[Alberta's Child]

My understanding is that their welfare benefits were relatively high and their cost of living by Northeast standards relatively low. So the taker classes flocked there.

Maybe so. I think the biggest factor there is that the weather is so inhospitable and the base of professional jobs is so small that many people who grow up in Maine would rather move elsewhere if they can. As a result, Maine is always clamoring to be included in refugee resettlement programs for mutants from every dump on the planet. Without this influx of immigrants the place would be losing population.

[Buckeye McFrog]

That’s an excellent point. Local politicians only care about keeping raw numbers up for the Census in order to maintain power and their seat on the Washington Gravy Train.