The mayor of Lewiston, Maine, is not pleased with the number of welfare users in his state. Too many liberals have voted for Obama while expecting handouts from the government forever. It’s killing the American worth ethic.
That’s why Mayor Robert E. MacDonald wrote an op-ed in his city’s local newspaper calling for publishing the names of everyone receiving welfare benefits! The Mayor said the public has the right to know where tax dollars are being spent, and the names should be printed in a database for transparency.
In a Thursday column in the Twin City Times, Mayor Robert E. MacDonald, called for a “major overhaul of the many laws and policies dealing with confidentiality … that dictate how federal, state and local government are run.”
He said that while the state maintains a public database of those who receive pensions from the state, “other recipients of state revenues are shielded.”
“Yes, I am referring to those known as welfare recipients. Why are they treated differently than pensioners?” he asked. “The answer: our liberal, progressive legislators and their social-service allies have made them a victimized, protected class. It’s none of your business how much of your money they get and spend. Who are you to question it? Just shut up and pay!”
via USA Today
MacDonald is a Republican and is suggesting legislation which would create a new website that would publish the names and personal information for everyone on welfare, including how long they have received support from the state.
When asked what happens when those families truly in need are hurt in the process, he responded, “I don’t care.”
He explained that while some may be harmed, this database would be for the good of everyone. After all, government spending is out of control. Also, Maine already publishes those who receive public pensions from the state… and those people actually worked!
What do you think of Mayor MacDonald’s bold proposal to embarrass people on welfare? Please leave us a comment (below) and tell us what you think.
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Good Idea keep pushing Mayor!
Americans have been too busy to be bothered with the ongoing business of this country for upwards of five decades. It would have truly been nice if we could have elected people to office and then simply trusted them to do the best for America and Americans and once upon a time we could do just that. Those days are LONG gone! While I would never want to penalize anyone genuinely in need, the fact is our welfare roles are full of bums and everyone knows it. The reason we need Donald Trump for president is precisely because we lost our sense of nationalism and pride. Once upon a time American based companies wold have never for a moment considered shipping a bunch of jobs to China, India, the Philippines or any of these other offshore destinations that jobs have been readily and repeatedly shipped to so huge American corporations can get off cheap. Likewise, when I was a kid high-schoolers took tons of job in fast-food, janitorial and numerous other venues as part time work which gave them money in their pockets and helped them begin to learn responsibility, budgeting and the VALUE of money. Well, we don’t do much if any of that anymore either and just look; we have a bunch of spoiled, ignorant, stupid punks whom still don’t tend to their homework but not because work and school fills up their time but because they are a bunch of F_ck-offs whom spend all their time playing with their smartphones and video game consoles basically becoming dysfunctional, anti-social and just plain stupid. Really, how did we have a chance between a corrupt government and so many people so readily willing to shove their heads up their a$$es, kick back and lay about in dreamland? This Mayor has the right idea but it is forty to fifty years too late. It is all over for America except the shouting! Even now as we sit on the precipice of financial and economic derision, people are either clueless (willful ignorance) or so self-absorbed about where their free stuff is, as compared to the other guy that they cannot be bothered to care about anything other than their perpetual mooching and whining. I hope it all goes as abysmally as the experts suggest because frankly the PEOPLE don’t deserve anything better! It is they whom have afforded this reality and fate by effectively electing to spend their lives with their heads up their a$$es, expect someone else to solve all of their problems and basically never accept responsibility for anything substantive. As it is, only the tiniest few in this nation really deserve anything better than this abysmal outcome!
Because having been victimized by the Rethuglicons’ economic policies of shipping middle-class jobs out of the country with the taxpayer paying for it being done (and paying for it later as well) apparently isn’t bad enough.
Because poor people and and the unemployed literally paying for Pres. Ronnie’s tax breaks for the wealthy and Big Business by having their taxes raised (because SOMEBODY has to make up the difference those tax breaks cost) apparently isn’t enough.
Because humiliating them publicly by outing them as being screwed by the Rethugliconomy isn’t enough. Now you heartless traitors want to violate their right to privacy and expose them to the probability of retribution and vandalism by self-righteous conservative saying, “That’ll teach ’em ta take MY tax dollars!” or some such equally pathetic drive.
Because AMERICA!
Or… something…
All welfare recipients should be drug tested for sure! To hold a job, workers have to take drug tests, so why not those who Leech from the system? Help those in need, but a large majority are just too damn lazy to lift a finger for themselves! 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: If a man will not work, he shall not eat.
I get real bothered by this sort of thing, when I personally pay more in income taxes per year than several corporations that pull down Billions in profits per year pay in corporate income tax.
So, I would hope that the mayor plans to publish the names and amounts of public money spent to subsidize businesses with tax abatements, investment credits, tax write-offs, public funded facilities, no-bid contracts, and the like; and public services to tax-free churches.
I think a PEE test would be better and if you fail your OUT this way the innocent especially kids in school don’t get hurt needlessly……PERIOD…..KTN….
Every place that has implemented that stupid policy has found it to be a waste of money since the people they’re harassing have a lower drug-use ratio than the employed populace.
Yep. They tend to be too poor to buy drugs.
GIT ‘EM!!
Good job mayor!
Wow, that is probably a good idea. I think they should go back to food banks and not give them credit cards to abuse. People do not realize how much it costs us taxpayers to support them and just how much abuse there is. If everybody had to work life would be better for all of us. It disgust me how much fraud there is in this food stamp trade and the people who buy the food stamps and cash them in for money at convenience stores is just plain wrong and it needs to stop and the people doing it need to be punished. RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IS WRONG!!
If you receive any public assistance your name should be published and the amount paid.
Because humiliation.
Right Scotty?
OUTSTANDING !!!!!!!!!!
Wouldn’t it make more sense to cut them off… if a person is in need for a short time.. no problem.. it is there to help when you find yourself in a situation where you need temporary help.. and I thought that was what Welfare was meant for.. a temporary help to get on your feet, NOT a career… start putting limits on it.. to force people to get up and start doing and go to work… It’s like Unemployment it is supposed to be temporary thing to get you through looking for a job.. but Obama wants to make it for too long and many people refuse to go out and find some kind of work as long as that money is coming in…
with Welfare, could set guidelines and a time limit for most people… and IF you have one kid and you get on welfare you are NOT entitled to welfare for any more kids that you may have while you are on welfare.. that would keep a person from getting welfare and have another kid that has to be covered… We don’t put limits one things and people abuse it… I had to draw unemployment one time and it had along with limits, rules to get that check.. I had to prove every week that I was trying to find a job… or no check. One state used to give you a booklet that employers you applied with had to sign to show you went there to apply for a position..
these days there is too much fraud with these people drawing welfare or food stamps.. etc…
I think the mayor is totally right, and they should also be drug tested before they get their checks.
with so many on welfare these days and so many people who commit fraud to draw it.. I can’t blame how he feels… too many people want to sit back and let someone else support them..and the government needs to crack down on the fraud… put limitations on welfare, food stamps… they are supposed to be a temporary help to get you through a hard time til you get get back on your feet… you aren’t supposed to get on it and then sit back and let someone else pay your support.. I had a choice years ago when I needed help.. getting on welfare or working a $2 an hour minimum wage job… (this was back in 70s.. minimum wage was $2 an hour)… I went to work and got food stamp help and for the next two years I worked hard to get myself OFF and on my own…
Yep. I’m on food stamps. I’ve been that way for 4 months. I can’t make enough money to support my family and this was a tough decision for me to make. I’m also a Navy veteran who served in both Vietnam and Desert Storm. Will that go in the database too? I’m calling the mayor out to dare challenge me. Trust me he won’t. If he’s so gun-ho, he can use his genius to help get folks off of welfare or food stamps by helping to create jobs. If not, he’s another run-of-the-mill BS politician. By the way… piss test me and I’ll probably break your fingers.
Have you ever thought he doesn’t mean you ? I’m sure he is talking about those who are ABLE to work but refuse to do so because they would rather sit on their asses & receive whatever the government will give them. I think you may need to take a step back & breath. I myself am a vet. but I want to thank you for your service.Just PLEASE try to calm down
Dear NV, thank you for serving our country!!! My wife was recently diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and I have become her caregiver. Our income will be reduced by over 50% and the food stamps we will be getting will make the difference between eating and not. I think what the mayor really needs to focus on is the cheaters that are dealing drugs, making a lot of unclaimed money, and still collecting welfare, food stamps, and medical. That would be a group worth going after!
Vern, you are an ignorant guy aren’t you. So when are you moving out of your parent’s house and getting a job?
Hey Vern, what the hell is it with conservatives’ constantly regurgitating failed ideas thinking that THIS time it’ll work?