Your Oct. 1 story, “Maine rolls out welcome mat for retirees” contends that state officials, after examining income tax records of more affluent retirees, discovered that twice as many retirees are moving in as are moving out. I question the validity of this discovery.

Is it based on an examination that is confined to year-round retirees? If not, and the snow birds are included, then why do the populations of towns all over the state more than triple each May when the snow birds return? If so, and the snow birds were excluded from the examination, then the findings are irrelevant as they have not factored in a significant sector of the retirement population.

The few examples of specific retirees who moved into Maine from out of state did so in and around the Portland area or other areas of southern Maine. Very few out-of-state retirees are reportedly coming into the northern as year-round residents. While they may be a boon to southern Maine, their influx does not greatly help the economy statewide.

The majority of the snow bird retirement population is largely made up of former Maine residents. Therefore, no marketing effort, as referred to in the last paragraph of your Oct. 1 article, can tell them much about Maine, as a way of luring them back into year-round residency, that they do not already know. Such a marketing effort needs to include economic incentives and none were mentioned in your article so I assume none have been developed.

Until it can be demonstrated that the snow bird retirement population is decreasing significantly or that out-of-state retirees are moving into Maine at a rate significant enough to more offset the economic drain of the snow birds, it is doubtful that the goals for enhancing the state’s economy with retirees can be achieved.

Cherry B. Danker

Portage Lake