Maine: Tourist dollars up as visits drop off

bangordailynews.com ^ | 4-30--05

[expatguy]

Muchas Gracias!

Stop by more often!

[US_MilitaryRules]

I stayed in Rockland for a few nights at a hotel and I couldn't believe the accomadations. Hotel was remodeled on to a remodel to another remodel. The hotel was like a maze. I'm sure the city inspector was bought and paid for. Typical communist run gov.

[SheLion]

Well, Maine has arguably the highest tax burden *in the country*. The Dims have been excusing that by saying that it is mostly out-of-staters that are bearing the brunt of that - with sales tax, meals tax and high property taxes on waterfront vacation homes.

Well, that argument doesn't sound too good now!

That's a bunch of bull.  Tourist aren't here year round.  Those of us that live here year round are paying our taxes!  What the tourist pay we pay all year around.

Now the Dems in Maine want to raise the taxes between May and October to further grab hold of the tourist dollar.

Talk about a bunch of gluttons.  And they wonder why revenue is down.

They want to raise the taxes between May and October hoping that will make up for the loss of revenue!

Well, Maine has arguably the highest tax burden *in the country*. The Dims have been excusing that by saying that it is mostly out-of-staters that are bearing the brunt of that - with sales tax, meals tax and high property taxes on waterfront vacation homes.

Well, that argument doesn't sound too good now!

That's a bunch of bull.  Tourist aren't here year round.  Those of us that live here year round are paying our taxes!  What the tourist pay we pay all year around.

Now the Dems in Maine want to raise the taxes between May and October to further grab hold of the tourist dollar.

Talk about a bunch of gluttons.  And they wonder why revenue is down.

They want to raise the taxes between May and October hoping that will make up for the loss of revenue!

[US_MilitaryRules]

And it was expensive!

[SheLion]

I stayed in Rockland for a few nights at a hotel and I couldn't believe the accomadations. Hotel was remodeled on to a remodel to another remodel. The hotel was like a maze. I'm sure the city inspector was bought and paid for. Typical communist run gov.

I believe it. 

They say that there are two Maine's.  North and south.  Down in southern Maine by the ocean, everything seems to be higher in cost.  Up north, the pay check isn't as big, but commodities are high.

Of course, we don't have the ocean either.

[renosathug]

Another thing that is going to hurt Maine is the shutdown of Scotia Prince cruises. They cancelled the 2005 season after a dispute with Portland over the port terminal's chronic toxic mold situation. Big hit to Maine and Canada's economies.

[Beaker]

They're shutting down the Scotia Prince services? That's really too bad. I used to take that boat up to Yarmouth Nova Scotia to visit my grandparents. It was a lovely ride.

[montag813]

Perhaps all those Somali scumbags they imported up there scared tourists away.

[Jackson Brown]

Was it the TradeWinds overlooking Rockland Harbor, by any chance??

[montag813]

I have been to Maine a couple of times and it is a nice state...but it stinks...smells like a rotten egg fart

You people are nuts. Mt. Katadin in one of the most fantastically beautiful mountains/parks in the world. The end of the Appalacian trail, the peak is the first point in the Western Hemisphere that the sun touches every morning when it rises. And the Maine coast? Kennebunkport et al. Gorgeous.

[Uncle Meat]

Isn't Maine the place where pets come to back to life when buried in a special cemetary only to turn on their owners,vampires taking over entire towns, and rabid St benards running around loose?No wonder you don't have many tourist.Or am I just reading too many Steven King novels?

[daviddennis]

When I was a child, my divorced father took me up to his girlfriend's place in Maine during what they laughably refer to as a "summer".

I don't think it ever got above 60.

It was fun tooling around in the small powerboat he bought me, but I certainly would not voluntarily return -- I'd rather visit someplace with pleasant weather, sorry :-(.

D

[Founding Father]

.... stressed the importance of being polite to visitors...

The Mainers flunked this lesson, except those around Bar Harbor who are polite.

[SheLion]

Another thing that is going to hurt Maine is the shutdown of Scotia Prince cruises. They cancelled the 2005 season after a dispute with Portland over the port terminal's chronic toxic mold situation. Big hit to Maine and Canada's economies.

No kidding!  I hadn't heard that.  That sure will plug up the revenue right there.  Pity.

[SheLion]

Perhaps all those Somali scumbags they imported up there scared tourists away.

Yep.  They are in Lewiston and Lewiston is close to Portland.

[SheLion]

Isn't Maine the place where pets come to back to life when buried in a special cemetary only to turn on their owners,vampires taking over entire towns, and rabid St benards running around loose?No wonder you don't have many tourist.Or am I just reading too many Steven King novels?

Yes.  "The Pet Cemetery."  LOL!  You betcha!  :)

Isn't Maine the place where pets come to back to life when buried in a special cemetary only to turn on their owners,vampires taking over entire towns, and rabid St benards running around loose?No wonder you don't have many tourist.Or am I just reading too many Steven King novels?

Yes.  "The Pet Cemetery."  LOL!  You betcha!  :)

[SheLion]

I don't think it ever got above 60.

It was fun tooling around in the small powerboat he bought me, but I certainly would not voluntarily return -- I'd rather visit someplace with pleasant weather, sorry :-(.

Oh no.  That must have been the summer of 86.  It rained that whole summer and never got above 60-65.  Cold and depressing.  It was only our third year up here and it really stressed me out. 

But the summers are really beautiful.  Actually, when it goes up to 85, we are dying up here.  No one invests in a/c because we don't need it.  But when it really gets hot, it is so miserable.

[SheLion]

The Mainers flunked this lesson, except those around Bar Harbor who are polite.

Well, I am way north, so I don't know how the hospitality is down south.

[uncitizen]

Been to Maine and will never be going back.

Me too. Got a ticket not 5 miles into the state. Apparently the first sign that reads "Left lane for passing only" doesn't appear til the 10 mile marker.

[gidget7]

You're right SheLion! Smokers will go to where they can enjoy a cigarette after their meals, or at least to accommodations that still have smoking and non smoking rooms. Most from this area are going south, and the majority of them, scouting for possible moving destinations. As the NE gets more and more socialist and Liberal, more and more are moving out.

Maine needs to be concerned, as does CT now, that they will join MA in having negative growth numbers next year. The people they are losing are middle class, and businesses! Businesses are not going to, if there is another place they don't have to, stay where they have to pay exorbitant taxes, and cover same sex couples with insurance. That's just the reality.