Taxation, A True Story

Governor John Baldacci delivered his final state of the state speech on January 20, 2010. In this speech Baldacci declared a $100 million budget cut towards municipality funding. The Governor was motivated to make this decision due to a $438 million budget shortfall. He claims the state needs to have national education and teacher evaluation standards. Many teaching positions for this next year within Maine will be terminated resulting from the words of this governor in his final year.
Aside from federal sources, state and local funding, the tax-payers support their local school administrative unit’s cost by paying a mill rate. A mill rate is “the number of property tax dollars raised for each $1,000 of taxable property” (Maine Department of Education). In my hometown of Boothbay Harbor the mill rate for the year 2008-2009 was 11.8 with 37.2 % funding education, 13.3% supporting Lincoln County and 49.5 going to municipalities. In 2002-2003 the mill rate was 8.20 in Boothbay Harbor this was among Maine’s average mill rate of 11.62(Financial Data Profile Boothbay Harbor CSD). A person can conclude through viewing these ratios that Boothbay Harbor does not have a high mill rate but it has increased twenty percent in a five year margin. To escape this realm of mathematics, I raise the question: what does a citizen do about this?
For any U.S.A. citizen who works or owns land there is no escape from paying taxes. Many people have attempted to do so, resulting in charges of tax evasion (I.E: Al Capone, Wesley Snipes etc.). To avoid this anarchic method citizens can simply vote, contact: local officials, Attorney Generals, State Senators and perhaps the Governor. Every aspect in each individual’s mind counts and helps reshape society as we know it!
REFERENCES
Maine Department of Education. “Boothbay-Boothbay Hbr CSD”. Maine Department of Education WWW School Profiles. 1 Oct. 2009.
Retrieved on 2/26/10 from: http://portalx.bisoex.state.me.us/pls/doe/eddev.msau_profile.financial_data?v_msau_code=903

Chicago History. “Al Capone.” History Files. 1999: p. 1-2.
Retrieved on 2/26/10 from: http://www.chicagohs.org/history/capone/cpn3a.html

Phillips, Rich. "Snipes gets the max -- 3 years -- in tax case." CNN.com 24 Apr. 2008: p.1-3.
Retrieved on 2/26/10 from: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/24/snipes.sentencing/