MRS doing a disservice

The Maine Revenue Service is harassing out-of-staters for additional undeserved revenue by refusing to define “domicile in Maine.” In a Portland Press Herald article from December 2004, Maine admitted it does not want to define “domicile” because they “will lose money.” This is an admission of an outright fraud.

Maine is especially going after Military Sealift Command (MSC) personnel, especially graduates of the Maine Maritime Academy who live most of their lives at sea or in BLQ’s in Norfolk, Va. The MRS is now claiming their income tax even as it claims they still “domicile” in Maine.

The recent cases of Mike Madison of Washington state and Mark Powers prove this. Maine is even going after former Gov. Ken Curtis who originally signed the Maine income tax into law as he moves to Florida.

Twenty years ago, nobody knew this situation of the MRS purposely not defining domicile existed. As a result, scuttlebutt maintains the Navy Department (MSC included) has determined to retaliate in not giving Maine any defense contracts. This might close the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Bath Iron Works, which is already happening.

This greedy, rapacious and unconscionable behavior by Maine will be highly penalized in lawsuits. The essence of our alleged democracy (we are really a republic) is governmental accountability to the people.

Have Mainers lost control of state government? Maine’s Revenue Service ought to be fired if not jailed for outright fraud on all U.S. citizens. What it is doing is morally pathetic and destructive to freedom, Maine’s reputation and economy.

Robert Bruce Acheson

Mexico