poverty
Census report shows fewer Mainers in poverty and lower incomes
AUGUSTA — Fewer Mainers were living in poverty in 2013 compared to the year before, but family income dropped as well, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday. The number of Mainers living in poverty declined 0.7 percent, from 189,786 to 180,639, according to the American Community Survey that polled people […]
Paul Ryan pitches plan to combine anti-poverty plans into one aid package
See also: LePage wants to impose work requirement for food stamps WASHINGTON — Rep. Paul Ryan proposed a new plan Thursday to merge up to 11 anti-poverty programs into a single grant program for states that he said would allow more flexibility to help lift people out of poverty. Programs that would be merged include […]
Survey: Mainers struggle to pay medical bills — even those with insurance
Many Maine residents, even those with health insurance, struggle to afford their medical bills, a new statewide survey has found. While the poorest Mainers reported the most difficulty affording health services, more than a quarter of residents with health coverage ran into trouble paying medical bills, according to the survey released Wednesday by the Maine […]
Maine’s poverty rate decreases
Maine’s poverty rate decreased last year while the nation’s poverty rate remained stuck at 15 percent. The poverty rate in Maine for 2012 was 12.8 percent — down from 13.4 percent in 2011. In New England, only Rhode Island was higher at 13.6 percent. Other states poverty rates were: Massachussetts: 11.3 percent Vermont: 11.2 percent […]
In January, we start giving up millions
Suppose, just suppose, other states were receiving millions of dollars in federal aid to help support their doctors and hospitals, money that was unavailable to us in Maine. We’d be sore about that. Outraged would be more like it. But that is exactly what will begin happening on Jan. 1, 2014, when the federal government […]
Need, greed: The issue that tops all others
Some Americans, feeling overtaxed and discouraged by the direction of their country, are thinking about renouncing their U.S. citizenship. That came up during small talk after a luncheon hosted Thursday by the Maine Heritage Policy Center at a Portland restaurant. High-income Americans, including some in Maine, are so fed up they are exploring the possibility […]
Homeless shelter preparing to open in Farmington
FARMINGTON — For almost a year, a local man slept in his car before he found shelter at Living Waters Assembly of God Church. With some help re-establishing his life, he and his daughter are ready to leave for their own place. Providing a space for homeless families to stay while they rebuild their lives […]
New jobs disproportionately low-pay or part-time
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 162,000 jobs the economy added in July were a disappointment. The quality of the jobs was even worse. A disproportionate number of the added jobs were part-time or low-paying — or both. Part-time work accounted for more than 65 percent of the positions employers added in July. Low-paying retailers, restaurants and […]
Exclusive: Signs of declining economic security
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four out of five U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream. Survey data exclusive to The Associated Press points to an increasingly globalized U.S. economy, the widening gap between rich […]