This week’s edition!
Maine is a national leader in welfare spending
Maine ranks second in percent of households getting cash benefits
“Fix the System,” The Maine Heritage Policy Center’s 2012 report on Maine’s welfare system, show that Maine is the only state in the country to rank in the top 10 of three major areas of welfare: Maine ranks sixth in percent of households receiving food stamps; second in the nation in percent of households receiving cash assistance; and third in the country in percent of population enrolled in Medicaid.
Only California and Vermont have a higher percentage of their populations enrolled in Medicaid. Download the report here.
“This updated report makes it very clear once again that welfare reform should be a major issue for our leaders,” said MHPC CEO Scott Moody, co-author of the report. “While recent reforms have improved the system, more must be done to fix the system and free Maine families from welfare dependency.”
The report highlights reforms that were a priority of the LePage administration and approved by the current Legislature. Many of the reforms had been suggested in MHPC’s 2010 “Fix the System” report. Reforms that were successfully implemented include: a five-year limit on cash assistance; stricter sanctions for violation of program requirements; drug testing for welfare recipients accused of drug crimes; tightened Medicaid eligibility requirements; improvement of fraud detection; and a waiting period for legal non-citizens to get welfare benefits.
Democrats’ unconstitutional bill costs taxpayers $700,000
Rep. Sharon Treat (D-Hallowell) has left Maine taxpayers on the hook for $680,000 worth of legal expenses stemming from a bill she advanced in 2007 that was has been struck down as unconstitutional.
On September 28, the United States District Court for the District of Maine ordered the State of Maine to pay $678,190 in attorney’s fees as a result of IMS v. Rowe. An “Act To Amend the Prescription Privacy Law,” passed in 2007 under the former Baldacci Administration, was found to be unconstitutional.
Treat sponsored LD 838 in the 123rd Legislature, which was merged into another bill, LD 4, and passed in June of 2007. The combined bills, pushed aggressively in the Legislature by Treat, tried to stop private businesses from obtaining information about the prescribing practices of doctors.
Enough is Enough: Lewiston has a simple choice in this election
By Robert E Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
The upcoming election is very important to taxpaying Lewistonians and, as Mayor of Lewiston, to me personally. Property taxpayers will decide whether we build our tax base by attracting residents and businesses or whether we will continue to shrink our tax base by allowing our community to be overrun by non-profit advocacy groups.
The choice is simple: increase jobs or increase the welfare rolls.
In my role as mayor, I have had to take on a new role that is somewhat different than Bob Macdonald the citizen. I have had to put political ideology aside and decide what course benefits Lewiston and its citizens. Thank God for a city council that feels the same way.
In the local legislative races, Lewiston has a unique opportunity to finally have representation in Augusta that will not have to consult local city councilors or officials to learn about our city’s needs. The election of Republican Mike Marcotte and Democrat Nathan Libby will give us a voice in both political caucuses. It has the potential of making the Twin Cities a player, not merely hand raisers for interests in Portland and points south.
LETTER: Picking the bones of the taxpayers
To the Editor:
We have arrived once more to that time and place where we delude ourselves into believing we can cast our single vote and change government.
We try to select the best candidates, but in moments of honesty, we have to admit that we are truly uninformed voters. We don’t know the details of the issues; we don’t truly know the candidates. And, although we may have seen them in the flesh, may have made eye contact as they, with what appeared to be sincerity, spoke the words we desperately wanted to hear, we don’t truly know them.
But we know from long experience that those that would seek public office have all been invested with the same magical phrases necessary for an incantation to gain the public trust. We hear this litany of phrases: reduce taxes, provide help for the needy, improve education, create jobs, help veterans. Like sheep following a Judas goat, we are comfortably—but wrongly—reassured.
Medieval merrymaking on tap at Franco Center
On November 9 and 10 at 6 p.m., the Franco-American Heritage Center will present one of Maine’s more unique and magical experiences with its fifth annual Medieval Feast.
This festive event harkens back to the medieval tradition of royalty inviting guests to watch knights compete on horseback. This feast is meant to recreate just such a gathering (only without the horses). Guests may imagine themselves in the center of a medieval courtyard, awaiting the glorious arrival of the king and queen. They will then join the royal couple, along with a host of knights, minstrels, friars and wenches, in the Great Hall for an evening of magic, entertainment, pageantry – and a meal without utensils.
School union loses stranglehold on health insurance
Court upholds law to break school union’s “virtual monopoly” on health insurance
The Maine Education Association’s longtime monopoly on health insurance for Maine public school employees has been broken, opening the door for school districts to seek lower-cost health insurance plans—and reduce local property taxes.
According to the most recent data, the Maine Education Association Benefits Trust paid Anthem an annual premium of $370 million and kept $87 million in a reserve fund, plus paid Anthem $900,000 a year to administer the plan. The MEA Benefits Trust has maintained a stranglehold on health insurance costs by refusing to share insurance data with school districts so they can shop for their own, lower-cost insurance.
To remedy this, the legislature enacted L.D. 1326, “An Act To Allow School Administrative Units To Seek Less Expensive Health Insurance Alternatives,” which requires that health insurers must disclose to school districts their insurance claims history, called the “aggregate loss information.” The loss information could then be provided to health-insurance companies in an attempt to compare plans and costs—a commonly used practice in Maine.
Since health insurance for school workers costs up to 15% of total education expenses, spending less on health insurance plans will mean direct savings to taxpayers.
MaineHousing spent $7 million on two computer consultants
Investigations continue into fiscal mismanagement, lack of oversight
While the furor over inappropriate spending at the Maine State Housing Authority has faded, one large expense still stands out: $7.1 million has been paid over eight years to just two consultants for MaineHousing’s computer systems—and the systems are still not done.
The MaineHousing Board of Commissioners has authorized a forensic audit to determine if the $7.1 million was a legitimate expense.
With the media frenzy around the resignation of former MaineHousing executive director Dale McCormick and revelations in TheMaineWire.com about inappropriate spending on travel, parties and a failed one-million-dollar “carbon credit” scheme, the MaineHousing board didn’t have time to look into all of the financial issues that came up.
But the hefty expense for computer systems leaped out at the commissioners, even before they became embroiled in the controversy over McCormick’s management of MaineHousing.
LETTER: Rep. Craven seeks meetings with mayor
To the Editor:
This is an open letter to Mayor Macdonald.
Dear Mayor,
I write in response to your column last week, “Lewiston needs legislators who represent tax payers.” I cannot recall a single meeting where you asked us for a list of programs—or any other question, for that matter.
It was surprising to read that I had a “political” motivation in suggesting that we meet weekly. In that first meeting on August 15, the only time the word was uttered was when you said, “No more politics. I will focus my column on the work Chief Bussiere is doing to eliminate fraud downtown.”
We each have deeply held principles, which sometimes conflict. There is no reason that that should prevent us from working together. We serve the same citizens and taxpayers, and we do that more effectively when we work together.
Enough is Enough: On November 6, will you choose fantasy or reality?
By Robert E. Macdonald
Mayor of Lewiston
Last Saturday many from our area displayed, by their unselfish actions, the true definition of community. Hundreds showed up at Lewiston’s Green Ladle Restaurant to support little Noah Blakey and his family in his courageous battle against cancer. Noah, you’re in our thoughts and prayers.
With 13 days to go before the upcoming election, you—the voting property taxpayers—have a decision to make. Do you want to continue the steady growth of privately owned businesses that create jobs and a tax base? Or should we continue to turn Lewiston into the largest soup kitchen and homeless shelter in the state?
The choice is yours on November 6.
I saw a sign posted in a field along Sabattus Street that stated Democrats are for jobs and education. The sign carries a great message until you ask yourself, “Who’s not for jobs and education?”The answer is no one.
LETTER: Democrats use old tax data to wage class-warfare
To the Editor:
Desperate to take back the Maine Legislature, the Democrats have decided the best argument is to make you believe the changes in Augusta this past year would hurt Maine’s poorest and only help the wealthy.
A parade of liberal-spending legislators has gone on radio, in multiple newspapers and the Internet to tell you Maine’s lowest-income earners pay more than 17% of their income in Maine taxes each year, while the wealthiest only pay 10%. Our citizens deserve to fully understand the argument, to have all the facts presented and to then decide for themselves who is telling the truth.
Rep. Seth Berry of Bowdoinham (with echoes from Craven, Rotundo, Bryant and others) seems to be the flag bearer for the argument. When I questioned the numbers, he arrogantly suggested I check with Dr. Michael Allen of the Maine Revenue Service. Unfortunately for him, I did so.
