It looks like the legislators in Maine figure that the recession is putting a lot more money in folks pockets. As usual, the people are picking up the bill. They talk about not raising taxes – but I’d say that “fees” are just as much a tax as the sales taxes that we pay. Fees for vital records documents and searches are going nuts in Maine. Following is an excerpt from an article by Mal Leary in the October 10, 2009 edition of the Bangor Daily News.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Getting a copy of a birth certificate, adoption record or researching your family history will get a lot more expensive next week.
Some fees charged by the State Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics will quadruple, and there will be new fees imposed under a rule change.
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For example, changing information on a birth certificate increases from $25 to $60 and additional copies of the document increase from $6 each to $25 each. Research fees are increasing from $2 to $25 under the rule changes.
