AUGUSTA — In a suit filed Thursday, a statewide association for Maine cities is asking a judge to rule on the legality of a new policy from the administration of Republican Gov. Paul LePage that would cut funding to cities that provide welfare benefits to undocumented immigrants. Earlier this year, the Maine Department of Health […]
welfare
Posted inMaine
LePage clarifies position on Social Security and Medicare
AUGUSTA — In a new campaign video, Republican Gov. Paul LePage attacks his Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, while clarifying and defending his position on Social Security and Medicare. Democrats recently challenged LePage for lumping the federal programs, that largely serve elderly Mainers, in with other public benefit programs that LePage considers “welfare.” In […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston 2013 welfare purge resulted in one conviction, changes
LEWISTON — A city effort to clean up the General Assistance rolls in 2013 may not have resulted in many convictions, according to Mayor Robert Macdonald, but it did bring the issue of Maine welfare fraud more into focus. “Before we did this, we were told the issue of fraud in General Assistance was anecdotal, […]
Posted inMaine
LePage threatens to stop GA to towns that aid undocumented immigrants
On this page: Read Gov. Paul LePage’s letter to town administrators. AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has doubled down on new state guidelines barring undocumented immigrants from receiving General Assistance, decreeing that any municipality that bucks the new rule will see all state reimbursement for the program cut off. That’s a shift from previous announcements […]
Posted inLetters
S. Robinson: No welfare for illegal immigrants
If officials and residents in Maine’s big cities want to fund welfare for illegal immigrants, let them make a special tax in their cities to pay for it. However, everyone across the state should not have to pay for choices any single municipality makes. I have no issue with giving welfare and support to people […]
Posted inMaine
Maine terminates Alexander Group contract for welfare report
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it is terminating a nearly $1 million contract with a group hired to study Maine’s welfare system. “We determined there was value contained in the content that was produced under this agreement,” according to a statement released by the department. “But serious […]
Posted inMaine
LePage says he’ll stick to plan to defund municipal welfare for illegal immigrants
LEWISTON — Maine Gov. Paul LePage says he’ll stand his ground on a plan to cut off welfare funds for undocumented immigrants despite warnings from Maine’s Democratic attorney general that doing so could be illegal. LePage said Thursday he wasn’t concerned about the state being sued over the matter. He suggested that if the federal […]
Posted inMaine
LePage says DHHS in talks with consultant over plagiarized study
LEWISTON — Gov. Paul LePage said he hoped the problems around a controversial welfare study his administration commissioned on a $925,200 no-bid contract could be used as an “education moment,” during a visit to Lewiston on Thursday. LePage was visiting the Androscoggin Business to Business Trade Show at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee when he told […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
More than 5,000 applicants waiting for MaineCare acceptance
AUGUSTA — Thousands of Mainers are waiting to find out if they’re eligible for Medicaid coverage, potentially putting off needed medical care while state and federal officials sort out the bureaucratic backlog. Nationally, more than 6 million low-income Americans have gained Medicaid coverage through an expansion of the health insurance program under the Affordable Care […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Michaud proposes inspector general to oversee DHHS
AUGUSTA — Democratic candidate for governor Mike Michaud said Thursday that if elected, he will create a state-level Office of Inspector General to fight “waste, fraud and abuse” in the Department of Health and Human Services. Michaud’s announcement appeared to be in reaction to a message that Republican Gov. Paul LePage has been focused on […]