Reviews & Comments
Lewiston, ME
Living in Maine -
4/10/2008Maine is not the best place to live. My property taxes have gone from $1200.00 to $3000.00. We have sales taxes, Excise taxes and on and on. Even though they have raised the taxes drastically they have cut the budget by a billion $$$ because their still expriencing a shortfall.
Mostly they do not snowplow until a storm is over or nearly over. As a nurse I've noticed that people listed as high school graduates can not read even at an 8th grade level. The schools (or teachers) are substandard. I sent my kids to private school (the private schools are very good).
The people in Maine are Democrats, and towards that end the state colleges are ore political they they ought to be. This unfortunately resulted in a failure rate of the state board of nursing at around 25%.
Maine Medical Center boasts being in the top 4 hospitals in the country. This is probably true. But unfortunately I have noticed in Lewiston in the home nursing, Nursing home, and medical practices that the standards of care are far below mine. And far below where they ought to be.
The weather can be unforgiving, with ice storms that take out the electrical power for days and in 1998 for weeks. Not recommended that you not have a woodstove, and a generator. Heating cost are astronomical up here.
Crime is a problem in Maine as the Sexual Offender web page list about 650 offenders living in a 20 mile radius of me. Also The prison terms are low because of overcrowding. The Lewiston Police have been involved with 2 scandals with the area prostitutes taking kickbacks, and taking advantage of their services. The Lewiston police were also involved in a scandal where they refused and failed to protect a victim of domestic abuse who subsequently shot her in the head then turned the gun on himself. Their child was left an orphan. The Lewiston Police also encouraged a young girl who worked at the Big Apple (a Convenience store)to be robbed in a crime that the police were notified and forwarned by an informant where she was stabbed to death while the police waited outside for the crime to be committed. Over all the police are unfriendly, and sometimes threatening to citizens not engaging in criminal activity, or with some vehicle infraction.
Mayor Guy (retired) of Lewiston was tried for sexual abuse of a young girl while he was in office. Several teachers also have been accused of sexual abuse of children with in a 20 mile radius of Lewiston. Drunk drivers are dealt with very Leniently, with a result of many prior offenses which are not punished appropriately.
There was a (Cindy) woman who was tried in Lewiston for the murder of her daughter in her oven. Her boyfriend was convicted, but she was found not guilty. The state paid to train her to be a Certified Nurses Aid.
Cirrhosis is a more common disease in Lewiston. There is a row of Social Clubs on Lisbon St where most of the criminal element socializes but is located too close to the poorest neighborhoods, and the city park where the children are supposed to play.
Portland experienced several Methadone Overdoses administed by a local Methodone clinic. Drug abuse is a big problem.
There is a disproportionate population of people needing foodstamps, and family assistance for housing and living. Maine is generally very good at taking care of these needs (although often they are in the heart of a row of bars and there are many known sex offenders at large).
The work here is mostly factory work. The factories are not unionized for the most part. there have been some business failures in recent months. Property values have decreased about 6% since 2005 which is better than many places in the country.
The infrastructure in Lewiston is bad. During Mayor Guys child sexual assault trial My ankle broke while I was walking on a crumbling sidewalk on Main St. in Lewiston. My sister also injured her ankle walking on a Park St. side walk.
children have been killed in their foster homes in Maine (Wolfington Case and others), and they always make a deal in the courts.
The low income houseing is abysmal I was going to elist one of my properties for use of a underprivlidged, low income, handicapped woman, but decided against it because it appeared the state felt it would wrench control of my property away from me. I couldn't understand it because I was doing it for a paralyzed patient who had fears of bugs landing on her because she couldn't get them off her (due to her paralysis)while living in her bug infested appartment (in a crime ridden part of town). Unfortunatly the state was generally unfriendly, and unconcerned. I believe the low income housing (handicapped housing) would be cleaner, and in better neighborhoods if state policies were friendlier.
The State sues individuals after they die in an attempt to take houses owned by the deceased (and fine possessions Silver Vehicle ect). I know of a number of people who negotiated and were forced to pay the state thousands of dollars to drop lawsuits brought by the state against deceased individual. It is also stated that Long term care insurance will not save you from that fate.
I don't recommend moving to Maine.