AP quotes Trostel in article on Maine residents being responsible for less state bills
The Associated Press reported Maine’s taxpayers are responsible for less of the state’s bills than they were five years ago, according to a report issued by Chicago-based Truth In Accounting. The nonpartisan think tank calculated “taxpayer burden” by subtracting each state’s bills from its assets and dividing that figure by its number of taxpayers. Maine’s taxpayer burden was $8,800 in 2014, down from $15,000 in 2010, the report states. University of Maine economist Philip Trostel said it would be more accurate to describe the figure as a “debt burden” than a “taxpayer burden” because it reflects the amount of money the state owes, according to the article. He said the improved economy has likely helped ease that burden. “Where we were in 2010 was just coming out of the Great Recession,” Trostel said. “The economy isn’t quite as weak now.” The Washington Times and Beaumont Enterprise carried the AP article.