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No matter what anyone says about southern Maine vs northern Maine I really couldn't care about it. It means nothing to me its just someones opinion. So no matter what side your on it just doesn't matter. I do not understand first why anyone would even have those feelings and then 2nd why anyone would care when someome does.
But I have to tell you that that kind of talk falls in line with some feelings I have always had about Mainers (festering in the back of my mind). I have never lived anywhere there was so much segregation. volvol line, Northern Ma, M*******s, Mcmansions. When I came to Lewiston Auburn all I heard from people was that Lewiston was the armpit of Maine ect, and then people in Lewiston would never dare live in Auburn. The funny thing is I don't think people are kidding around......I think people really feel this way.
Although I now live in DC, I grew up in Maine and I have to say that Maine is seen as having a very liberal welfare policy. "Move to Maine and get food stamps and welfare the next day." I want to move back to Maine someday but the high taxes scare me.
Does the growing welfare burden hurt Maine's economy and competitiveness? Yes! Does Maine need to crack down on abuse? Yes. How else will it ever become competitive? Can this go on forever? No. Maine shouldn't burden its working families with excessive taxes. It is hurting their future and handing Maine over to out-of-staters.
Please see the following. It has excellant information. And welcome to the forums.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deerislesmile
(Maybe it would be better to start a new thread about welfare in Maine, but that's up to Cornerguy...)
There is a 60 month cap on TANF (cash) benefits to ADULT participants, but not on food stamps or MaineCare. After 60 months of aid from TANF, the adult will no longer recieve any cash benefit- the benefit will be awarded only to the minor children, not to the adult. There are some other issues that come in, such as the number of violations the adult commited, as well as a clause that indicates acceptable reasons (Good Cause) that an adult might continue to recieve that benefit (which includes issues such as domestic violence, child care, and a few others..).
If anyone wants to look at the facts... http://www.mejp.org/PDF/tanf_facts.pdf (broken link)
Myth: Maine’s TANF benefits are too generous and encourage people to move to Maine
from other states. Fact: Maine’s maximum monthly TANF benefit is the very lowest in New England. Maine’s
maximum benefit for a family of three is $485/month, which is only 34% of the poverty level
($1431/month). Even when food stamps are added, TANF families reach only 65% of the
poverty level.
Data from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services clearly illustrates that
people are not moving to Maine for our benefits. DHHS compiled data about the relocation
patterns of people receiving assistance from TANF, Food Stamps and MaineCare. It found:
• Less than 1 percent of all 2006 recipients came to Maine from another state.
• From October 2002 – October 2006, nearly six times as many aid recipients left Maine
each month as the number who moved here.
• Of those who had come from elsewhere, nearly one-third had Social Security numbers
issued in Maine. This suggests that a large number of these individuals were originally
from Maine and were simply coming home.
• Finally, there was no significant difference in migration patterns between aid recipients
and the rest of the population. People receiving assistance generally came to Maine from
the very same states in the same percentages as the rest of the population. If people really
were looking for more generous benefits we'd expect a different pattern - a greater
proportion would be coming from states with lower benefit amounts.
**** Myth: There’s a lot of fraud in the welfare system—people are getting benefits even when
they don’t qualify.Fact: Actual fraud is found in only about 2/10th of 1% of all TANF cases—that means that
99.8% of families do not commit fraud. There are strict eligibility requirements that families
must meet in order to qualify for TANF benefits. Eligibility is reviewed every six months and
families must report any change in circumstances within 10 days. The Department verifies
information about income and assets by computer checks with other government agencies such
as the Department of Labor, bank accounts and access to other public benefits like Social
Security. Myth: Once on welfare, always on welfare. Lots of families go on welfare and stay on for
years and years.
Fact: Less than 1/10th of 1% of all families who received TANF at the beginning of the program
in 1996 continue to receive it today. The average length of time that Maine families stay on
TANF is 21 months.
If you actually know "many, many, many" people that are living well while on welfare, I would say that you have found all of those 0.20% of people that are committing fraud in order to recieve benefits- and you should turn them in. There is enough stigma attached to the very act of applying (and recieving) welfare benefits, even if you qualify and need it, that I think it's important to weed out the fraudulent ones that only add to that stigma.
I have no idea if refugees have a seperate government benefit for being a refugee (all of my useless knowledge is limited to programs and services managed by DHS, not laws and services related to immigration benefits..), but as for the usual circuit of welfare benefits, they are held to the same rules and conditions as any other applicant- they are not given some golden ticket to abuse welfare benefits for as long as they want to simply because they are immigrants, just as they don't for anyone...
Although I now live in DC, I grew up in Maine and I have to say that Maine is seen as having a very liberal welfare policy. "Move to Maine and get food stamps and welfare the next day." I want to move back to Maine someday but the high taxes scare me.
Does the growing welfare burden hurt Maine's economy and competitiveness? Yes! Does Maine need to crack down on abuse? Yes. How else will it ever become competitive? Can this go on forever? No. Maine shouldn't burden its working families with excessive taxes. It is hurting their future and handing Maine over to out-of-staters.
Shane, I do not recall reading your posts here before, welcome!
My SIL lives very near DC, in Maryland, she works in DC though. She seems to really like it there.
Each person's experiences in Maine are different. Some of us have found a place where we can live and prosper, and not experience any of these 'high taxes'. For some of us these high taxes that you speak of, seem rather foreign to Maine.
Maine has a wide variety of experiences that it offers to residents.
Personally I moved here due to the low taxes.
Having been here for three years, so far I have not seen any tax here which has not been higher in previous places where I have lived.
Thank you again for your opinion.
I am so glad to see that everyone has such a wide variety of opinions.
I don't now if this forum will accept formatted columns, but we are about to find out.
- - -
talk about a disincentive; These numbers are nearly three years old. They are higher now.
These are the numbers for the benefits available for a
Single Mom with 2 children making minimum wage in Maine.
Benefit Hourly Weekly Annually
Min Wage $6.50 $260 $13,520
ASPIRE $6.25 $250 $13,000
Food Stamps $2.50 $100 $5,200
TANF $2.88 $115 $5,980
MaineCare $6.25 $250 $13,000
Misc Reimb. $1.00 $40 $2,080 Transportation, Clothes, Auto Repair…
Federal Taxes $2.27 $91 $4,716 Earned Income Credit
State Taxes $0.00 $0 $0
Social Security Taxes ($0.50) ($20) ($1,034) Pay 7.65% SS
hourly weekly annually
NET INCOME AFTER TAXES $27.15 $1,086 $56,462
Including State Paid Benefits
No matter what anyone says about southern Maine vs northern Maine I really couldn't care about it. It means nothing to me its just someones opinion. So no matter what side your on it just doesn't matter. I do not understand first why anyone would even have those feelings and then 2nd why anyone would care when someome does.
But I have to tell you that that kind of talk falls in line with some feelings I have always had about Mainers (festering in the back of my mind). I have never lived anywhere there was so much segregation. volvol line, Northern Ma, M*******s, Mcmansions. When I came to Lewiston Auburn all I heard from people was that Lewiston was the armpit of Maine ect, and then people in Lewiston would never dare live in Auburn. The funny thing is I don't think people are kidding around......I think people really feel this way.
Are you all kidding?
an earlier poster brought this all back in today....I understand how nasty it was, and unfortunately it was intentional (he admitted that in a now deleted post)....I think we need to ignore the trolls and go back to what we were doing....
I don't now if this forum will accept formatted columns, but we are about to find out.
- - -
talk about a disincentive; These numbers are nearly three years old. They are higher now.
These are the numbers for the benefits available for a
Single Mom with 2 children making minimum wage in Maine.
Benefit Hourly Weekly Annually
Min Wage $6.50 $260 $13,520
ASPIRE $6.25 $250 $13,000
Food Stamps $2.50 $100 $5,200
TANF $2.88 $115 $5,980
MaineCare $6.25 $250 $13,000
Misc Reimb. $1.00 $40 $2,080 Transportation, Clothes, Auto Repair…
Federal Taxes $2.27 $91 $4,716 Earned Income Credit
State Taxes $0.00 $0 $0
Social Security Taxes ($0.50) ($20) ($1,034) Pay 7.65% SS
hourly weekly annually
NET INCOME AFTER TAXES $27.15 $1,086 $56,462
Including State Paid Benefits
They had an article last year in the twin city times and it was basically exactly what you just posted....
Why not introduce low or zero interest loans for people going through a rough patch. you know....Ok so you had a child and the dads a bum and he's left the state and joined the merchant marines. how much do you need untill you can get on your feet.....could be monthly payment along with educational incentives but the bottom line is when you are back on your feet you pay it back. you could cap it and the it could be paid back over 30 years. were not talking disability...here were talking basic welfare for people who are indigent for whatever reason.
I don't now if this forum will accept formatted columns, but we are about to find out.
- - -
talk about a disincentive; These numbers are nearly three years old. They are higher now.
These are the numbers for the benefits available for a
Single Mom with 2 children making minimum wage in Maine.
Benefit Hourly Weekly Annually
Min Wage $6.50 $260 $13,520
ASPIRE $6.25 $250 $13,000
Food Stamps $2.50 $100 $5,200
TANF $2.88 $115 $5,980
MaineCare $6.25 $250 $13,000
Misc Reimb. $1.00 $40 $2,080 Transportation, Clothes, Auto Repair…
Federal Taxes $2.27 $91 $4,716 Earned Income Credit
State Taxes $0.00 $0 $0
Social Security Taxes ($0.50) ($20) ($1,034) Pay 7.65% SS
hourly weekly annually
NET INCOME AFTER TAXES $27.15 $1,086 $56,462
Including State Paid Benefits
but here's what's NOT there...some of those programs you can not participate in at the same time....for example if you're making min wage, a family of 3 is not eligible to receive that amount in food stamps....if she's participating in TANF she can not be participating in ASPIRE....so benefits are determined by many factors which those numbers do not reflect....
I'm not saying that the system is perfect....and if I could remember how to multi-quote I'd pull up what Flycessna is saying about a low interest loan program. Not only would the state be getting some return, maybe some who will not apply for help when they really need it would apply for a loan. I think it would really make a difference with those whose pride is hurt.
I posted a few weeks ago about my 87 year old neighbor who lived on a $287 a month social security check. I got him a pair of drug store reading glasses. I used to give him salmon and venison, He grew his own vegetables and cut his own wood. He could have gotten a lot more from the system, but he would not sign over the deed to his small home. That's one end of the spectrum.
The other extreme is the third generation welfare recipient who has boy-friend in the home. My little chart above came from the Maine legislature. I know how some of the programs are supposed to work. I'm not an expert at this, but the recipients and the case workers both have an incentive to keep it all going.
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Now Live outside of Maine
