Taxes and Budget Gov. Mills offers compromise to give tax break to 99% of business loan recipients Garret Martin, executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said the governor’s proposal creates a tax loophole and costs state revenue that could be better […] Portland Press Herald Posted February 9, 2021 Tags Budget, Coronavirus, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Mills says she’ll seek ways to avoid state tax on businesses’ relief loans But the liberal Maine Center for Economic Policy said the state should reject a “double-dip tax break scheme” for businesses. The organization said making the loans tax-free […] Portland Press Herald Posted January 27, 2021 Tags Budget, Coronavirus, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes
Taxes and Budget Mills’ budget proposal would tax Paycheck Protection Program funds as income Sarah Austin with the Maine Center for Economic Policy, a left-leaning organization that advocates for economic policies that help low-income Mainers, said many of the federal tax […] Portland Press Herald Posted January 25, 2021 Tags Budget
Taxes and Budget Gov. Mills proposes $8.4 billion, 2-year budget that doesn’t raise taxes Garrett Martin, executive director of the left-leaning Maine Center for Economic Policy think tank, said the budget is a “strong foundation” for lawmakers. “By protecting jobs and […] Portland Press Herald Posted January 8, 2021 Tags Budget
Maine’s Economy Our View: Buy local, start early for Maine pandemic holiday shopping Mainers should remember that it’s just as easy to order products from a local business as it is to order from a national online merchant, but the […] Portland Press Herald Posted November 22, 2020 Tags Economy, Local
Jobs and Income Portland voters to decide on $15 minimum wage, plus hazard pay An estimated 23,500 Portland workers would see a pay increase under the ordinance, including 14,000 workers currently making less than $15 an hour plus another 9,000 who […] Portland Press Herald Posted October 14, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income State predicts Maine will lose nearly 16,000 jobs by 2028 While a tight labor market may raise wages, Maine would be in a better position if it had more in-migration, said Garrett Martin, executive director of the […] Portland Press Herald Posted October 13, 2020 Tags Jobs
Taxes and Budget Severe recession, without aid, could shrink Maine government revenue for years The potential for a deep, prolonged recession has sparked more calls from some analysts and Maine’s congressional delegation for federal stimulus that includes local government funding to […] Portland Press Herald Posted September 28, 2020 Tags Budget, Federal, Recession, Revenue
Taxes and Budget Maine leaders urge Congress to end gridlock on COVID-19 relief package Democratic leaders and White House officials met Friday for the 10th time in 12 days, but those talks broke down again as the two sides remained hundreds of billions […] Portland Press Herald Posted August 7, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Recession, Unemployment
Jobs and Income As safety net disappears, out-of-work Mainers plead for more help Some workers collecting jobless benefits are genuinely waiting to be recalled to their old jobs, Myall said. Others may have a hard time finding adequate childcare or […] Portland Press Herald Posted July 27, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Federal, Unemployment