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ooops...booted. You can buy Mainecare and pay for it. My friend takes home more than I do on ss. After all of my deductions.....all of that stuff...she earns more. You must take home lots and not know how to manage it or be filling the form out wrong. Try applying for the buy in or learn to budget your money more. You can save hundreds of dollars per month cutting out soft drinks, junk foods, prepared meals, and buying large bags of frozen veggies, meats, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, sugar, flour..healthy, inexpensive meals that taste better and have some TLC put into em. Also..SS allows recipients to earn a certain amount money every month and still collect benefits. Everyone is capable of doing some sort of work..a matter of looking and finding what works for you. Even $40 per week adds up monthly to a light bill or almost enough for your broken tooth. Good luck. I'd reapply and check off the buy in box. Also...Medicare Advantage is available in Maine for $31.00 per month..it pays for scripts....dental.....
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 12-30-2007 at 08:48 PM..
Maine has a 5 year limit but doesn't inforce it (as of 2 years ago). I have had more exposer to people on welfare then I would "think" most else on this forum. IMO it is very much abused. It has become a significant part of Maine's economy. TONS of jobs depend on it.
There are different types of welfare...some are on TANF which is says it has limits. They get a car, daycare, college, food, healthcare, housing if they apply, small amount of cash benefits, fuel money an emergency fund...etc etc, for a limited amount of time... the other form of welfare is through becoming disabled and not paying in enough to be eligible for normal SS benefits. They receive a federal welfare type benefit from SS. There are a large # of folks working age who collect that which is another type of welfare through the govt. There will always be abusers however w/ the lack of jobs available...it would seem that out of desperation just to get by folks do the "wrong" thing. They could move to an area where jobs are more plentiful. Again though...i'm not a huge fan of welfare but our tax dollars go towards worse things than keeping americans fed, clothed etc. Sadly enough,, you are corrects....tons of peoples jobs depend on the welfare recipients, domestic abusers, drug abusers and those less fortunate in Maine due to poverty...these problems created jobs for others in Maine. If welfare recipients left N. Maine for areas more prosperous then it may end up in a worse position. It's a sad state of affairs. More jobs are needed desperately and the state of maine is NOT attractive to businesses...the only attraction is the work force available. Financially..the state does nothing to make it appealing to do business in Maine.
"There are two fools in this world. One is the millionaire who thinks that by hoarding money he can somehow accumulate real power, and the other is the penniless reformer who thinks that if only he can take the money from one class and give it to another, all the world's ills will be cured."
Some time ago I came to be of the opinion that government should be run more like a business, only spending money already in the treasury (and only for things that are truly necessary) and not be spending money in anticipation of taxes to be raised (bond issues).
Another quote from Ford which is generally applicable to good business sense could also be applied to the business of government:
"Another rock on which business breaks is debt. Debt is nowadays an industry. Luring people into debt is an industry. The advantages of debt have become almost a philosophy. Possibly it is true that many people, if not most, would bestir themselves very little were it not for the pressure of debt obligations. If so, they are not free men and will not work from free motives. The debt motive is, basically, a slave motive."
The above quote is particularly apropos when considering the current state of affairs in which high levels of overspending and consumer debt, including both unsecured credit card debt and mortgages, have turned many people into wage slaves and/or welfare recipients. I believe that the current downturn in the economy is directly related to a "spend it before you have it" debt mentality generaly held by both average citizens and government.
The business of government, and many citizens business of life, are being broken on the rocks of debt.
They get a car, daycare, college, food, healthcare, housing if they apply, small amount of cash benefits, fuel money an emergency fund...etc etc, for a limited amount of time... the other form of welfare is through becoming disabled and not paying in enough to be eligible for normal SS benefits. They receive a federal welfare type benefit from SS. There are a large # of folks working age who collect that which is another type of welfare through the govt. There will always be abusers however w/ the lack of jobs available...it would seem that out of desperation just to get by folks do the "wrong" thing. They could move to an area where jobs are more plentiful. Again though...i'm not a huge fan of welfare but our tax dollars go towards worse things than keeping americans fed, clothed etc. Sadly enough,, you are corrects....tons of peoples jobs depend on the welfare recipients, domestic abusers, drug abusers and those less fortunate in Maine due to poverty...these problems created jobs for others in Maine. If welfare recipients left N. Maine for areas more prosperous then it may end up in a worse position. It's a sad state of affairs. More jobs are needed desperately and the state of maine is NOT attractive to businesses...the only attraction is the work force available. Financially..the state does nothing to make it appealing to do business in Maine.
In what program does anyone get a car?
(or are we talking ideal programs that don't exist now?)
To move to an area where there are more jobs, one usually has to have enough cash available to do a first month/last month/security deposit...which can be upwards of $2000 in areas where there are a decent number of available jobs. In most cases, they don't have it. Most rentals now also require a renter to have good credit- most limited income folks do not (becuase they are either delinquent on bills, carry high balances, no credit history...)
Also- it takes approximately 24 months to get approval for section 8 voucher approval (at least in Hancock county, I find that's about average wait time), less time for apartment complexes. Only about 10% of all welfare recipients are able to recieve and find subsidized housing.
And something from another post upthread:
Quote:
Everyone is capable of doing some sort of work..a matter of looking and finding what works for you.
I disagree. There are always going to be some situations where a person is not able to work, not entirely limited to disability.
Last edited by deerislesmile; 01-09-2008 at 06:14 PM..
Reading part way through this thread and other discussions on the rampant poverty in Maine, I got the feeling that half the state of Maine must be on welfare. Though anyone who NEEDS to be on welfare pricks my heart and I DO believe wholeheartedly that the system is WAYYY over-abused, I was happy to see that the actual percentage of people who have to seek government assistance to eat and pay their bills only comprises 12.6% of the state.
I was a little worried there that we were going to move to Maine and end up on welfare due to the high cost of living, according to some concern expressed to me by one of you yesterday. Nope, I'm not coming to contribute to the problem, but I did want to shed some perspective. I also listed the stats for our current state just to add a comparison and to show that Maine, with it's unbearably high cost of living and rediculous tax burden, is still doing better than Texas in this arena - or so the numbers show.
NO, I'm not making light of the problems with welfare, and yes, there are plenty! But let's also not take lightly the good fortune/hard work that keeps the other 88% of Mainers living by their own means.
MAINE'S CHILDREN 2007
Maine's Children At a Glance
State Poverty Rate 3 12.6%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 18 4 17.5%
Poverty Rate, Children Ages 5-17 5 14.9%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 5 6 21.6%
All statistics are for 2005.
TEXAS'S CHILDREN 2007
Texas's Children At a Glance
State Poverty Rate 3 16.2%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 18 4 24.9%
Poverty Rate, Children Ages 5-17 5 22.8%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 5 6 28.8%
All statistics are for 2005.
*Stats taken from Child Welfare League of America website.
Reading part way through this thread and other discussions on the rampant poverty in Maine, I got the feeling that half the state of Maine must be on welfare. Though anyone who NEEDS to be on welfare pricks my heart and I DO believe wholeheartedly that the system is WAYYY over-abused, I was happy to see that the actual percentage of people who have to seek government assistance to eat and pay their bills only comprises 12.6% of the state.
I was a little worried there that we were going to move to Maine and end up on welfare due to the high cost of living, according to some concern expressed to me by one of you yesterday. Nope, I'm not coming to contribute to the problem, but I did want to shed some perspective. I also listed the stats for our current state just to add a comparison and to show that Maine, with it's unbearably high cost of living and rediculous tax burden, is still doing better than Texas in this arena - or so the numbers show.
NO, I'm not making light of the problems with welfare, and yes, there are plenty! But let's also not take lightly the good fortune/hard work that keeps the other 88% of Mainers living by their own means.
I do find it interesting how many Mainers wish to focus on such a tiny minority and insist that this minority is a majority.
I have seen it repeatedly in person as well as on forums [this one included].
Right. There are so many who take advantage of the system, but I'm quite sure they are not the majority. If they were, someone would have figured it out by now, surely!
Reading part way through this thread and other discussions on the rampant poverty in Maine, I got the feeling that half the state of Maine must be on welfare. Though anyone who NEEDS to be on welfare pricks my heart and I DO believe wholeheartedly that the system is WAYYY over-abused, I was happy to see that the actual percentage of people who have to seek government assistance to eat and pay their bills only comprises 12.6% of the state.
I was a little worried there that we were going to move to Maine and end up on welfare due to the high cost of living, according to some concern expressed to me by one of you yesterday. Nope, I'm not coming to contribute to the problem, but I did want to shed some perspective. I also listed the stats for our current state just to add a comparison and to show that Maine, with it's unbearably high cost of living and rediculous tax burden, is still doing better than Texas in this arena - or so the numbers show.
NO, I'm not making light of the problems with welfare, and yes, there are plenty! But let's also not take lightly the good fortune/hard work that keeps the other 88% of Mainers living by their own means.
MAINE'S CHILDREN 2007
Maine's Children At a Glance
State Poverty Rate 3 12.6%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 18 4 17.5%
Poverty Rate, Children Ages 5-17 5 14.9%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 5 6 21.6%
All statistics are for 2005.
TEXAS'S CHILDREN 2007
Texas's Children At a Glance
State Poverty Rate 3 16.2%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 18 4 24.9%
Poverty Rate, Children Ages 5-17 5 22.8%
Poverty Rate, Children Under 5 6 28.8%
All statistics are for 2005.
*Stats taken from Child Welfare League of America website.
1/4 of maine(s) population is on medicaid. Isn't that a form of welfare?
Thank-you for clarifying what I intended to say in my short little post. I am simply stating that Maine seems to punish those people heavily that work hard and do not utilize the welfare system. If you work and need welfare as well such as medicaid for your children, great, I'm glad it's there. Maine, however, has a tax structure that is grossly weighted against the working poor, middle class, and those with money as well. I can say this due to many years spent in Maine as a poor person, college educated idiot, and as a business owner. I love Florida, for example, as it does not just throw wasted money at problems as Maine does, it is conservative with the fiscal belt. There is no income tax here. Even though Floridians complain about their property taxes now, I'm paying less in property tax for a nice house than I did in 1999 for a crappy house in rural Maine with half the land. Maine will continue to be, "The great Maine brain drain." as long as you make excuses for the liberal junkies that reside in the Maine house and live in the southern 1/3 of th state. They are making and have made decisions that have almost eliminated any hope of your children being fiscally independent from government aid and financially successful. Again, I don't judge those on welfare who need the Temporary help, I'm just stating my disdain for a failed system. I worked in social services for much of my life in Maine and saw the flawed system first hand. I wish the leaders in Maine would read some literature on sound economics or take a lesson or two from Florida where property taxes went down this year after a legislative session due to complaints from citizens. Would that ever happen in Maine?? I think not. By the way, my car doesn't cost 535 dollars to register in Florida, a new car or old car, or Bentley, cost 35 dollars a year, no excise or as I would say "excessive tax." Again, so glad I moved, Maine is depressing, not to mention the 10 below winter nights in January, brrrrrr!!! LOL
right on!!! love this post....it so true...
My brother is part owner of a company with over 600 employess based out of orlando....2/3 of the employees are located all over the country.......but not maine. They have invstigated all of the states and love florida for running a business and living. Love the tax structure there.....Their two worst states to conduct business.....California and Maine....do not want any part of either.
While states like florida finds ways to take less of your money...Maine finds ways of taking more of it....
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Though anyone who NEEDS to be on welfare pricks my heart and I DO believe wholeheartedly that the system is WAYYY over-abused, I was happy to see that the actual percentage of people who have to seek government assistance to eat and pay their bills only comprises 12.6% of the state. 
Nope, I'm not coming to contribute to the problem, but I did want to shed some perspective. I also listed the stats for our current state just to add a comparison and to show that Maine, with it's unbearably high cost of living and rediculous tax burden, is still doing better than Texas in this arena - or so the numbers show.
