Nothing too positive here today.

I had the option yesterday of mowing my lawn or not. I chose the “not.” I’ll probably do it tomorrow. Or Sunday. Shucks, I could mow it this afternoon after Gator Wife gets home. She doesn’t like me riding around on my tractor when she’s not home. She wants to be here in case something happens and I need help. She also helps me empty the grass bags the three or more times I have to do that. So the lawn is in that “up in the air” category.

The Red Sox were on TV yesterday afternoon. I wanted to watch it in HD. After all, I just had a technician here to fix my service for the umpteenth time. I didn’t get to watch the game on an HD channel. There will be another call to the service department today. I’m also going to call the satellite company to get a few questions answered. Depending on those answers, today’s call to the cable company could be the last one.

The Maine Legislature could be making a decision today on a shift and shaft tax plan today. In return for lowering the state income tax rate from 8.5% to 6.5%, the plan calls for increasing the items subject to the sales tax. House Majority Leader John Piotti said on TV last night that the plan would put more than $50-million into the pockets of tax payers. What he sort of forgot to mention, I think, was how much the added items subject to sales tax would take back out.

The meals and lodging tax will also be significantly increased so that you’ll be paying even more when you eat out or get takeout food from establishments and when you decide to staycation in one of Maine lodging establishments. One of the arguments is that out-of-state vacationers will pay more of Maine’s taxes, thus saving money for Mainers.

They also never seem to mention that many more Mainers eat out and lodge in this state than do visitors.

It’s fascinating how those legislators can simply say they’ll save you money and really offer nothing more than speculative facts to back it up. I don’t offer any facts here, either, to back up my feelings. But then I only give my opinions which don’t have any effect on your life. When the Legislature is wrong, as it often is, we all pay. My opinions are based on history, though. When taxes are reduced, tax money grows because when people have more money, they spend more. When one rate is lowered and more things are added to another form, the citizen loses. I’ve said it before: It’s too bad we can’t learn from history.

It’s beginning to look like the Gator Dude and Wife won’t be taking any vacation away from home this year. Have you been watching the price of gasoline skyrocketing again? I saw one station yesterday where it was once again over $2.60/gallon and climbing.

There’s a little station near me that I pass daily. It’s disheartening to pass the place on the way to my senior fitness session with it reading $2.47 and return an hour later to see $2.55. The old Gatormobile won’t see its mileage climb much this year. And the state’s tourist tax will keep us mostly right at home.

GiM