Posted on 09/25/2015 8:38:59 AM PDT by Hojczyk
“Well, the days of being quiet are gone,” he wrote. “We will be submitting a bill to the next legislative session asking that a website be created containing the names, addresses, length of time on assistance and the benefits being collected by every individual on the dole.
“After all, the public has a right to know how its money is being spent,” Macdonald said.
"Mayor MacDonald is wasting everyone's time,” Democratic candidate Ben Chin told FoxNews.com in an email. “He's never passed a single policy at the local level, let alone in the state legislature. Resorting to publicly shaming poor people is a sad, desperate act.”
Maine, though, is no stranger to controversial restrictions on welfare. Though the program commonly known as “welfare” uses federal dollars, states have the authority to set conditions on the funding, and Maine Gov. Paul LePage has pursued such reforms including drug-testing some recipients.
Macdonald defended his plan in an interview with the Press Herald.
“Go into a grocery store. They flaunt it,” he said of welfare recipients. “I’m not sorry. I hope this makes people think twice about applying for welfare.”
In his column, Macdonald also said he’d introduce a bill limiting assistance to 60 months total.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Accountability?
Shaming? Isn’t the are frat proud?
Government officials should have accountability, too. Let's post the mayors address and phone numbers on line.
I agree with him, but it will never pass. I do think the States should focus heavily on the fraud part of welfare. We should make welfare fraud a big deal. That is where we should really shame someone that is abusing the system. Penalties should be severe and devastating so it discourages fraud.
Well, voting should be more restricted. Welfare recipients should not be allowed to vote
There may be something I’m missing, but it is a conflict of interest Any legislator, such as in this case, is affected re making sound policy by those who benefit from less restricted ridiculously unrestricted welfare
What’s wrong with letting people know?
We have a county website where EVERYBODY’S property tax records are searchable online.
Or were, until a judge arbitrarily decided and ordered that JUDGES’ homes be removed from the online database.
If you’re stealing my money, I want you to feel like the garbage heap you are, and I want you to be in constant fear of your worthless, pathetic life.
President material?
I don’t know if this will fly. Many years ago the main newspaper in Indianapolis would publish the names of everybody obtaining government assistance every quarter. They got hauled into court [I think by the ACLU]. They had to stop this practice because the court said they were violating the privacy of the recipients.
I have no doubt that there are abuses in welfare in Maine. There are abuses in every government program, state and local and federal. But punishing people who actually need assistance by posting their name and addresses for every yahoo to see is uncalled for. Spend money on ensuring that the assistance goes to those who need it and doesn't go to those who don't is fine. But trying to eliminate all aid recipients by publicly shaming them off the roles is cruel, vindictive, and wrong. And I cannot imagine what kind of person would think it's a good idea.
Every day the American people are robbed blind to the tune of millions of dollars by pentagon contractors, lobbyists, beltway bandits and sweetheart contracts. So we’re going to publicly shame some poor mother with a couple of kids? That sounds fair...
So you're saying that public assistance is not justified in any instance?
“But trying to eliminate all aid recipients by publicly shaming them off the roles is cruel, vindictive, and wrong. And I cannot imagine what kind of person would think it’s a good idea.”
Well put.
Returning all social programs back to the local level is the only solution to fixing this mess.
People know who in their community is really in need and who is gaming the system.
This would solve a bunch of problems.
It must be done.
JMHO
So you’re saying that public assistance is not justified in any instance?
If a recipient has violated the standards, then the behavior is subject to exposure when irregularities fully verified and subject to agency action. That is not a private issue, it is then become a public one.
I’d rather they just provide beans, rice veggies etc...and access to useable services to those in need, and put the onus back on CHURCHES!!! without Gov’t intervention.
Somalis————I’ll bet.
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