We the undersigned citizens of Maine, support reforms to fix Maine’s broken welfare system. Rather than promote dependency on the system, welfare in Maine should be a temporary last resort, with a goal of moving people from welfare to work and to becoming self-supporting. We must Fix the System and free Maine families from welfare dependency.
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Too many Mainers are trapped in dependence. It’s time to fix the system!
We need fewer Mainers collecting welfare checks and more collecting paychecks. A well-paying job is the best way out of poverty!
The key to a well paying job is a good education … something else that needs to be drastically fixed, both here in Maine and across the country.
The key to stopping the freeloading system Maine has become is voting out all democrats twon by town .
It is the new form of slavery…politicians own you and control the way you live.
SSI used to be for helping people who became disabled and it suppemented their Social Security that they earned when the worked and it wasn’t enough to live on. Now SSI is a stand-alone welfare program where people, some who have never worked, get a check each month. This is not what it was intended for and certainly not for the thousands of young people in their early 20′s that have never worked and who are now working the system and collecting around $700 a month. Most of the ones that I have seen would not work if you offered them a job for $20 per hour if it meant losing their SSI as SSI also comes with a Maine Care card.
The comments by Dan are so full of misinformation they are not remotely believable. First: SSI is not now and never has been for able bodied young adults whether at the federal level or on the state level. SSI eligibility is for the elderly(65+), and/or those disabled by blindness; and/or disabled by mental or other physical disability. I would like for anyone to publish any evidence of any 20-something able bodied adult receiving ANY welfare. I would also like to know where Dan “saw” these people that refused to work because it would mean losing their MaineCare card.
We need job creation. Government needs to cut the red tape and get out of the way. Only then, will Mainers who want to work be able to find jobs. And only THEN will those who want to “milk” the system be booted off, and forced to fend for themselves. Mind you, there are those that truly need help, and we must help them. But for the loafers – you’re time is coming to an end.
DHHS does NOT do ‘background checks’ in ANY State so how would any DHHS office for public assistance ever know if any person has a “felony drug conviction” in order to enforce that federal rule? That statement is convoluted and NOT accurate regarding what YOU offer on that “law” that bans convicts of drug offenses. HUD has a law that bans those persons convicted of drug felonies from “Public Housing”, which HUD does do background checks on EVERY applicant in EVERY State. The 2 entities, DHHS & HUD are not connected in any way. Another “statistic you should be focussing on is UNEMPLOYMENT rates V. Public Assistance because Maine has lost huge chunks of Industry over the past decade, unemploying thousands of of blue collar workers with little or no ‘other’ skills. This site is dedicated to being discriminatory and you folks are opening yourselves up to a Class Action Suit.
Whatever your cause is….it’s obviously aimed at hurting more than helping, sopped with deceit and mis-calculations, with political agenda on it’s hinges.
Who-ever you are running this bogus campaign, it’s not gonna last as you have NO right to use illigitimate and misrepresented figures to put people into your OWN category. As populations increase, so does the welfare “problem” as you so cadidly put it. Closer to the actual data-oriented FACT is that the USA must STOP all immigration of REFUGEES as the US gives them CASH ASSISTANCE called “Refugee Cash Assistance”. Which undermines the ‘system’ much worse than ALL your calculations combined!
THAT is the real issue, refugees are given billions each year for school, grants for businesses (in the form of cash), housing priority and Food Stamps as well as Medicare and that list goes on and on and on. Those immigrating and inundating the welfare system! This is EXACTLY what has RUINED our welfare system, and costing ‘joe taxpayer’ BILLIONS more than ANY local girl (or guy) that was born and raised here that has a kid or 2 that doesn’t work. Your numbers are infalted in reality, because if you REALLY did your homework, you would find out that this is the reason for the inflations in welfare! FACT…DATA…FACT. STOP Immigration Reform is what your site should promote, STOP the “refugee programs”, BAN those and your statistical calculations will drop back to normal numbers per capita.
STOP giving our tax money to IMMIGRANT/non-citizens!
Who helped arrange (vote for) these programs whereas the Democrat Party has been in power for the past 35+ years? Is it reasonable and proper to keep voting for the same people who think the products of my labor are THEIR property? We need change in Maine – DRASTIC change!
EXAMPLE: Just in 1 (ONE) U.S. County alone :
WELFARE COSTS FOR CHILDREN OF ILLEGAL ALIENS IN L.A. COUNTY OVER $48 MILLION IN JUNE
August 11, 2009—Figures from the Department of Public Social Services show that children of illegal aliens in Los Angeles County collected nearly $22 million in welfare and over $26 million in food stamps in June, announced Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Projected over a 12 month period – this would exceed $575 million dollars.
Annually the cost of illegal immigration to Los Angeles County taxpayers exceeds over $1 billion dollars,$400 million for healthcare, and $500 million in welfare and food stamps allocations. Twenty-four percent of the County’s total allotment of welfare and food stamp benefits goes directly to the children of illegal aliens born in the United States.
“Illegal immigration continues to have a catastrophic impact on Los Angeles County taxpayers,” said Antonovich. “The total cost for illegal immigrants to County taxpayers exceeds $1 billion a year – not including the millions of dollars for education.”
Do the MATH!, The average U.S. Citizen on welfare from 1995 to date. Then, calculate the immigration & refugee influxes each year on welfare,(seperately), then see the increases each year by comparison. You’ll see a marked to severe difference. By comparison you’ll find (with the U.S. Citizen calculation) a normal rise in wefare costs from unemployment & population increases. Then, you’ll see the actual data in the True cost due almost primarily to the immigration & refugee problem. NOT because ‘more people are sitting around not working and just collecting State & federal bennies! Refugees & Immigration…attack that if you REALLY care to help save “the system”.
uh, Brandon….. Calling the people who run this site “discriminatory” is a bit far fetched. Especially as you go on in detail about how much you don’t like illegal aliens. Doesn’t that strike you as, how shall I say….discriminatory?
I think most of us who visit this site, agree that the illegal alien problem also needs to be fixed. What I think most people, who align with the values of this site would say, is that too many of us are carrying the burden to fund these poorly run systems. Government agencies are not likely to have the creative genius that the free market has in creating job opportunities for those who can work. Government agencies tend to be poor examples of how a successful business should be run. You won’t see these agencies in Fortune, Inc., or Fast Company.
One of the underlying positions that I align with, is that we need to shrink these programs, leave money in the hands of people who are better at job creation. Brandon, you have to admit that these government programs are awfully tempting to take advantage of. I know numerous contractors who work the underground economy to the fullest, claim very few taxes, often take their summers off to fish and work on their houses, drive nice vehicles, have all the toys (boats, Rv’s, snowmobiles, ATV’s, etc.) while collecting assistance. Do you know how tempting that is for people like me who are working really hard to make ends meet, but keep paying huge amounts to fund the welfare system? I won’t take cash as payment and I claim everything. It really sucks and is very frustrating when my house is rundown, my vehicles are bad, and I have no toys. I’ve asked myself many times in frustration when we couldn’t pay a bill on time, “Why fight it? Why not join it?”
One of the major problems, that this site addresses, is that the system is too good, too nice, too easy. Sometimes that’s not what people need the most.
Final note: Please show evidence that a ‘married couple with 2 or 3 children in Maine grossing an income of $50,000 per year’ CAN get MaineCare benefits and/or Child care assistance. That is a statement you have made that is NOT accurate at all. It can’t be done. Try it! try getting that ‘assistance’ while earning more than even $12,800 a year. Can’t be done. Unless of coarse you are a refugee. Check into it deeper.
Next please supply evidence of DHHS not making people on TANF find work, get work an stay working. They do enforce this, greatly, unless of coarse you are a refugee. Check into this as well, deeper.
In fact 90% of your allegations regarding DHHS not “enforcing” penalties regarding TANF are ONLY true regarding ‘REFUGEES’ on assistance. The refugee assistance program(s) are a BIG FAT gaping HOLE that you ‘;should’ be exposing. Leaving a mere 10%or less to ‘lazy people’ draining the system, and/or conning their DHHS case-workers somehow.
Lastly, methedone clinics and their ‘patients’ are another BIG FAT gaping HOLE, costing $25.00 per day, per ‘patient’ (everyday per patient) 24/7, with thousands of them getting free MAINECARE treatment at the clinics. Yes, MaineCare pays it all. That is a waste, everyone in the World knows methadone is just as addictive as any Class 2 drug or narcotic. By comparison, that problem coupled with the “Refugee Cash Assistance”, here’s a listing:
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Cash and Medical Assistance Program provides reimbursement to States and alternative refugee assistance programs for 100 percent of Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA)and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) provided to refugees and other eligible persons, as well as associated administrative costs. ORR clients determined ineligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid are categorically eligible for RCA and RMA for up to eight (8) months from the date of arrival in the U.S.,
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program provides for the care of refugee minors admitted to the U.S. unaccompanied by a parent or adult relative.
Refugee Social Services Program allocates formula funds to States to serve refugees in the U.S. less than sixty months (five years). This program supports employability services and other services that address participants’ barriers to employment such as: social adjustment services, interpretation and translation services, (day care for children), citizenship and naturalization services, etc
Targeted Assistance Program allocates formula funds to assist refugees obtain employment within one year’s participation in the program and to achieve self-sufficiency.
Cuban Haitian Program provides grants to support employment services, hospitals and other health and mental health care programs, adult and vocational education services, refugee crime or victimization programs, and citizenship and naturalization services.
Refugee Preventive Health Program provides medical screenings in accordance with the Medical Screening Protocol for Newly Arriving Refugees and follow-up activities to newly arriving refugees.preventive care treatment, health assessments for chronic and other health conditions harmful to refugees’ health, interpreter services, information and referral to local health centers/clinics and Medicaid providers, and follow-up services to ensure appropriate treatment. The program also supports health education and orientation for refugees, as well as implementation of coordinated health projects with other Federal and State offices.
Refugee School Impact Program provides Services for school-age refugees between the ages of five (5) and 18 years of age with program activities that include English as a Second Language instruction, after-school tutorials, programs that encourage high school completion and full participation in school activities, after-school and/or summer clubs and activities, parental involvement programs, bilingual/bicultural counselors, interpreter services and other services.
Services to Older Refugees Program provides services to ensure that refugees aged 60 and above are linked to mainstream aging services in their community.
Targeted Assistance Discretionary Program Refugees residing in the U.S. longer than five years, refugee women who are not literate in their native language, as well as the elderly are some of the special populations served by this discretionary grant program.
ALL TAXPAYERS DOLLARS! So which wastes of money would your agency like to ALSO start with??? Considering that most if not ALL of the monies used under the State DHHS umbrella are funded by and through good ole’ Uncle Sam!
No matter how many people are abusing the system, or just trying to make ends meet, or truly need the assistance, not all of them can get jobs, have a car to get there (especially rural & suburban areas with no PT), have any good working skills, etc. between learning and/or physical/mental disabilities or difficulties, you cannot judge people so generally nor can YOU assume so much corruption in State Agencies or in people on assistance themselves.
There are too many parameters that far out-weigh your “quickfix” solutions. You would have to SPEND billions just educating the amount of people you would like to see “working” just to get to that point. One barrel of money to FIX another. There are “programs” that are far more costly to us all as taxpayers than your limited focus on sneaky people getting food stamps! You have some good points of view, but your solutions to “fixing” the massive and very ‘individualized’ problems generated around DHHS and the general or public welfare programs is weak and no where near complete.
Your efforts are in the wrong category, wrong areas. Hit the bigger picture!
I have a son who has lived with his girlfriend and her 3 kids, one of which is his, for 5 years while he was working, and she did not claim him or his income during this entire time. She also worked, being paid cash under the tabel, for 2 years and did not claim this income either. On the other hand, I have a son who lives with his girlfriend and their child, and they have been honest in claiming his income and/or hers when she did work. She went to school to furhter her education to get a job and is currently seeking employment diligently. They do not do drugs. The last two in the above mentioned situation, struggle to make ends meet and do not receive full benefits due to my sons income.
The first two, spend their money like it grew on trees, have cell phones, lap top computers, and do drugs, paid for with and by the tanf she receives. I have reported the first two to DHHS but they wanted me to personally meet with the social worker to make the complaint. No investigation ensued into the report I made because I did not go in to meet with them.
This is an atrosity and I know many many similar couples doing the same in most of the communities here in this County. Something needs to be done and done soon before there is no return financially for this state.
Breeding dependency upon the government is morally wrong. Government should help those who need it temporarily and should work to increase the opportunities for people to succeed through hard work. It should not simply provide an eternal handout to keep them forever dependent.
I agree with Karyn..our people need to be educated to be able to be employed. Educate first, bring jobs back to the US (check all your labels when you buy. Do not buy imports!) and put people back to work. Also do not let illedgal immigrants to collect from eiether welfare or SS systems.
It’s way past time to eliminate a system that goes from one generation to another. We must give these welfare recipients back their pride and dignity and make them into more responsible citizens. I wonder how many of those on the welfare program would actually stay in Maine. Most would probably decide to go back to their home state!!!.
I have worked in a local store in a small town for years there is a great need to improve the system.
The politicians have been talking about “a hand up, not a hand out” for so many years it isn’t funny. It’s past due time to make it a reality. Whatever happened to all that talk about “workfare”? I say fix it or fund it by cutting the state legislature’s payroll. How many state representatives and senators does it really take to make this state’s government work properly? When a company isn’t profitable, they down-size.
Most states that don’t have control over their welfare systems are having problems with their budgets and abuses of the use of the welfare. Sadly, myself, I’m on Food Stamps, but I also pay in taxes every year. My wife and I know several people in our immediate area that get SSI, SSDI, GA, and TANF, while they own 4 snowmobiles, 2 four wheelers, and 2 newer vehicles, plus own a home. Tell me how someone with all that needs welfare assistance, but someone that goes in for a one time help gets denied….it’s called a severely broken welfare system. I actually had a conversation with a worker with the ACAP office in Presque Isle that told me that because some of their clients have children, that that alone gets them the help, unquestioned. She even went on to say that some of their clients own enough “addons” (atvs, snowmobiles, etc.) that they shouldn’t be able to get the assistance, but they do only based on the children in the household.
What Maine needs is one….reform to the welfare system. Two, a welfare to work program. Three, limitations on how long a family can receive TANF, GA, SSI. Some states have gone as far as that you can only recieve TANF for a maximum of 3 years without any income coming into the family unit.
If a family is making 30k per year or more….no assistance of any kind should be available as at that rate of income you can afford insurance and any other expenses that come your way. If you can’t, then you shouldn’t be over-extending your income abilities. Just because you can’t manage your money, shouldn’t mean that the taxpayers of this state should be responsible!
Why get a job when you can get more on welfare. Where is the pride. I walk with my heard held high I worked hard to get where I am. I started with nothing and never on welfare.
Why don’t we take all imbodied men and woman in good health and let them picked crops for the growers. Instead of hiring outsiders and illegals. I did when I was young. I picked beans, apples, corn and potatoes. I’m a young 79 in mind only. But would like a part time job, like Police dispatch or cleaning town buildings,something like that. I have acertficate of graduation from floor maintaince school.
I like this idea alot
Some Years back a program was started in Sacramento County Calif. that appeared to work very well. It replaced cash payments with an opportunity farm. Any one could go to the farm and be taken care of. There were no restrictions. each adult had to put in twenty hours work at the farm each week. There were no cash payments. If a person wanted to have money they would have to find a job. They could still stay at the farm if they so chose.
In my opinion this could be the answer to Maine’s welfare nightmare.
The only thing I see wrong with helping famlies and children is the need to cut people off before they can get on thier feet. There virtually no assistance for those who are willing work. There needs to a grace period of about one year after a person is in the work force. If we cannot do this we punish good behavior and who want s to be punished for doing the right thing.
Get your hand out of my pockets I had a stroke in 2004 in 2003 you dumb fcks took my childen now myh monthly incom is 300.00 less a month i gon’t like pay ing for brces ciggarettes and booze at all i think you all need to get sued for your incompetense
It is pretty sad that other states are shipping their welfare problems to Maine. Doubt it, take a look around the ethnic people coming to the state, not saying there is a problem ethnic people in general, however when you ask why they came to Maine, *some* (not all) of them will tell you it is because the state will take care of them. I know because I asked.
It appears it is time for the able bodied people in Maine on welfare find a job within Maine of move on to another State. We can not longer afford generation after generation taking the working persons money. Of course Augusta’s knee jerk reaction is to increase taxes. Nothing like increasing tax to drive away the few companies we have left.
A complete overhaul is needed ASAP.
It is always easy to worry about the families but if they do not worry about their own future then why should the people that work have to carry their burden?
maybe your case workers should stop telling these mothers who try to work nd make something of themselves that they would be better off to stay home and collect maximum benefits hmmm that is a major problem
This happened to me 25 years ago…I was working 2 part-time jobs and was reporting income monthly to DDHS….a case worker said to me “Why don’t you just have another baby, and you wouldn’t have to do all this reporting of income”. I was horrified and demanded to speak to a supervisor…they didn’t take me seriously…the case worker should have been fired!
A very thorough report. Thanks for your hard work.
Its a sad day when waiting to cash out at the grocery store and you notice that your surronded by people with over flowing grocery carts or sometimes maybe two of them (all name brand items) and then see them pull out the EBT card to pay. I work hard and pay my taxes, I’ve never been able to spend or eat like these people on the system (not that I’d want to). Also, I know of someone who it has been said that she withdraws cash from the EBT card so she can go to the bar on Friday nights.
Facts or inuendo? The state of the economy in the past 2 years has significantly driven up the uses of welfare resources, not so much as plain lazy people with knowledge of the inner workings of the “system” syphoning money from the States. The ECONOMY is (at least) 25% to blame. THAT entire problem resulted from……? Yea…U guessed it, hard-working people that have been “abusing” yet another BIG system! Mortgages over their heads, then filing Chapter 7 a week after forclosure. The wealthy ripping off Uncle Sam every way possible. Banks, Lenders, Brokers, etc. etc. etc. My Uncle (whom is a big-wig @ Verizon S.E.) lost $250k he invested because of the rotten little shiesters of ENRON! So worrying about the $485.00 a month, TANF , which DOES HAVE a 5-year limit in Maine, is really…genuinely not at the HEART of a toppled economy. Lets not forget “pain at the pumps”, when the BIG ARAB-Saudi oil barons slapped the World silly a couple years ago too. The State of Maine has spent millions just in Stop Smoking Campaigns. How does that help your wallet? There are lists of expenditures far greater to worry about than focusing on someone going through the self humility of actually having to use an EBT card. You could END TANF & Food Assistance programs within 5 minutes, but guess what…..it is NOT gonna help your BIG FAT Mortgage payment one little red centola! *(God remembers, so God forbid YOU may someday need an EBT card).
So whats’ the point of this WEB site again? Oh yeah…..to reverse roles and take from Paul and give back to Peter……NICE! Really brilliant. Then what?
We pay taxes on things (we) don’t even know exist…..so just knowing that…where do you really start cutting anything? TANF, FSB, RCA, MaineCare,GA,Section8, what about Fanny Mae and Freddie-Mac? I say….shut down down your pretty little finger-pointing (jealousy & hate-driven) web-Site and SAVE that extra buck. Maine’s welfare system isn’t asking for your help or your inaccurate opinions. BECAUSE: The truth is….we all pay one day. Many “systems” need revamping.
The truth is….we all pay one day.
Don’t all those food stamp benefits and TANF dollars go back into the economy??? Does the owner of this web-site TEXT while driving? I am willing to bet YOU do! Hippocrit. So you fell asleep at the wheel and woke up in your own little Disney World, dreaming “Oh what a wonderful perfect little World I live in” so why don’t I FIX everyone elses little Worlds too.
Either that or someone else got free tickets to Disney and YOU didn’t.
Even if the money goes back into the economy is it still right for others to work hard and have it come out of our paychecks, so somone else can spend it to replenish the economy, seems like I should be doing that with my money not someone else.
Support a change. Vote NO on Referendum Question #2
It is a bad idea because:
The state can not afford any bond issue.
This bond is ultimately to support a private institution with public money in its goal to have a dental school. So what if the state may have backed a bond for a private institution with public money before, two wrongs do not make a right…. Besides it may have been supported by State Rep John Martin.
This school will potentially graduate students who are under qualified to practice because they will not be able to get adequate mentoring from specialists when they are at off site locations.
These students will not get any real experience in treating children of any age. They will only get experience in referring them to you and other pediatric dentists. No dental school in New England gives their undergraduate dental students adequate exposure in treating young kids with NO dental disease let alone kids who come in with dental infections or even class one caries. It is not part of the curriculum. They do not need to know it for the NERB.(New England Regional Board, the exam dentists and dental hygienists must pass to be licensed in any New England State)
The cost of education at a University of New England sponsored program will be too expensive for any student to be able to think realistically about practicing in a low income under served area and be able to pay back their debt. UNE will not forgive any debt for any reason regardless of where you practice. Assuming that UNE came up with a cracker-jack program that was the envy of all, why would any graduate with a greater than $200,000.00 plus debt elect to work in a low income backwater area where medicaid would be the bread and butter. These people thinking this stuff up have been at the cool-aid too long.
This bond ultimately may foster a UNE Dental School which graduates poorly qualified dentists who will probably only be able to practice in the more remote areas of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont because they lack the necessary skills to pass boards in other regions. For that matter NERB may decide they lack the proper preparation to be certified by NERB.
Maine has taken a not so good medicaid system and has managed to make it a lot worse over the last five years. It is now trying to bail itself out one more time with the promise of low income clinics. If Maine had managed what they had, they might not have to try this stunt. Through MaineCare mismanagement Maine has lost practitioners in speech pathology, chiropractics, physical therapy, medicine, dentistry, and other related health care areas…nursing homes have been forced into bankruptcy, hospitals have closed all during the last five years of Maine’s MaineCare fiasco. And the MaineCare system still owes $400 million dollars to the hospitals of the state.
If you have not looked at it, check out
Does anyone know what females did when they got pregnant and could not afford a baby before government welfare?
Does anyone know what happen what to people that became disabled and could not work, before government welfare?
They moved in with their parents and or extended family and the family provided and took care of their housing,food,and maintenance.
If welfare recipients do not want to participate in government Workfare let them move back with their families. The way it naturally should be anyways.
I have worked with several young mothers that had to give up a part-time job because they would have lost their medical coverage. Give them their medical coverage and encourage them to work.
Or go to the doctors and get a bill in the mail and make a payment. I have done that for years without medical coverage. Every hospital or doctors office will except a payment.
I am ready to get my discount in life for working 2 jobs, to support my family all while never collecting a penny off the state of Maine. I have been paying for all of the other state dependents for years. I am ready for a change!!! I can’t afford to give my hard earned money away to most of the mainers whom are just too lazy to get off the couch and look for a job of any kind. I know so many people who abuse this system, DHHS, never even looks into the cases they have they are all so overloaded. A six month review of each case that is done by mail without a background check is not an accurate check. People lie and I am paying for it.
No jobs and too many cheats.young girls get pregnant and get welfare while living with their boyfriends.Many people have someone move in their homes so it is a 2 income home while only one person declares income.If they could cross reference social security numbers with addresses it would catch some of them.Or a hotline where you do not need to identify yourself.
I work in a medical enviroment and see the abuse daily. It is more than time we fixed this. Families having several children to increase their checks. Not all but many with better cell phones than I can afford, smelling of alchol and cigaretts. If you think the children are better off on this system, as is, think again. A state rep once said to me, Maine’s motto is. When in doubt give it out. I couldn’t believe it.
I did not see any reference to better collection of child support. This has to be part of the solution, as it is certainly part of the problem.
I moved to Maine nearly two years ago for a job promotion and so my wife could work on her Master’s degree. We love the state but will likely move by the end of the year. We simply can’t live in a welfare state. We work too hard to be part of such a system. I certainly don’t mind helping the truly needy but Maine is ridiculous in helping those that refuse to help themselves and who have abused the system for generations. Until something is done hard working, tax paying, productive members of society, like my wife and I, will leave to other states as I don’t want to support this system. It is clearly broken. This site was right on the money.
I would like to see Maine become an ” English Only ” state. This would discourage illegal immigrants and Somalis from migrating here for the generous welfare assistance and free health care saving the State of Maine millions.
If the welfare dependency statistics are true, then how is this even sustainable, especially in a low-income, anti-business State? It’s a snake eating its tail.
having worked for a municipality for many years, I have seen the largesse of local gov’t. firsthand. Believe me, there is a lot of abuse.
We all realize there needs to be a social safety net for our society. Unfortunately in Maine that safety net has become a way of life. I have heard from good sources that work with “at risk teens” they have the attitude that “The State” will take care of me when I am an adult when the subject of works is discussed. Why would they not have this attitude if this is all they know and they have never been uncomfortable in life. When someone with no skill set can go on welfare and make more then what they are qualified to do in work, why would you not be on welfare!
my x daughter in law recieves tanf she also gets money from sadd 60 to transport her kids from milton mills nh to maine schools why are we paying for her tanf when she is living in another state and why is the school district paying for her to transport her kids when they have massive school outage because she dosent take them
First thing that needs to stop is the methadone clinics. It gets them off heroin yes, but then the people of Maine are buying these drug attics their drugs and it’s never ending. I don’t call a person going to the methadone clinic for 10 years a success story. I call it a drain on the system that can’t be sustained any longer. To get welfare, they should have to pass a drug test. I support the people who need the programs on a temporary basis, but there are too many taking advantage and we are letting them. Give them some rules to follow and at least attempt to make yourself better people.
TANF needs to be put to a stop. I have personally seen TANF recipients purchase beer, cigarettes , pizzas and other food items made in the kitchens of stores. Candy, toys, magazines- the list goes on and on. Any type of non-essential items are being purchased with the taxpayer dollars! This is a travesty!!
Being from NH but knowing a family that has relied on TANF for 13 years brought me to this page. I have been on TANF, in NH, and through my reading of the issues in Maine, I have to say that I find some of the assistance offered could be very helpful and actually necessary IF it was offered properly, and with oversight and STRICT ENFORCED regulations. This crap of letting people stay on TANF for more than 60 months if they still need the help is ridiculous. Not only that but they obviously dont do anything when there is a violation, this family – the mother gets assistance for her & kids, yet her husband lives with them, and when we are at court – the lady from DHHS is questioned who lives in the home, she says just the mother and the kids. Really?? funny – the GAL noticed there was someone else in the home – and funny that they introduced the husband as the boyfriend to the GAL. When any other state workers go they are sure to make appointments – even when someone was reporting abuse (of a child). Make sure to give the welfare cases plenty of notice so they can clean up all the drugs and hide the “boyfriend” so as not to have to answer those questions. Its ridiculous that this is allowed to go one, and ridiculous that the state workers supposedly cannot arrive unannounced (or so we were told). In NH the paperwork you get constantly about receiving benefits remind you that they can check on your information anytime – i assume this means they can just drop in as they please to be sure you arent breaking the rules of the program. Either way SOMETHING needs to be done in Maine, we will definitely be fighting our fight against this mother every way we can!!
Hi. I just want to say I am on SSI and I have never owned a car except for an old pinto my mom gave me once. I could never afford a car.
My husband is Active Duty Army, we were PCS’d out of Maine but due to it being our home state, we still opted to pay state income tax to Maine despite it is just over 3% higher than where we live. I am changing that this year because I am sick of the boo hooing I hear constantly coming from Maine regarding LePage. He is doing exactly what Maine needs, but it is harder (and more heavily citisized) to make people self reliant than promise them the proverbial “free ice-cream”. I am 5th generation Mainer, I am sick of the liberal entitled attitude that is so pervasive there now. I sign this in hopes that someone will fix it.
Thanks for the awesome video. I rnoegeizcd my two brothers, Mike Cormier and Norman Cormier had commented on your site. Yes, I was the eldest of five siblings from Van Buren, picking potatoes for your dad. I have several potato baskets I purchased while visiting Van Buren on my way back to Ohio. I bring in old photos, and these baskets, to my classroom students and share with them the work many French-Canadian families did to help bring in the potato crops. I also told them, at the time, we were paid 25 cents for picking a barrel of potatoes. There’s alot to remember and share with my students in Ohio. Picking potatoes in Ohio is quite different. I will always treasure the memories and the work ethics it taught many of us while working in the fields. Much continued success to you and your family for continuing the farming business in Maine’s northern Aroostook County.
Time to fix this mess
Why aren’t we doing anything about this? Time for action!