It appears from the paper that this year’s legislative session holds no more hope than the last.

Gov. Paul LePage comes to the table with what appears to be an obvious suggestion to cut welfare payments to able-bodied adults in Maine and immediately the Legislature starts finding excuses why this is a bad thing.

There are certainly valid cases for public assistance, but there are also some who should be working and not sitting home collecting benefits.

It appears that the 18- to 25-year-old generation has adopted the “emotional distress” excuse for not working, replacing the previous “bad back” excuse.

There are people who are not working but are are bearing children, sitting home on their computer and high-speed Internet, eating better than many hardworking families in Maine and perhaps engaged in illegal activities.

People who say this type of activity does not exist should do case studies in the area.

I wonder how many people get payments for children that they have left to their parents (or others) to raise?

I have little hope that the Legislature will do anything in this session to correct these situations, which are sending Maine’s economy deeper into recession.

The Legislature has an ethical responsibility to address these issues.

Since the last session, my status as a working taxpayer in Maine is this: gas costs have risen, food costs have risen, heating costs have risen, my buying power has decreased, my wages are frozen and my medical costs have increased.

And the Maine Legislature is still at the top in number of members and cost in the United States.

I fail to see how the working population in Maine is being fairly represented or fairly treated.

Mike Swanholm

Readfield

Copy the Story Link