I think it’s obvious that they do need the money, for whatever reason. The governor wants to cut income tax and make up the lost revenue with sales tax. The OP is complaining that the trumpets are about the cut in income tax, while the trumpets ignore the increase in sales tax that makes it a net tax increase for him.
The governor wants to cut income tax because his shareholders have to pay some of it. The sales tax, at least, is duly regressive, and it is easier for the governor’s supporters to go out of state to avoid it when they have to buy really expensive stuff.
Maine is a very high tax state. Income, sales, excise, toll roads, bottle deposit, gas taxes, cigarette taxes, hotels, restaurant food. Some states don’t have all. Technically you can drive the only interstate without paying tolls… you just can’t ride it the whole way. And you have to pay several times, depending on how far you go.
I find too that the amount of services you get in exchange for a high tax rate is not worth it. I can’t think of anything in Maine that is cheaper than its neighbors. Maybe seafood. I felt like I was paying paying paying paying and having nothing to show for it. I didn’t know about this latest round and it makes me glad not to live there anymore.
Fluff is almost pure sugar. Obviously, Jamie Oliver got to the governor.
One thing is for certain, they are engaging in intercourse.
Gawd damnit…ass biscuits will never be as they were…
Or, you know, down to Kittery, where it’s closer to civilization 
So they tax grocery items in Maine now too? Huh. Sales tax is weird.
Food is subject to sales tax in Idaho. Years ago we had a chance to do away with taxing food (referendum). My representative was in favor of keeping things as they were and are. His reason was so that the tourists would have to pay their share.
Those aren’t, but they are all “non-essentials” - they are the taxes that squeeze the middle class, but can’t be accused of screwing the poor because they shouldn’t be buying potato chips with their food stamps anyway. (Note there is sarcasm in the tone there that doesn’t come through in writing). So its a way to de-fang the liberals (I bet they aren’t taxing frozen spinach, sweet potatoes, rice or beans - i.e. the “nutritious staples”), screw the middle class, and avoid increasing taxes - and potentially decreasing taxes - on the wealthy - who really don’t care if marshmellow fluff is taxed or not - they don’t buy significant amounts of it.
(Marshmallow Fluff is a “common grocery item?” I did buy some this holiday season because my teenager wanted to make simple fudge (I’ve always done fudge the hard way), I think it was the first time in 20 years I’d bought marshmallow fluff.)
Can I take a moment to pit the actual marshmellow fluff itself.
Yeah, you can get the first few spoonfuls out okay. But once you start having to dig for it becomes the messy product from hell. It’s like they culinary equivalent of Briar Rabbit and the Tar Baby.
God help you if you are a little kid and you are trying to get the last serving outa there.
So a horrible container of this corn syrup puke apparently costs about $3. That makes sales tax on that confectionery vomit to be about 16 cents per creamy load. If you got a $100 income tax break, you’d have to buy $625 of this diabetes goop (that’s about 4 mini-buckets a week) to see your tax bill break even.
Why it is unfair to tax this undigested shit, but it’s okay to tax normal foods (like frozen packages of TGI Friday’s Thrice-Fried “It’s Almost Chicken” Wing Blasters, or Hermanos Grasa 26 oz Burrito Buckets con Queso – you know, the stuff that athletes eat while in training), eludes me.
I LOLed on that one.
Meh. Get back to me when they’re taxing your bellybutton fluff and I’ll maybe muster a little outrage.