Maine Lawmakers Look at Insurance to Plug Budget Gap

January 21, 2005

  • January 23, 2005 at 4:41 am
    Erich Veyhl says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    The seriousness of this threat should not be underestimated. Maine is one of the highest taxed states in the country, state spending continues to rise and the governor and legisture are afraid of a popular referendum on meaningful tax and spending limits. They are desperate to head that off, using all kinds of tax shifting devicing to placate some voters with “rebates” and “exemptions” while imposing higher taxes on others — either openly on a minority or through attempts at hidden shifts. The plan by some to tax insurance is only one of many such schemes. Taxes and controls are driving business out of Maine, and it is increasingly difficult for either business or home owners to buy insurance at reasonable premiums.

  • January 24, 2005 at 4:59 am
    dave says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    I have heard that there is a proposal in the New York state budget for domestic NY fire cooperatives to start paying NY State Income taxes. I thought that NY was the most heavily taxed states, the governor and legislature cannot stop spending and now will be creating more “fees” and “taxes” to feed the spending monster. Last person left in upstate NY shut the lights off when you leave.

  • January 25, 2005 at 8:46 am
    tom farr says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    There is a temptation to look at insurance premiums as a “safe” and anonymous target for tax revenue. However, there seems to be some flaws in the reasoning for the proposal as quoted in the article. For example, what about uninsured or self-insured people or entities? Don’t they use the services as well? If the insurance industry is going to pay for this, what’s the incentive to negotiate market-rate salaries and benefits for police and firefighters? The insurance industry apparently will have no input into these costs, yet will be asked to help fund them. Will this tax be subject to recoupment from policyholders in the form of higher premiums? In short, lots of problems with proposals such as this, no matter what state they come from.

  • January 31, 2005 at 6:57 am
    Evan says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    I spoke to a local Officer about this and he shed some new light on it. The Police respond to EVERY accident, and must take reports for almost all of them. They do not get paid for this, and the city must pick up the bill for their time. I know that an Ambulance call is charged to the person getting care, whether or not there is any care given. Since the Police don’t charge the insurance companies for the use of these reports, why wouldn’t it be fair for them to pick up part of the bill? If not, I believe that Police Departments should start selling their reports at the price an expert would charge to go investigate it. They do the work, why not get some assistance for it?
    Makes sense to me.

  • February 15, 2005 at 9:09 am
    Jim says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 0

    This is a much needed incentive for Police and firefighters. Recruitment is at an all time low. The salaries that are paid to police and firemen is rediculous and thier retirements are even worse. Most retire just at the poverty level for salaries. To ask them to take the beating of the job, then retire and have to pay medical insurance mostly due to the injuries and abuse they took on the job is just rediculous. They deserve our support and to pay for thier insurance at retirement is not a huge expense as some people would lead you to believe. There are less than 2500 full time police officers in this entire state and approximately 1500 firefighters. That is about 2/3’rds of the employees of BIW. On average according to the Maine State Retirment bureau there are approx 25-30 persons that retire each year. The average life span of a police officer after retirement is less than 10 years and for a firefighter 14 years. Cmon people, its time to support the men in blue. They are there when you need them, its time for us to be there for them.



Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*