Maine: Fuel tax, bear baiting, smoking petitions to circulate at polls

boston.com ^ | 11-3-03 | Clarke Canfield

[SheLion]

PORTLAND, Maine -- Petitions on fuel taxes, bear hunting and smoking will be circulating at hundreds of polling places Tuesday in efforts to gather enough signatures to put three citizen initiatives on the 2004 ballot.

The fuel tax initiative seeks to repeal a state law that automatically raises gasoline and diesel taxes each year at the rate of inflation. The hunting petition aims to make it illegal to hunt bears with bait, traps or dogs. The smoking petition's goal is to overturn a state law that bans puffing in bars.

[SheLion]

Maine Alert!!!!!!!!!

[Semper Paratus]

Maine has been tipping over to the dark side for the last several years.

[steve50]

Good luck with the signatures. Pretty clear the citizens are going to have to end this stupidity own their own, your legislators like bossing private business owners around.

[SheLion]

Maine has been tipping over to the dark side for the last several years.

HaHaaaaaaa I couldn't have said it better myself, Semper! Thanks!!!!

[SheLion]

Good luck with the signatures. Pretty clear the citizens are going to have to end this stupidity own their own, your legislators like bossing private business owners around.

Well, can we do in Maine what California did???? I'd LOVE to flush em all and start over. Wouldn't you?

[Redbob]

Hunting bears over bait is NOT the same as "bear baiting," an old and abandoned amusement wherein captive bears were teased, jabbed, etc. unmercifully.

"Bear baiting" had nothing whatsoever to do with hunting.

[Redbob]

Hunting bears over bait is NOT the same as "bear baiting," an old and abandoned amusement wherein captive bears were teased, jabbed, etc. unmercifully.

"Bear baiting" had nothing whatsoever to do with hunting.

[steve50]

I'd LOVE to flush em all and start over. Wouldn't you?

Only chance we have, imho. Government never gives up power willingly, no other option than to toss the control freaks on both the left and the slightly right of left out on their arses'.

[SheLion]

Only chance we have, imho. Government never gives up power willingly, no other option than to toss the control freaks on both the left and the slightly right of left out on their arses'.

I understand that Maine has no recall like California does.

[SheLion]

THE JOHN MICHAEL WILDCARD

[steve50]

I understand that Maine has no recall like California does.

It appears they do have binding ballot initiatives tho. At least they can over ride the legislature and send the proper message.

[Mears]

Good luck tomorrow,Maine folks!!!!!!!

[SheLion]

Good luck tomorrow,Maine folks!!!!!!!

Thank you, Mears. But this damn state is either so overrun with DemocRATS and/or easily swayed people, that I doubt if the election WILL turn out good.

It never does! And the BOND issues ALWAYS pass which makes me puke. These people have no clue that that BOND ISSUE if passed is going to come out of OUR pockets! It's mind boggling.

I just pray that Casino passes. And I hope the Native American's in Maine can really stick it up the wazoo's of the lawmakers who oppose it! heh!

[talleyman]

Not that I support it (ain't sportin'), but the fate of bears shot over bait does offer an object lesson to all who desire a free lunch...

But how are the surviving bears going to be able to afford the higher fuel taxes to drive their ATV's across the state line so they can have a smoke?