taxes on hardworking Mainers
Maine Rep. Benjamin Collings of Portland held a press conference last week to...
-
Lawmakers looking to nickel and dime Mainers with a local option sales tax
Lawmakers on Maine’s Taxation Committee will hold a work session Thursday to debate...
-
Southern Maine lawmakers want to build a taxpayer-funded convention center in Portland
The Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing...
-
Liberal lawmakers propose creating new commission to propose ‘fair’ and ‘equitable’ tax increases
Members of the Maine Legislature’s taxation committee will hold a public hearing Tuesday...
-
-
-
Like others that preceded it, Governor Mills’ economic plan will be a bust
Governor Mills on Wednesday released her 10-year economic development plan for Maine, the...
-
New California law threatens workers in the ‘gig economy,’ and it’s spreading to other states
A new law that changes how workers are classified in the “gig economy”...
-
A local option sales tax would not help the average Maine town or taxpayer
The Maine Heritage Policy Center on Monday released a new policy brief, “A...
-
Is it feasible to provide a universal basic income in Maine?
Earlier this year the legislature passed LD 1324, a bill that creates an 11-person...
-
Maine should end the practice of home equity theft
In Maine and 12 other states, local governments have the ability to steal...
-
Maine doled out more than $31 million in tax abatements in 2018
In 2015, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) released Statement Number 77, advising...
-
Gas and diesel tax outlined in TCI framework would hurt Maine’s most vulnerable
The following letter was submitted by The Maine Heritage Policy Center to the...
-
As 2020 approaches, threat of Health Insurance Tax looms
With the fourth quarter underway, small-business owners in Maine and across the country...
-
Lawmakers missed a prime opportunity to cut taxes in first session
It’s no secret that Maine state government’s primary sources of revenue are generated...
-
Mainers can’t afford corporate welfare
Conservatives are often accused of favoring wealthy individuals and corporations over those in...
-
Maine’s burdensome death tax should be repealed, not expanded
When it comes down to it, Maine is an amazing place to live...
-
Is it time to rethink how we fund our roads?
I’ve lived in Maine all my life, and I can’t remember a time...
-
What Maine could learn from New Hampshire about fiscal responsibility
Last month, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu vetoed a two-year state budget because...
-
The inconvenient truth about Maine’s tax code
Every two years, the Maine Office of Tax Policy releases a lengthy report...
-
Maine’s estate tax should be repealed, not expanded
The effort to expand Maine’s estate tax, more aptly known as the “death...
-
On taxes, lawmakers should exercise restraint
It is a fallacy that individual clauses in the Constitution can be considered...
-
Speaker Gideon’s paid leave plan illustrates lawmakers’ propensity to tax and spend
The First Session of the 129th Maine Legislature has been filled with proposals...
-
Portland should put people at the heart of economic development
What creates jobs? What goes into building a healthy and vibrant economy that...
-
Now is the time to reduce Maine’s tax burden
There has been plenty of legislation proposed this session that would increase taxes...
-
Sin taxes are not the solution to Maine’s public health problems
Lawmakers on Maine’s Taxation Committee on Thursday, April 11 held public hearings on...
-
Don’t fall for the seasonal gas tax gimmick
Roads across Maine are in rough shape this time of year, and a...
-
Efforts to broaden the ‘death tax’ in Maine will backfire
The estate tax, often referred to as the “death tax,” is assessed by...
-
Free college, Medicare for All and other insanities of the extreme left
Clichéd as it may be, conservatives live in “a target rich environment” for...
-
New York governor has revelation: Progressive tax policies are hurting his state
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may have come to his senses on tax...
-
Governor Mills’ budget should include meaningful tax reforms
Governor Mills is preparing to unveil her budget proposal for the next biennium...
-
-
Maine taxpayers cannot afford the costs of universal health care
Among the many harebrained schemes that will be considered in the Maine Legislature...
-
Is the three percent surtax back from the dead?
During the biennial budget battle in 2017 that led to Maine’s first government...
-
Our revenue surplus should be returned to the people through tax cuts
Over the next three years, the State is projected to collect more than...
-
-
Whoever wins, Maine’s next governor needs to address these challenges
After the sounds of boisterous campaign rallies fade and the realities of the...
-
Progressives try to debunk tax flight by ignoring the data
The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) recently released an analysis of interstate...
-
Question 1 will fail those it is intended to help
Question 1 promises a false sense of security that is destined to fail...
-
Question 1 on November’s ballot is bad policy
There are so many bad policies rolled into Question 1 on November’s ballot...
-
Question 1 will raise taxes and create new, unnecessary bureaucracy
Question 1 on the ballot this November will read as follows: “Do you want to...
-
Question 1’s new surtax would be detrimental to Maine’s economy
This commentary was originally published in the Bangor Daily News. The state economist recently...
-
Why are ‘experts’ so determined to mislead the public on Universal Home Care taxes?
When Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap was accepting public comment on the...
-
Democrats’ failure now means big hassles on tax day next year
Americans paid their 2017 federal and state income taxes this week. Filing taxes...
-
Democrats delay the tough decisions until after the November election
As the legislative session enters its last weeks, Democrats are sitting on their...
-
Tax conformity crucial for Maine’s small businesses
This article was originally published in The Ellsworth American. The Maine Legislature is...
-
Conforming to the federal tax code is the right policy for Maine
The federal tax cuts will provide about $1 billion in tax relief this...
-
Taking conservation land off tax rolls increases the burden on homeowners
Too many Maine families are facing skyrocketing property taxes that strain household budgets....
-
Mainers can truly thrive under the Republican tax reforms
The tax reform bill working its way through Washington is good for Maine families and...
-
Tax relief effort will benefit Maine families, workers, and small businesses
If you only listened to Democrat politicians and their allied special interests, you...
-
Congress must delay health insurance tax
Leaders in Washington are seeking ways to stabilize the health care system and...
-
We need a fiduciary approach to income taxation and government spending
For conservatives, the need to reduce taxation and curtail government spending are immutable...
-
MPA unveils plan to raise taxes on Maine families
If you (and your wallet) are fed up with progressive tax-and-spend ballot initiatives,...
-
Tax reform is long overdue
Over the past seven years, the state of Maine has made enormous strides...
-
Join the fight to lower taxes and help Maine families prosper
It is so refreshing to have a President in the White House who...
-
LePage Named Most Fiscally Responsible Governor in America
Today, the Cato Institute, a national public policy research organization, released the 13th...
-
Entrepreneurship: America’s Modern-Day Frontier
If you work hard enough and create sufficient value for your fellow man,...
-
Tax Code Shaken, Economic Outlook Not Stirred
A common argument put forth by proponents of tax-and-spend schemes is that pro-growth...
-
A Taxpayer Exits New Jersey… And the State Panics
“Any state that depends on income taxes is going to get sick whenever...
-
It’s Not About the Children, It’s About the Union
The Maine Education Association is putting a dishonest initiative on the November ballot....
-
Increasing Accountability at the IRS
The IRS should work for Maine taxpayers—not the other way around. This year’s...
-
The 127th Maine Legislature Cut Taxes, Controlled Spending and Reformed Welfare
The 127th Maine Legislature has now adjourned for good and House Republicans are...
-
Rich States, Poor States: Maine Gets Richer, but Still Among the Poorest
In the recently-released ninth edition of the Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State...
-
Fair Treatment for the Men and Women of Our National Guard
In February, I met with Command Sergeant Major Steve Curtis, a retired member...
-
It Should Be Safe to Die in Maine
“Confiscatory and ill-spent taxes, including its estate tax, have forced a flight of...
-
Good Policy Must Overcome Political Games
Legislative Democrats have decided to brazenly support policy that hurts our state’s businesses...
-
LePage Rightly Moves to Increase Maine’s Rainy Day Fund
Today, Governor Paul LePage announced he will introduce common-sense legislation that will help...
-
Bill LD 365 is a “Hand up” Not a “Hand out”
Coming before the Appropriations Committee this month is bill LD 365 that creates...
-
Maine Still Struggling to Improve Business Tax Climate
For several years Maine has ranked among the worst states to conduct business,...
