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Maine Food Stamp Work Requirement Cuts Non-Parent Caseload by 80 Percent
The Heritage Foundation ^ | 1/15/16 | By Robert Rector, Rachel Sheffield and Kevin D. Dayaratna, Ph.D.

Posted on 02/15/2016 6:48:43 PM PST by grimalkin

Growth in the food stamp caseload occurred particularly rapidly among able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). These are work-capable adults between the ages of 18 and 49 who do not have children or other dependents to support. The ABAWD food stamp caseload grew by nearly 150 percent between 2008 and 2014 and has risen from nearly 2 million recipients in 2008 to around 5 million today.

In response to the growth in food stamp dependence, Maine's Governor, Paul LePage, recently established work requirements on ABAWD recipients. In Maine, all ABAWDs in the food stamp program are now required to take a job, participate in training, or perform community service.

Job openings for lower-skill workers are abundant in Maine, and for those ABAWD recipients who cannot find immediate employment, Maine offers both training and community service slots. In response to the new work requirement, however, most ABAWDs in Maine refused to participate in training or community service, despite vigorous outreach efforts by the government to encourage participation. When ABAWD recipients refused to participate, their food stamp benefits ceased.

(Excerpt) Read more at heritage.org ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: lepage; taxpayer; welfare
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1 posted on 02/15/2016 6:48:43 PM PST by grimalkin
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To: grimalkin

Excellent!

If they are able, they should be required to do this.


2 posted on 02/15/2016 6:51:17 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: grimalkin

Well now...somebody could use this data against any socialist agenda....couldn’t they?


3 posted on 02/15/2016 6:52:21 PM PST by G Larry (ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS impose SLAVE WAGES on LEGAL Immigrants.)
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To: grimalkin

4 posted on 02/15/2016 6:52:26 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Don't mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance, or my kindness for weakness)
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To: grimalkin

LePage/Trump 2016!


5 posted on 02/15/2016 6:55:57 PM PST by bramps (It's the Islam, stupid!)
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To: grimalkin

Shelter bed nights in Portland Maine were also down in 2015, so these ABAWDs are not suddenly going homeless.


6 posted on 02/15/2016 6:57:37 PM PST by Steven Scharf
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To: DoughtyOne

but it HURTS so much that trillions have been wasted on what is OBVIOUS!!!

When I was on SSDI after my injury, and it took about 4ish years to recover, I HATED not making the big bucks anymore and not having my fancy car, etc, and when i finally felt ready i got a good money offer on Staten Island (traveling to Manhattan is over) and took it (overnight, more peaceful, you overcome and adapt).

But these people have no aspirations. IS it because they NEVER worked or hoped or dreamed?!

it’s not fun being on assistance. all you can do is survive. i made about 28 percent of what i was making before i got hurt.

i’m thankful the net was there, and if someone is permanently hurt and needs for life, they deserve it.

But I missed my nice cars too dam much!!!!! :)


7 posted on 02/15/2016 6:58:26 PM PST by dp0622
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To: grimalkin

Such reforms are Impossible in places like NY, IL and CA - politicians depend on this class of voters to stay in power.


8 posted on 02/15/2016 6:59:59 PM PST by PGR88
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To: dp0622

Plus there’s the feeling you aren’t contributing.

You’re not accomplishing anything that you can look at and be proud of.

People need to work, be productive.

I can’t wait to see what Trump does to turn the economy around.

It’s like we’ve been driving around in a relatively new car, with six of the eight cylinder spark plug wires removed.


9 posted on 02/15/2016 7:01:30 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: grimalkin; All
After some scratching, ABAWD is evidently a federal social spending program, corrections welcome.
Able-bodied Adults Without Dependents

The major constitutinal problem with this vote-winning federal welfare program is that the states have never delegated to the feds, expressly via the Constitution, the specific power to reasonably establish such a program.

In other words, Maine and other states could arguably afford to run their own ABAWD programs if the corrupt federal government was not stealing state revenues in the form of unconstitutional federal taxes.

”Congress is not empowered to tax for those purposes which are within the exclusive province of the States.” - Justice John Marshall, Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824.

10 posted on 02/15/2016 7:27:13 PM PST by Amendment10
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To: grimalkin

This work requirement would have interfered with their off-the-books jobs. They’re too busy working to work!


11 posted on 02/15/2016 7:33:13 PM PST by proxy_user
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To: grimalkin

As WFB once wrote, when you subsidize something you get more of it, like illegitimacy and cheese.


12 posted on 02/15/2016 7:33:44 PM PST by AndyJackson
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13 posted on 02/15/2016 7:44:05 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: DoughtyOne

but how do you teach men in their late 20s and 30s that appreciation if they’ve been raised in conditions we couldn’t believe, are full of rage, and keep being told they’re owed reparations?


14 posted on 02/15/2016 7:46:14 PM PST by dp0622
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To: dp0622

Well first of all, we remove all the people telling them those things, from positions of authority.

Then, I don’t care if we have to print it on the side of a Schlitz Malt Liquor can, we get some sound principles in front of these people.

We need to do away with 80% of welfare, get those people back to work, and look very dimly on supporting one parent homes.

Choices people. Make the right ones.


15 posted on 02/15/2016 7:49:50 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: DoughtyOne

being a single teen mom, when i heard the conversations in the livery, was a thing to CELEBRATE!!! little kanisha or tarrell was gonna take over the world!!!

with no money, growing up in a slum project, no father, a mother who would steal money from a cabbie’s wallet while he filled the trunk with her groceries (yes, me, i stupidly left it on the passenger seat).

couldn’t call the cops. they weren’t marked bills. But I told her i know she took it and she’ll be a great mother.


16 posted on 02/15/2016 7:52:51 PM PST by dp0622
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To: dp0622

Kids are resilient.

Some will follow in mom’s footsteps, and others will see things they don’t want to be a part of their life, and excel so they won’t.

I was very fortunate in my life to have people step up when I was young. I didn’t go through what kids in the inner city do.

I don’t think it’s easy, but there are things we can do to make it better, and I think Trump will do just that.

Hand up..., and not hand outs...

Some responsibility rests on the individual. It always must.


17 posted on 02/15/2016 7:59:48 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: DoughtyOne

My pop died when i was 15. I ran wild for a lot of years, until my italian uncles and older brother used my head to see how strong Sheetrock and plaster were.

that was that.

tough love helps


18 posted on 02/15/2016 8:06:23 PM PST by dp0622
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To: dp0622

Yes it does, and good for you in the long run.

You owe them.


19 posted on 02/15/2016 8:13:36 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: DoughtyOne

The rumor is they broke a window with my cousin’s head when he was doing junk in college.

Uncle Anthony was insane. One time in Bary Ridge, one of obama’s sons was driving down the block swerving back and forth, drunk.

my uncle gets out behind him at a light, shatters the window with his hand wrapped in his shirt, pulls the guy out and beats the ever loving @#$@#$ out of him lol.

I was maybe 8, drinking soda out of a bottle still back then, and we all just kind of watched until Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Sonny pulled him off.

My Uncle Jimmy told the guy to get out of here and never drive down this block again :)

Then they took Uncle Anthony to the hospital for his hand.


20 posted on 02/15/2016 8:41:52 PM PST by dp0622
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