Once again, GET RID OF ALLLL OF BALDACCI'S "SPECIAL ASSISTANTS" you'll find some extra funds there, why does he have so many anyway? Can't he dial a phone, open a door, drive his own car? Come on let's look at what is really important here, with the salaries that those "special assistants" get, funding for the program in this article could be in the budget. WAKE UP GOV, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SPAGHETTI, OR WHEREVER YOU HAVE IT BURIED. LOSE SOME OF YOUR "PERKS" AND HELP OUT THE STATE YOU SUPPOSEDLY WANT TO PROTECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is what happens when you expect society to raise children instead of families raising children. I would think the problem will only worsen as society gives the Government more and more power and at the same time loses the strength of family.

It began with "The Great Society". Please explain to me the exit strategy for the war on poverty. Poverty and the lack of familial responsibility now has society firmly in its grip. How sad for it to be true in rural areas as well as urban streets.

Dakotah, take your hat off at the table.

hardworkingmom is right, as I am disgusted with the massive levels of waste from Baldacci's administration. Can you believe this stuff is really happening, and it might get worse under the new leadership duo of Libby & Hannah.

2007 COMPENSATION PACKAGES:

$144,026 ~Lincoln, Jane //Governor's Special Assistant

$138,808 ~Low, Ryan //Governor's Special Assistant

$131,180 ~Walsh, Jude //Governor's Special Assistant

$116,394 ~Riley, Patricia //Governor's Special Assistant

$107,879 ~Cashman, John //Governor's Special Assistant

$107,494 ~Mahoney, Michael ~Governor's Special Assistant

$103,784 ~Sklarz-Libby, Christina //Governor's Special Assistant

$102,397 ~Plummer, Sue //Governor's Special Assistant

$93,790 ~Smith, Rosemarie //Governor's Special Assistant

$93,761 ~Ende, Patrick //Governor's Special Assistant

$88,751 ~Gilbert, Mary //Governor's Special Assistant

$85,286 ~Tilberg, Karin //Governor's Special Assistant

$78,137 ~Cooney, Leighton //Governor's Special Assistant

$73,595 ~Farmer, David //Governor's Special Assistant

$73,045 ~Mullen, Lenore //Governor's Special Assistant

$72,687 ~Boucher, Lance //Governor's Special Assistant

$71,137 ~Black-Salomao, Karla //Governor's Special Assistant

$70,337 ~Arata, Kelly //Governor's Special Assistant

$69,948 ~Pelletier, Carrie //Governor's Special Assistant

$69,774 ~Hopkins, Heather //Governor's Special Assistant

$68,230 ~Saucier, Philip //Governor's Special Assistant

$64,744 ~Waterbury, Jamie //Governor's Special Assistant

$63,560 ~Leach, Joy //Governor's Special Assistant

$58,770 ~Ringel, Marianne //Governor's Special Assistant

$54,430 ~Cashman, Daniel //Governor's Special Assistant

$50,384 ~Pratt, Victoria //Governor's Special Assistant

$50,053 ~Renski, Henry //Governor's Special Assistant

$49,961 ~Boucher, Joseph //Governor's Special Assistant

Well said Lorilee. Pull your pants up as well! I'm sorry Cassandra from RI that things didn't work out between you and your Dad! Why is that my problem and not you and your Dad's? Everybody is a victim these days! Who will help me and My family? Where's my bailout? No, No, No they say! You work hard and pay your bills you don't get any! Oh, and by the way do you mind working an extra hour or two for us this week? Winter is here and other people need heat. This is what happens when you destroy the American Family!

BTW, to see more of the administration's massive iceberg of poor financial and staff management, just spend a few minutes browsing around the great watchdog site at

http://www.maineopengov.org

It may be fun and entertaining to trash the Governor for all of his special assistants, but the comments are being made by people that have absolutely NO idea what it's like to run a state.

Things like this will only worsen with the Obama regime. Our government is turning us in to dependent saps. No child left behind has created a graduating class where in larger citys graduates can not read ot write. Japan and China graduates will smoke the US graduates in a comparison. Just saw a news article where a 29 year old single Mom of 10 is asking the community for help to feed,cloth, and transport her children! Why she has no self control so we will rerward her. Makes me sick. Sometimes we all need a little help but give me a break.

What is wrong with our country???? No one takes responsibility for their own actions anymore, federal and state programs step in and take over for the Moms and dads with POOR CHILD we knoe what you need. Put a Boot in their butt and make them stand on their own, quit babying them and raise the bar and stop lowering it!! God you want cash for the other programs like medicare and things for the aged? Stop dumping cash where the parents should be.

Ahhh ...those poor children. Try getting a job.

This is really unfortunate - Mason place is an important program that serves a group of kids that have been mistreated, are ignored by society and are the next generation of parents.

I see that the sympathy for kids runs very low these days. But then historically it always does when economic issues rear their ugly heads. Face it people, We are not just in a Recession, we are headed for a world wide Depression. So...how did people survive the "Great Depression"? Most did survive it....Work for shelter, Work for food, Work for clothes. If money is worthless..then perhaps Barter is better. Admittedly, this won't pay the electric bills, or the health bills (unless you can find a doctor to take something in trade) nor will it pay the rent. But there has to be a way to overcome these problems. We are ingenuitive people, we are survivors. WE CAN DO THIS. Don't let the cold hearts win. Those people who live inside their bank accounts and (as a wise old woman once said) have wallets tighter than a bull's butt at fly time..need to take a breath and relax. When people realize that we really are all in this together, then we will see a coalition for change in government that actually does work. And no, I'm not talking about handouts or bailouts. Maine has always been a state where neighbors help neighbors in times of crisis....and you know....I think that we are looking one right in the face. Baldacci doesn't need that many special assistants. Seriously folks....do a historical look at the Governors previous to him...King didn't have that many nor did McKernan. Baldacci is too used to playing the special interest cards that he played in Congress. Remember when he was in the FEDERAL PORTION OF THE GOVERNMENT....He brought all that "experience" to the Blaine House. Yup...Pork Spending to a fault.

BTW I need snow tires...anyone know where I can clean a house and get a set of four? :-) $9 an hour doesn't cut it when you've been cut back to 16hrs a week.

"Many have made the transition into the Waterworks housing facility on State State, which also is run by Shaw House." Are the rents paid for there too? Why am I working to pay for these young people to get a free ride?

Some teens leave home because they don't like their parents rules. Others leave because it's intolarable to live with abusive parents. We don't know all the reasons, but we should know that teens usually aren't capable of living on their own. The price of decent rents demands a huge income these days and most jobs don't pay the amount they would need to survive on their own. It's nice that there are places like this for a few to have adult supervision and support. It's not a 'hand out' it's a ' hand up'. I wish all the best to these young people and thanks to the people who help them through this trying time in their lives. I hope you get the finances to keep the program going.

Government by sob story.

$200,000 covers 75% of housing for only 8 teenagers. Sounds like more than $33,000 per adolescent to me. There's a lot of towns in Maine where the same $33,000 would support a whole family, not just one delinquent.

I understand the importance of a program such as this but I have to say it does appear to be more of a luxury than a necessity to maintain this facility in this difficult economy. Everyone is suffering on some level and as members of this society so must these children as unfortunate as it is. My father came to this country at the age of 18 from Europe with about $100 in his pocket. He was orphaned by the age of 13 and had been living with older brothers and sisters who had little or no money to care for their own families. My Dad never felt sorry for himself -- he was simply determined to succeed. He had a half-brother living in Portland, Maine that sponsored him to come to the US and as he tells it, he came with a strong desire to reach the American Dream that he had heard so much about. He worked as a dishwasher at night and for a construction company during in the day. He eventually went to work for a sandwich shop. This was 1968. By 1972, he opened his OWN sandwich shop and ran it for over 30 years. He married and had 3 children, I'm the youngest and we all went on to university and have done well for ourself. It is NOT impossible to make it in this world even if you are the most disadvantaged soul on the planet. It can be done. It takes hardwork and determination. Tell that to these children. There is still hope for them with or without this program.

Booth

These kids are NOT delinquents. We pay through the nose to house and feed delinquent kids and adults, we approve bond issues to improve living conditions in prosons. This sort of program can help to keep kids OUT of prison and off the welfare roles and we thumb our noses at them! Yes parents should be responsible for their children, but some simply are not! In the old days the whole community helped to raise the kids...why is this so much different? I would rather see $200,000 go into this program than pay for prisons, drug rehab etc etc .

Why when budgets need cutting is it always the kids who get cut...whether it is programs like this or education or ...

What a success story LettoGirl. These kids and staff could learn something from you if they wanted to. Many of us earned what we have without handouts and through hard work and DISCIPLINE.

I say let them clost Mason Place. When you turn 18 you are on your own. Eithier you have a family member to help or you find a way. And I have to agree with JWBooth. $33,000 is way to much for taxpayers to have to pay for one person. Many whole families would love to have $33,000 to live off of for a year.

Safedman, maybe when you sober up you can get your facts straight. I'll charitably assume you were into the sauce when you wrote, otherwise it looks like you are still mad about the election and just spewing out rage.

No child left behind was a Bush program. The original program was not what passed the Congress and was signed by your hero Bush.

The 29yr old mother of 10 is the result of the conservatives preventing the mention of birth control at any institution getting federal funds. They can only mention abstinence. Obviously not working. Try funding Planned Parenthood? Not gonna happen as long as the right wing loonies are looking on. Just say no is their answer to all out problems.

Throw the kids out. Sure. And when the crime rate goes up we can jail them. Much more cost effective. About 60 thou./year to care for a prisoner. Maybe we could just shoot everybody who jaywalks and not worry about courts too. It costs so little in the long run to help kids out at this stage. Yes it galls me to think that abusive parents can just dump their problems onto society. On the one hand if the state tries to intervene in child rearing, the same people who write in here to say that we should give these kids a boot in the butt will protest that parents can raise their kids the way they want. My s-i-l home schooled her kid in a "Christian" atmosphere. The state looked in exactly 2 times. Both times he was way below grade level for his age. But what do you think would have happened had the state told her to put him in a public school? Conservatives would have had a field day talking about the "nanny" state.

When her kid reached 18 and tried to get into the service, they wouldn't take him, he was reading at a 7th grade level and his math skills were 4th grade. So he got a job at Subway, then got into trouble stealing and now awaits his turn for a jail cell. Too bad we let that child get behind. Too bad religious conservatives think it is all right to allow parents to deny their child (ren) a future. If Christian schools were Muslim schools, they would be called madrassahs. These are the so-called schools where Moslem youth learn only what is in the Koran and that the rest of society is wrong and not right with God. Like I say, replace Muslim with Christian, and Koran with Bible.

"hardworkingmom is right, as I am disgusted with the massive levels of waste from Baldacci's administration."

Can you please explain to me what these people do? if you don't know, as I am sure you don't, then justsaying it's a waste of money is MORONIC AND ILL-INFORMED. It's this KIND OF STUPIDITY THAT GOT US INOT IRAQ.

"Why is that my problem and not you and your Dad's? "

Becasue, IDIOT, the Bible instructs us to help those less fortunate, including, unfortunately, mean-spirited idiots like you.

You can pay $33k a year to help this kids turn into productive citizens, or you can save the money now and spend it later when they become criminals. Then you'll have the cost of thier crimes as well as incarceration, which is closer to $50k/yr, and for longer.

Yes, it sucks to have to pay this, but it's better for them and its better for all. And no it's not perfect. some of these kids will still commit crimes, and some who were turfed out won't, but at least it's a go and, sociologically and economically, a smart one.

Where's billionaires like Bill Gates when it comes to America's disadvantaged? I guess he's too busy donating his zillions to the poor in other countries to care about Americans.

Bill Gates is rubbing elbows with the next president...those elites stick together.

Mr. Russell's article concering the Mason Place was informative but in one instance, completly inaccurate. A least one resident was there because they choose to be, having run away from home and later evicted from the Shaw House. It does the family that they left a grave injustice to be cast as the culprit in this case. The child(?) is not totally responsible either, but that is another story. I would suggest that in the future Mr. Russell do a little more background research before taking the words of similiar subjects as "gospel". This story was very hurtful to those who know the situation.

These kids chose to leave their homes to begin with most likely because they didn't want to obey rules. If they should remain homeless they could always go back to their families and seek handouts there. Us Maine taxpayers who are working our butts off to take care of our own children ( I have four and get nothing from this state) are boycotting this pitty party for these kids who want to have their cake and eat it too!

ACountian Facts upset Neocons and confuse them-great points though.

Well, one fact has been established for sure--The Governor doesn't know how to run the state. Be it 28 assistants or 50, he still has no functional clue whatwoever.

I happen to know Cassandra's family very well as I am part of it. To say that we were very hurt by the comment "This was the closet thing I had to a family" would be an understatement. She claims not to have made that comment. (Maybe...maybe not) I do know that a news story on channel 2 was grossly incorrect as in it she was presented as leaving home at 14 and also living in an apartment raising her twin boys. Well she is living in a apartment.

Does everybody know that when your teen hits 16 they can leave home and there isn't a thing you can do about it? Cassandra left home at 16, moved back home for 11 months,went back to the Shaw house, got her own apartment,went back to the Shaw House until she was told to leave last January. Because she always had the support of her family I personally have had many conversations with Shaw house and Mason place staff. The kids there are there for a variety of reasons. Some most definitely are there because of abuse,some were abandoned by their families, some have mental issues,some very simply don't want to follow the home rules and abuse the reason the Shaw house is even in there to name a few. The staff there works very hard with all these children and does its best to get the kids headed in the right direction. As the saying goes ..you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink! The Mason place has its rules but can only enforce these rules with the kids willing to folllow them. It's unfortunate that this place needs to exists..but it does. I hope they get the funding they need and continue to help the kids that really need their help. However I certainly wish in the future before they allow stories about their residents be aired or printed....They make sure that they are in fact correct and not "stories"

I never said who no child left behind belonged to. just that is puts our children way behind in global competition, and that is a fact.

Your Hero Nobama will be the end of this country. YYYEEEHHAAAAAAAAAA ride it into the dirt.

ACoutain

We are all given the ssame chance in life. You either push yourself to success or you drop the to bottom. Do Not even attempt to say the 29 year old had no means to obtain birth control due to conservatives. I was almost taking your comment serious until you said that. Too bad I even wasted my time responding. You are also part of the problem thinking you can solve everyone elses problems. Good Greif

Well my morgage needs to be paid and ya there is room in the cabinets for food and of course the oil barrel. What is the difference if your a teen or you are in your 60`s and 70`s. You are still going to get hungry and cold. I`d rather see this money helping the elderly, but most of them are to proud to ask for help.

That would be the difference in the generations. One has pride and the other wants a handout. If they want a handout, I know where they can get 3 square meals and a bed They will even cloth them-------- join the service and become a proud productive american. How many of theses house are there in the country and how much money are we wasting. If you check out the photos the room a girl lives in is a total pig sty. These kids don`t even respect the place anough to keep it clean. IDEA, let`s add another $50,000 and have a maid service for them

These kids will be out on the street because the Mason Place/Shaw House program is NOT one of the lucky programs that qualify for Federally reimbursed funding. Many programs in Maine receive $2 for every $1 the state puts into it. The state made a decision years ago to invent new programs that qualified for these federally matched funds - a "win-win' deal, the state would help more of it's unadvantaged, at the same time make money doing it. The result - too many programs, very poor monitoring of the programs, unscrupulous providers coming to Maine to wring the maximum amount of dollars from MaineCare as possible. The end result is the exploitation of the very persons these programs were designed to help. The state has reimbursed many out of state entities millions and millions of dollars over the years, fueling bad providers and bad companies for the sake of federally matched funds. It is time to redirect state funding to programs like Mason Place, programs like this that make a REAL difference, and have proven results!!

It's a shame Eric Russell reported on only half the story - what's missing is an explanation on what the Shaw House staff and board are doing to raise private funds from individuals, foundations and businesses to support this and their other programs. Russell should report on what the Shaw House is doing to raise more private funding. They must have a plan to raise more funds, and if they don't, they should! It's a shame BDN readers don't know how much of the Shaw House annual operating budget comes from contributions. There are caring people, foundations and businesses that support their work on behalf of homeless, disadvantaged kids. Please tell the whole story, Eric...

It's a shame Eric Russell reported on only half the story - what's missing is an explanation on what the Shaw House staff and board are doing to raise private funds from individuals, foundations and businesses to support this and their other programs. Russell should report on what the Shaw House is doing to raise more private funding. They must have a plan to raise more funds, and if they don't, they should! It's a shame BDN readers don't know how much of the Shaw House annual operating budget comes from contributions. There are caring people, foundations and businesses that support their work on behalf of homeless, disadvantaged kids. Please tell the whole story, Eric...

What are the white rats for on the shoulder, the caps at the table or the Gutiar (Pardon the spelling)

Mom died 1950 ,I was 9years old, got a job R&B +25cents a day. No Frebies

I'm a single parent of an 11 year old boy. Was divorced when he was just over a year old. Never received any welfare, etc. I was ABLE to work because I had family that watched my son when I went to work. Without that, I never could have AFFORDED to work with the cost of childcare. With that said, we are better off today, however, we struggle with putting oil in the tank, food in the cupboards, gas in the vehicle, etc. But reading so many of the comments here made me feel ill to my stomach, so much so that I registered so that I could post a comment. There are way MORE IRRESPONSIBLE PARENTS today than deliquent children. Most of the children that would use this program were likely already placed behind the eight ball as a result of their ADULT parent(s). Comparing the struggles of ourselves many years ago to the struggles of children today and the future children face is like comparing night and day. It's not a cop out, it is a fact. It would be great to punish the ADULT PARENTS for the damage that they have done to their children - both mentally and physically. Perhaps that is something lawmakers should consider to recoop some of these costs. But instead all that is available is to cut the funding to assist in providing these children a hand-up.

Most of the comments placed here are more or less saying throw the kids out on the streets. My son and I aren't have much in the way of gifts, etc. this holiday, but I still managed to chip in $100 for an Adopt a Family at work. It's the same amount I'll be spending on my son. There's always going to be someone out there worse off than you, I believe that regardless of where you are at in life, when you fail to recognize those people you actually become the part of society that sickens us all.

.. Meanwhile the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine maintains and heats their EMPTY $1,600,000 six acre estate recently purchased as a future home for their President and wife to wine and dine his supporters and connected political hacks. You can put lipstick on the MMA, but it's still the MMA.

Quotes from the MMA President Tyler:

His CURRENT residence has a reported $72,000 annual maintenance budget and just finished a massive, two-year renovation. Tyler himself has said repairs to the current President’s house cost “hundreds of thousands” of taxpayer, donor and student tuition dollars (probably over a million given the fact that it has been going on for over two years and is still underway today). "

In reasons for moving to the NEW president’s house, Tyler cited numerous drawbacks to the current location. In the fall, the house is in plain view of the dormitory and sits right next to a classroom building that is often used for lessons which require quiet, something the presidents dog’s and grandchildren cannot provide. Castine Patriot (9/27/07)

If you ask me, there are not enough places like the Mason Place. There should be a Mason Place for adults to help transition them from the homeless shelter into an apartment and eventually jobs/self-sufficiency. When people in our society fully understand and support efforts of places like the Shaw House and Mason Place, then I think we will be able to end homelessness in this country. Homeless children, teens, or adults are a travesty in this country, no matter what the cause. Instead of pointing fingers and trying to place the blame, we should work towards solutions. Yes, it does take money to house people, but the cost of homelessness and crime is also a factor. What would we rather have? People who have no skills and no experience or help on how to fill out job applications/how to get a job have little chance of getting out of their predicament. If the money comes from a mix of private and public funds, then the taxes it would cost us would equal a few cents a person.

I am sure everyone is struggling with one, two or more jobs in this current economy but think about those who don't have jobs and don't have the ability to "get over it" as easily as you might think. If it were that easy, I would think that the 1.9 million people who have lost their jobs this year would have already found another one.

why does this world think and expect something for nothing. If these kids have a problem at home then another family member should step up.

What about having the kids work and chip in for room and board. Or do they need the money to support a habit. Taxpayers have to be tired of suppoting exeryone elses kids, let the family take care of them

Hey there,

Kudos to those of you that get it. I feel bad for those of you that are stuck in your close-minded world of thinking that there are not kids who truly need places like this, you should really do you research.

Shaw House absolutely does not have kids there that don't need to be. Have you checked the statistics for homeless youth in Maine? These are not the kids that don't like their parent's rules.....and a short article is not going to give the details of their whole story, there are some very sad situations.

Give Shaw House a call if you're interested in understanding what's going on there.

Maybe the Shaw House should go after their parents for child support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kylie00 - kids with natural support systems (like family friends, safe relatives other than their parents, or other alternatives) don't wind up at the Shaw House. They go to those places and live with those people. The fact of the matter is that kids who wind up in homeless shelters have very complicated problems, very difficult family situations and very few resources to help them out of their situations. Shaw House and Mason place provide a very important resource to kids with no one. 10 years ago the State might have become involved to help these kids out, but sadly that doesn't happen any more because of the money crunch. It is possible (and not uncommon) for a 15 year old kid to be on the street with no one paying attention to them. That's why Shaw House is important.

Bangorian are you so sure that they all have been mistreated OR are they teen that misbehave and are hard to control.... The children's parents need to be held accountable for these children, this is just teaching them to be dependent. What ever happened to Foster Care... These children aren't not in foster care for probably a good reason!

I think Kids need places like this for a short time. They are not ment to replace the family. If this country would grow a set and stop thinking it is their responsibility to take care of everyone this would change. Rather than let a 23 year old never web mother continue to have children to increase her welfare check, Give her one chance to correct her life. Dosen't work? Give the children a chance, put them up for adoption, have the mother or father fixed and give them 6 months to find work. After that they are on the street or on the correct path.

As I stated, Sometimes kids and [arents ned a break but this should never be a replacement for family. Make family or at least someone take responsibility.

What they need is a good a-- kicking!

First: Lettogirl, your story is truly "an American success story." My husband's grandfather was born in rural Georgia, built his home with his own two hands, lived in it for 50 years and raised 6 kids there, and sent them all to college. And he did that on a salary of $28.00 a week (for many of those early years). The lesson here is that most success takes a lot of work and sacrifice (which I think many in our current generation are not willing to commit to).

Second: Most people can use a helping hand at some point in their lives. And it is our moral obligation to lend each other a helping hand. BUT government run programs are out of control. When it is more cost effective for a mother to be on welfare than go out and get a job, there's something wrong. Help should be available for those who need it but the road we are on is out of control. And, speaking of jobs, if so many jobs hadn't gone overseas, perhaps more people could work rather than depend on government assistance. AND, Individuals in America are among the more generous to causes and charity

than elsewhere in the world.

Third: (and back to this story) I'm glad there are programs like Mason House to help kids who fall through the cracks, whatever the reasons. But I agree that $33,000 annually per individual (and I realize this is a common problem - not inherant to Mason House) seems steep. There are families who live on that kind of income...and far less.