Shame on you Maine

Water Cooler
#1

Do the people of Maine have no heart?

http://cnsnews.com/commentary/robert-rector/when-maine-required-childless-adults-work-get-food-stamps-guess-what

Cliff Notes Version:

In response to the growth in food stamp dependence, Maine’s governor, Paul LePage, recently established work requirements on recipients who are without dependents and able-bodied. In Maine, all able-bodied adults without dependents in the food stamp program are now required to get a job, participate in training, or perform community service (6 whole hours per week).

3 months after the new policy, the number of able-bodied adults without dependents claiming food stamps dropped by 80%.

#2

Maine seems like a funny place. Never been there but from what I hear, Deliverance could have just as easily taken place there.

#3

Once you get past Portland, Maine is basically backwoods West Virginia… or any state in the South. This is hardly surprising.

#4

Way to go Maine!

#5

people from maine who make it to the big city are some of the nicest people you’ll meet.

#6

I’ve always wondered how Deliverance was dubbed in French…

#7

I knew I freaking loved Maine!

#8

LePage for president!

#9

I’m not sure how to interpret this. Did the 80%…

  • Stop claiming food stamps?
  • Cease to be able-bodied?
  • Gain a dependent?

I’d like to think it was the first, but I suspect that it’s one of the others.

#10

Does it matter? The point is, less handouts!

#11

They cut off a foot so they would not qualify as being able bodied?

#12

^No, it doesn’t.

Before the policy - 100 able-bodied, childless people claim food stamps.

After the policy - The same 100 people claim food stamps. 20 are able-bodied and childless, 20 of them now have children, and 60 people have mysteriously become “disabled”.

The result is the same - 100 people on food stamps, but the number of “able-bodied without dependents” has dropped by 80%.

#13

^^ how are you able to gain a dependant and/or accomplish all the paper work to be classified as disabled in only 3 months?

#14

^Remember what the great philospher Itera said.

“If a system can be abused, it is being abused.”

#15

Yea, well I’m sure even the great Itera would agree with Occam’s Razor. Either the medical practice community of Maine has become so corrupt in just 3 months as to create a system of collecting bribes in exchange for an “unfit to work” status… OR There has been a panic rush to accomodate 1000s of Maine deadbeats with adopted children so they can contiune to get their dang food stamps… OR Maine has actually been successful in weeding out free loaders.

#16

^When you threaten people’s existence, even if that existence is a free handout, they will respond quickly.

I’m not saying that this is the case. I’m just merely making the point that “80% drop in able-bodied people without dependents” can mean a lot of different things.

#17

^Indeed… if there is one thing statistics are good at… it’s telling a great lie :wink:

#18

There is no way to know for sure, but they think a lot of those folks were actually working under the table and therefore didn’t have the time or desire to get an on the books job (and pay taxes), do community service, or go to school. I imagine the rest were just too lazy to any of the above and continue to milk the other services that allow them to sit on their couches all day watching cable and eating Cheetos.

#19

I dont care about the politics… im never voting for a guy that sounds like a frenchie.

#20

Well, that’s how Clinton cleared the welfare rolls. The number of people collecting disability sky rocketed. The public is so uninformed and intellectually lazy. I don’t think stupid is the problem.