This is a ridiculous tax!! Let's punish the animal lovers for feeding their pets.....surely there is a better way....legislators need to rethink carefully and stop putting more taxes and expenses on their constituents. Property taxes have gone up enough with the school issues and making towns carry more of the burden of their schools. I have no children and my taxes have gone up 50% due to needed funding for the local school.

Yes... I agree Washcogal! I have pets but I don't have any kids. Using the same logic, those that have kids should pay for most of the school taxes.

Yes, some of the very small schools need to be combined with other towns so the towns can share the costs of the schools and not break the residents of every town to keep each small school afloat when the residents cannot afford such frivolities........

Pet food has escalated in price and it is very expensive to feed a pet, let alone add taxes so that we have to pay for those that don't love their pets enough to properly care for them.....the state needs to find another way to fund their programs.

Yes, this is a ridiculous tax! Find some other way1 Many people (and especially the elderly and low-income, among others) value their pets and the companionship they provide. The price of pet food is high enough already. People are struggling enough, and do not need to be "penalizied" for having pets. Some have already had to give up their pets because of the economy....which only adds to the burden at the Humane Society and other shelters. Don't make it harder for even more folks to retain their pets.

In addition, there are some programs out there that help people with pet food, (provide it free)and make it a bit easier for some people to keep their pets.

What is the legislature doing besides sitting around trying to find more ways to take another piece of the pie. I for one support the wellbeing of abandoned and abused animals and find this tax absurd. Some buyers of pet food do not own a expensive breed but have taken in an abandoned or abused animal . They provide for that pet and it makes more sense to me to give them a tax BREAK. Sure sounds to me like someone in Augusta must have been bitten by an animal and is seeking revenge !!!!!!

It's the Dems always wanting our money. I love how people will cry when the tax affects them directly (paying it), but they love it when they are on the receiving end (Welfare, handouts, free this, free that). I guess some people are finding out you can't have your cake and eat it too!! Especially if the Dems are in control!! There are not enough wagon pullers, but too many that love to sit in the wagon!

The moron's are back at what they do best!!!! RAISE TAXES!!!!!!

I have always had resqued dogs now you want to tax their food so that someone will have to resque them from me, well screw you .I'll feed them hamburg,rice and mixed vegetables instead, they prefer that anyway.LOL

Let's make having a pet more expensive by raising the tax even more. Then we will have more people giving up their pets. Maybe there wouldn't be such a problem if there weren't so many pets in the system. The price to adopt a pet from the humane society is ridicules. What ever happened to donations. The screening paper work is so much that has to be adding a big cost to the expense. Why pay $50 to $75 for a cat when people offer them free all the time? I'll bet the Vets would spay for nothing one day a month so they could write that off on their income tax. It a world where you often here people help people but it's about time for people to start thinking in a bigger way.

AGAIN "THE WAY LIFE SHOULD BE" WHAT A JOKE

We all need to write to our representatives and let them know this is not acceptable.

The next tax will be on our toilets. The State of Maine will call it a "dump" tax. We are all witnessing the financial rape of our citizens.

BALDACCI: NO NEW TAXES. No, just every week.

For once, I agree with John Baldacci.......

Has anyone noticed that the idiots in Augusta just keeps on trying to add tax to some segment of the population with the hope that they will find on that is not too controversial?????? NOW is the time for a tax revolt. Bring Tabor on.

This is another stupid idea! My dog (an unregistered democrat) and my cat (a self-declared independent) both agree! Why don't my elected officials tax the things that really matter -- like the moose pooping on my dooryard lawn? or the bugs that impale themselves on the windshield of my gas-guzzler. Good grief people, there really isn't a whole lot left in my wallet - please let me decide what to do with the little bit of money that i have left after i pay for my lunch (chaching) and the bottle deposit (chaching) and the gas taxes to get ther (chaching) and the tax on my car (chaching) and my house (chaching) and my dog license (chaching) and my ... OH NEVER MIND, you know best, i'm just a dumb little pee-on trying to get out of this "hell-hole" know as the way life oughta be.

I think there should be programs to help people afford to spay or neuter their animals and that would eliminate a lot of un-wanted pets. I realize the shelters are over-flowing and something has to be done but throwing another tax at us is going to compound the problem for people who can't afford a pet in the first place. Every Spring and Fall kittens and puppies are advertised on every bullitin board and most of those animlas will end up breeding more un-wanted pets. I strongly feel that people who can't afford a pet shouldn't get one in the first place but it's the poor people who seem to have the most pets because they can't afford the price to neuter or spay them.

Gee Augusta and Washington, Stand back and take a look at yourself. Your over the top in stupid!!!!!

They are going to need these funds to pay for all the animals that will end up in shelters because this STUPID tax increase will put more of a burden on already struggling Mainers trying to keep their pets fed and they will have no choice but to give them up. Way to go MAINE!!!! This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of, the Lawmakers must be bored, as they sit on their over paid butts thinking of crazy ways to get more money from ANYTHING! At what point do we as tax payers get the opportunity to decide what we want taxed???

Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds --- I see this IDIOT is at it again --- HaHaHaHa --- I guess everyone needs a comedian --- As supid goes --- stupid is ---

While the lawmakers are thinking up new taxes, why don't they think about taking another raise in pay? I know I couldn't live on their salaries. Whew, I can hardly survive on my $8.00 an hour salary.

I've got a remedey to void out that tax burdin on you all for buying pet food. I have only my wife ,me, and two dogs in our family home. Than how do i NOT pay taxes on pet food? I am the cook of the house and when i cook each meal ,i cook for a family of four. My dogs eat only what i eat. I don't like eating dog food so no taxes for me. How about you?

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid democrats. The only way they can fix something is tax, tax and more tax. Had enought yet people!!

GET RID OF A FEW DOT SUPERVISORS AND YOU WILL HAVE YOUR MONEY. THE JOBS YOU CAN SEE THE WORKERS DOING ONLY POINTS TO OVERSTAFFING OR POOR SUPERVISION.

great, they want more taxes, they must have almost forgot bout us pet owners. we pay taxes on our wages, on everything we buy, now soda, wine and now they wanna bring this in. look how expensive pet food is, now add more taxes. maybe it is really for their yearly raise they give themselves. tax this, tax that. every year, it is something else.

The year I was working for $4.50 an hour, the lawmakers vetoed a pay raise for us..the tax payer. But, a pay raise was voted yes for them. Let's let them have power for yet another term. Maybe we'll all be in the poor-house.

LMAO.....JUST WHAT MAINE NEEDS HIGHER TAXES......MORE TAXES.....OH MY GOD I CANT WAIT 2 MORE YEARS I CAN LEAVE THIS MISERABLE STATE

It is time for the IDIOTS in Augusta to leave Augusta. Must be something in the water down there that increases stupidity.

I know Im beating a dead horse, but could we just tax marijuana already, and give everyone else in maine some tax relief already?

Do we not hear from our Gov or President that taxes should not or will not be raised?? And then we see these elected legislators continue to propose these bills to raise taxes...Crazy!! I agree with MikeinFK, the water or air quality in Augusta needs to be checked!

tax the booze!!!!!

You got to get your tax money somehow, you have tried just about every catagory. This is a pure example of the Law makers covering their butts. Then one or many will run for reelection with a tax cut on there plate. There are too many Lawmakers cut back on them. Listen to the people, they are the ones you are totally screwing

Just wait, I've heard a rumor they want to increase the tax on kitty litter too! Will the BS ever stop with the Baldacci administration?

They need to CUT SPENDING!

Now what will I eat?

It would be much quicker to list the taxes they DON'T want to raise!

Nutting strikes again. An other hairbrained idea..

Kind of a smart tax when you think about it. It's a 1% raise in taxes, costing the consumer only a few cents; yet the Gov't knows that many people purchase pet food, and will continue to do so. So for not much out the pocket of the lone purchaser quite a bit of money can be made up and re-allocated for things the state needs (schools, roads, recreation for children, etc). I agree that it is hard on people to pay more taxes, but it would be equal to a dollar ($1.00) more tax on one hundred dollars ($100.00) worth of pet food. The scandalous thing is that the morons in the Gov't will find something to blow the money on that ends up helping no-one. I do feel for the low-income and elderly though, and something should be done to assist - there must be programs out there for such things - and if there isn't, maybe it would be a good application for these funds collected from said tax.

1.00 dollar here 1.00 dollar there...when does it end? lets use this example....we buy a new car we pay sales tax and then the town excise tax...this is for what? what do these towns use excise taxes for? their supposed use? NOT we are taxed yearly excise and then property tax and sales taxes.....ever read your phone bill from verizon/fairpoint and see your 911 tax and library tax! now a higher pet food tax and oh if u dine in a McDonald's rather then take out you pay a tax to dine in......and when you order a pizza...or a sandwich you pay 7% tax on that and just last month they want to now tax WATER!!! possibly crippling many small water company's.......we pay tax in town but someone came up with an idea of putting stickers on your trash bags that cost 1.75 in most towns 2.00 in others like Ellsworth.....so now we pay taxes but have to pay to get rid of our trash too! now this of course was done to save money and the town said.. look we can save all this money...... well guess what they spent it elsewhere....and we saved nothing but still pay to get rid of our trash per bag in an area that we pay very high taxes already to live in our home...lol....so yeah lets raise pet food tax? why not put a tax on water and milk too.....those are essential's lets really stick it to all Mainers make it hurt make them feel like they are being squeezed in every direction...and when Maine crumbles to bitter depths of poverty as were currently freefalling to now we will all know that those penny's did matter and count that everyone wants to take from us

PORTLAND PRESS...

So, in fact, relative to our incomes, we're not the most taxed state in the union. We're the 10th most taxed state in the union when you consider all the taxes we pay. In 2007, we paid 33.9 percent of our incomes to the government. The national average is 32.7 percent.

HOW GROSS IS THIS WHEN WE AS A STATE HAVE LITTLE TOP OFFER OUR GRADUATES? CAN U SAY MOVE this is why maine has nothing to offer

"...it would provide some property tax relief." ~ Sen. John Nutting, Moonbat-Leeds

You believe that, and you'll probably believe Baldacci is the best governor in history.

What's unexpected re Maine's Animal Welfare Commission referred to by most Mainers as Maine's Pet and Farm Animal Extinction Kommissars backing the taking of food out of animals' mouths to stuff up their budget? Nothing new there.

We could save far over a million and a half dollars a year just by eradicating this nefarious agency and its staff as an unnecessary agency.

Since this agency's staffers share the agenda of other animal radicals of permanently eradicating Mainers' pets and farm animals, the state and all residents would be far better simply firing the employees and ending the agency. Since when did eradicating pets and farm animals or a state agency's stealing food from the mouth of animals to stick the money in the pockets directly or in their pockets indirectly through putting it there via "laundering" it via Maine's state budget become THE WAY LIFE SHOULD BE?

Small wonder that tourists avoid us like poison. No longer do any major dog show folk or their sponsors want any part of conducting a major show in this state. Sad because major shows produce quite often million of bucks in yearly repeatable HONEST income for local businesses. All it would take would be having someone in office smart enough to promote shows in Maine the weekend prior to Major Canadian shows.

Keep our animals--dump THE ANIMAL KOMMISARS so intent on permanently eradicating all domestic animals whether for pets and companionship, work, or food. Animals produce real, tangible, infinitely myriad benefits. Those connected in any way with Maine's Animal Welfare Commisson produce no products and nothing real except suits aginst the state, as well as as much grief,, discrimination, and dissention as possible for them to create. What other agency head was ever foolish or arrogant enough to be caught in public with her drawers down accusing all Mainers who live in isolated areas (only 99% of Mainers) who have animals only live in such areas for the purpose of abusing animals? What fell from her mouth unprompted says nothing true about Mainers, but it is totally telling about how animal radicals idiological minds and distorted thinking works.

This tax is to augment the animal welfare budget. A large portion of their budget is the Help Fix Me program which does provide the opportunity for those in need to get their pets, both cats and dogs, spayed and neutered. That particular program does not even reimburse the veterinarians for the cost of the surgery. Veterinarians are performing charity work every time they do one of those surgeries. Currently a large portion of the funding for animal welfare department comes from dog licenses. Since many dogs aren't licensed (which is a violation of state law) the idea with the pet food tax was to more equitably distribute the costs. Cat owners would now be paying into the funds.

The typical cure for every financial problem a democrat encounters........raise taxes. It's just a little! You'll hardly notice it!! If the program is failing, SHUT IT DOWN!!! Where is HSUS (the Humane Society of the U.S.) (not to be confused with the local humane society) and all of their money? They have an annual budget over one-hundred million to blow on lawsuits and anti-hunting propaganda. Too bad they didn't care about animals. They could do wonders if they did. Follow the money!

There is enough straving animals in the State of Maine so lets make it even harder to keep them fed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NUTting is whining that less than 50% of dog owners 'chose' to license their dogs, thus the state is losing funding from that area. Maine law requires dog owners to license their dogs, and each town is required to have an animal control officer whose duty (one among many) it is to ensure that all dogs in that town are licensed. If the animal control officer of each town goes out and ensures that each dog is licensed, then the license fees will at least double. Why not 'enforce the tax already on the books'?

"There was no public hearing on this proposal, no time for the public to comment on this,” Baldacci said. “I am opposed to it.”

You can't blame this on the Gov.....For once, I'm with him!

It seems to me that if the Towns simply put more effort in collecting the dog license taxes that are already in place, there would be no need to put another tax in place. I'm finding out that states do not even tax pet foods at all, as they feel it is a necessity. I really do not think LD964 is a good idea on several levels. It would also cause any retailer who carries a pet treat to have to reprogram cash registers and retrain employees. Think of the gift shops, farm markets, hotels, etc. that would drop sales of locally made pet treats to avoid the issue.

The elderly don't qualify for aid anymore, but we can give more money to the animals. God! Is there any place to hide from these lunatics in Augusta anymore? If Bangor Reps. say yes to this they'll have to delete their answering machines daily with messages from me.

guess I'll continue to purchase horse items out of state and not pay any tax

AUGUSTA! PLEASE REPRESENT MAINE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WERE ELECTED TO DO!! THIS IS SO STUPID!!!! BE REAL!! BE CREATIVE!! UNREAL!!!!

INCREASE THE TAX ON BOOZE AND CIGARETTES AGAIN!! don't penalize pet owners any more!!!!!!!

Vet "charity work " is NOT charity work. Bad: It makes for highly lucerative tax writeoffs the rest of those in business do not receive in the same manner of application. Worse: Time the vet spends doing "charity work" is paid for in lessened time the vet has available to work for paying clients -- paying clients' dogs are forced overlong to wait for scheduled procedures, receive less time and attention during scheduled visits than the vet would otherwise spend on animals of paying clients, AND the vets doing "charity" work invariably raise all general rates on their paying clients to keep up their income flow. Worst: Maine is maneuvering politically to turn the Animal Welfare Agency into being a mirror agency of that of Health and Human Services. We all know how well that agency fails to perform although it spends our taxes like a drunken sailor on shore leave. Enough with our taxes buying snowmobiles for those on welfare. And ENOUGH with any and all politicianal efforts to increase the budget of Maine's Animal Welfare Agency we should, instead, be getting rid of as a state agency. We aleady have a Maine Department of Agriculture which should be responsible under its budget for all activities and duties being done by Maine's relatively new Animal Welfare Agency. It's long past time to get rid of, not increase, redundant state programs beginning with Maine's Animal Welfare Commission which is just one noxious and prohibitively expensive example. We need better management of state resources -- not increased numbers of agencies. .

Boy this makes a lot of sense... lets raise the taxes on pet food because we have already raised the taxes everywhere else, so lets start targeting the animals. People are already having a hard enough time feeding their pets lets make it even harder. Pretty soon Maine won't be known as Vacationland it will be known as Luxuryland. It will be considered a luxury to have a family pet, or a luxury to own anything other than the clothes on your back.... I take that back that will be a luxury as well.... It will be a luxury to breath the air in Maine. There you go Augusta why don't you start taxing the air we breath that's gotta be worth a dollar or two.

Animal Welfare taxes now?

Are we going to vcreate an animal Welfare State?

TAXES on the air that we breathe should be coming soon, leave it to BLAGOVACCI and his lib pals!!

Isn't NUTTING the one that proposed the grocery bag tax and the canoe and kayak tax. Someone vote out this retard. I can't believe they want to tax the people that actually take care of their animals.

Tax & Spend, Spend & TAX MORE ! !

Democrats never met a tax they didn’t like.

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Ayuh, another tax on the poor people!

Hey, I don't have any children. I pay to educate your kids. Now you all should pay my taxes and even things out a bit..

By the by, do the people from Leeds read all about the NUTjob that they voted in and just BEAM with pride? Every time this NUTjob opens his mouth and submits another bill, he wastes our tax dollars. How do these people get by the radar?

I tell you, I need to find out which state has the lowest taxes in the nation is and move there until I need all of my medical services and drugs paid for and then move back when I have nothing to give and need to take, take, take! I have a perfect example in the state government.