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"I came to Washington to work for God, FDR, and the millions of forgotten, plain common workingmen."
Frances Perkins
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Facts
Highest Taxed Countries
Despite all the noise and rhetoric the United States is not a very highly-taxed country compared to other Western democracies. Weighing in at about 28.9% for a single person with no children we fall way below Denmark, Belgium, France,Sweden, Italy and Norway with rates over 40%. Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom are over 30%. Our rates are pretty much on par with Turkey, Korea, and the Slovak Republic.
Source: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
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The Economy During the Depression
US Gross Domestic Product During
The Crash
1929
$103.6 Billion
1930
$91.2 Billion
1933
$56.4 Billion
The New Deal and Recovery
1934
66. Billion
1936
$83.8 Billion
1939
92.9 Billion
Source: US history by the numbers Shmoop.com
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| Greetings!
Around here April starts with a T - that's for Taxes, Tax Reform and Testimony. We left out tea parties since we already have taxation with representation.
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Taxing Times
 While the April 15th deadline for filing federal and state income taxes is happily past, the State is still trying to hammer out a tax reform package and balance the budget. This is never easy particularly now with revenues down and unemployment up. The real test is how Maine can function in tough times and still make the necessary changes to ensure long-term health. Of course we have some ideas:
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Spotlight: Maine's Growing Latin American Population
 At an April 13th press conference MECEP released its latest report, The Growing Latin American Influence, Opportunities for Maine's Economy. The Maine Department of Labor hosted the event. Participants in the study along with Hispanics from across the state attended. The study received statewide media coverage and was hailed as an important step forward in documenting the accomplishments and potential of Maine's largest growing minority population. Blanca Santiago (pictured), project researcher and primary impetus for the report explains why she and so many other Hispanics have chosen to live in Maine. "Opportunity, quality of life, the environment, the friendliness of the people and the fact that Maine is a safe place to raise a family."
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Reports and Publications 
Nearly 16,000 Hispanics live in Maine. From 2000 to 2007, Maine's Hispanic population grew by 67% compared to 3.3% growth for the total
population. The Growing Latin American Influence: Opportunities for Maine 's Economy documents the contributions of Maine's growing
Latino population focusing on first and second generation Latinos.
Through a combination of stories and statistics, we
follow the demographic trends, economic contributions and varied
occupations and experiences associated with the state's growing Hispanic population.
Download the Full Report and the Executive Summary
If you would like a hard copy of this report and/or any of our publications please reply with your name and address.
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On the Air
State of the State is our weekly cable television show about issues facing Maine. Check here for programs, airtimes, schedules and podcasts, or contact us for a DVD.
State of the State is now available on Time-Warner cable in nearly every country in Maine. Recently aired and upcoming programs:
- The Future of Wood Energy
- The State of Maine's Courts
- Maine Measures of Growth
- Maine's Transportation Infrastructure
- The Growing Latin American Influence in Maine
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Sincerely,
Deborah Felder
Maine Center for Economic Policy |
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