AUGUSTA, Maine — Hospitals may be forced to cut jobs and limit services as a result of Gov. Paul LePage’s proposal to overhaul MaineCare, lawmakers were told Friday.
The proposal, designed to close an estimated $220 million gap in the Department of Health and Human Services budget, would reduce MaineCare reimbursement rates for inpatient and outpatient services and cut funding to some rural hospitals. In total, hospitals will take a $50 million hit as a result of those rollbacks, Jeff Austin, a lobbyist for the Maine Hospital Association, told members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.
The $50 million doesn’t include indirect costs from LePage’s plan to drop childless adults from the MaineCare rolls, which would add tens of millions more in losses as hospitals pick up the tab for treating those patients, Austin said.
Pressed by legislators to assess the MaineCare proposal’s potential impacts on hospitals, Austin said he wanted to avoid scare tactics but acknowledged that layoffs and service cuts are possible.
“Do service lines get ended?” he said. “I mean hospitals aren’t just the building with the ER anymore, they are bigger systems that try to provide a comprehensive continuum of care.”
Hospitals would also look to commercial insurers to relieve some of the burden, but aren’t likely to find much sympathy, Austin said.
“The commercial market is fed up with us seeking their assistance in covering underpayments” from Medicaid and Medicare, he said.
MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor.
LePage has said MaineCare will run out of money on April 1 without his reforms. His plan would drop 65,000 people from coverage, tighten eligibility requirements and cut services to bring the program closer to national averages for public health benefits.
Austin also told lawmakers that hospitals are owed roughly $400 million in state and federal funds for Medicaid services for the remainder of the fiscal year. Last year, LePage budgeted $70 million in state monies to access enough federal matching funds to reduce debt owed to hospitals for Medicaid services by $248 million. Since then, however, the hospitals have continued to accrue more debt, and the state now owes them about $125 million, Austin said.
The Appropriations and Health and Human Services committees plan to meet next week to further discuss the DHHS budget.
Day after day it becomes more apparent that the MaineCare funding problems are not quite as simple as Mr LePage and Ms Mayhew would have us believe. Their numbers do not tell the whole story rather they are correct or not. Thankfully the Appropriations Committee – dems and repubs appear to be more systematic in their approach to deal with funding shortfall.
To bad we can’t seem to be as systematic in dealing with the real problem. Somehow we have to deal with the health care disaster that surrounds us.
Mr. LePage’s solution to every problem is the same. The poor (Maincare patients) and the middle class (Hospital staffs/Labor) will have to pay a higher price (No health care and no jobs) while for the well-to-do he proposes…you guessed it, tax breaks. Sadly we can’t vote him out of office until 2014 but we can cripple him in November by voting every Republican/Tea party candidate running out of office. Vote Democratic!
Excellent comment.
Were these cuts accompanied by a tax break? I did not know that.
He has made minimal tax breaks in the past. But you need to understand that Maine has high taxes, and is losing its tax base as a result. So go ahead and continue to tax the middle class and wealthy until there are none left to tax.
The money is not there, cuts have to be made. It is either this or the DOT, and/or the education system. Your choice.
System error caused a double posting. Call your mother and tell her you love her! Then go out there and do something helpful for someone else. Being pleasant and helpful is guaranteed to improve the lives of others as well as the life of oneself.
Yes, exactly, go out and do something helpful for someone else. That is a great idea, instead of demanding that others support society I think I will try to be helpful to others myself. Because if people are truly starving then they should be more than appreciative of my efforts to prepare them with food, instead of simply handing them money. I know that money is the problem to all solutions and all, but I think this might just be a better idea.
And if you don’t have the time to support your society via physical effort, it only stands to reason that you do so with a little extra wealth that such a society has provided to you. When either of those things fail to happen, society breaks down.
So you are suggesting that we force them to pay because they have the means? So in that case we should also force people to donate their time to charity.
The primary difference between you and I is that you seem to believe that low income people are these poor innocent people who are pushed aside in favor of these evil rich people who do nothing but exploit their labor. And while this may be the case a small minority of the time, it is most certainly not in a majority of the cases.
Talk to people who work at grocery stores, or DHS, and I am sure that they will have all sorts of lovely stories about these so called “poor” people. A lot (not all) of these so called poor people are poor because they are lazy, make poor spending choices, and in general are just as selfish as you claim the rich to be.
Seriously, what is stopping anybody from going to school, making connections and getting a job that pays $55,000 a year? Is it the rich? The middle class? The government? Nope, it is themselves. Everyone is capable of greatness we need to just stop pampering them so that they will have no other option but to be great.
Welfare is not meant to be a lifetime income supplement, it is meant as a means to temporarily assist someone in order to help them out of a rut. If welfare is used in the case then I am absolutely for it, but I am even more for communities and societies, not governments, assisting those in need out of the kindness of their hearts and not by the force of the government.
It just strikes me as interesting that more government seems to be your solution, yet it is that same government that you are complaining about. Are you expecting it to get better?
“YOU” say more government is my solution. Well that’s just silly isn’t it. Please tell me where I’ve stated that we need MORE government. Hmm…not there huh? So where are you coming up with these thoughts? What are you really trying to do here? I completely agree with your comment about what welfare should be and who should receive it. My comments here are in opposition to those who say:
1. That there should be no such thing as welfare, regulations, or government.
2. Like you have done here, claim that a huge % of those on welfare are cheating the system. Please show me any EVIDENCE (Not hearsay trash talk) that proves that to be so. Nothing right? Hmm…so why do conservatives go there so often? Is it the old, “If you’re gonna tell a lie, tell it often and make it a big one” trick?
Sure some folks undoubtedly are cheating that system just as some well-to-do people cheat other systems. I say catch all cheaters, cut em off, make em pay, ship em out of state or send them to jail. We can at least agree on that right? Now how about Speaker Nutting, can we start with him and the $1.3 million he stole from us? Pleaseeeee!
Either you’re not paying attention or you have a very short memory. The cuts being proposed here by Mr. LePage go hand in hand with the tax breaks that he immediately handed out to the wealthiest among us the moment he arrived in office. You forgot those already? Really!
Agreed, money is tight right now, everyone needs to cut back everywhere. But do we really have to do so via demonstrations of incompetence (Perhaps deceit) in providing the legislature information they need to move forward on this matter? Paul essentially is saying, “The sky is falling! Time is running out. Don’t look closely at my made up numbers they’re all correct, believeeee me.” I think not. Nor can we move forward with reasoned caution and welfare for all when we know the “Leader” of our State makes statements like, “I’ll pay for bus tickets to ship these people out of State.” You’re worried that we might be losing our tax base, I’m worrying that we just may be losing either the lives of our people, our minds, or our humanity. Frankly, I’d rather live poor and human (Something I learned to do early in life) than like Mr. LePage wealthy, deceitful, cold hearted, and hateful.
Would you mind naming all these tax breaks you keep saying that we have forgotten about…..
Sure for you and anyone else who’s memory doesn’t extend beyond what’s presented to them today.
From an earlier report.
“Mr. LePage’s budget proposal would begin cutting back taxes, lowering the top income tax from 8.5% to 7.95%.” Good if you’re rich huh?
“Among other tax breaks, the governor wants to exempt estates worth less than $2 million from Maine’s inheritance tax. Currently, only estates under $1 million are exempt. Good if you’re rich huh?
Who will have to actually PAY for these cuts for Paul’s well-to-do friends and political supporters? Yep, he tells us every time he opens his mouth.
Those on Mainecare (The poor, elderly, mentally or physically handicapped) and the working middle class. In this story that would be hospital employees but it’s probably safe to include state employees, teachers, law enforcement, firemen/women, oh what the heck just about anyone who due to advanced educations and or training have managed to keep their jobs that actually pay a living wage. All good for the well-to-do, eh?
Unveiling his budget, LePage called it a “Jobs Bill” that “Makes tough choices and puts people first.” Ha! To be fair to Paul, THIS time we really can’t call him a liar because when he said he was going to “Put people first” he never actually said who those people were.
Well, now we know for sure don’t we.
It is interesting because you could have around the board tax cuts but all people such as yourself hear is “tax cuts for the rich.” Sure, he cut taxes for the wealthy, but he also cut taxes for many others.
People with this mindset that we need to “make the rich pay” are ridiculous. They sit around and demand that others take care of the problems of the poor brought on to themselves by their own choices, instead of volunteering their time to help with the less fortunate, and meanwhile you are just as concerned with themselves as they claim all these “evil rich” are.
Stop demanding that the wealthy and middle class support everyone else, if you are that concerned with it you should do something about it yourself. Throwing money at the problem is not the solution.
Those on Mainecare (The poor, elderly, mentally or physically handicapped)
If we cut the able bodied methheads and the dead beat moms out of the program there would be enough for the ones you mention.
Here’s a little poll for you to read. Guess Mr. Le Page is sort of a conservative Tea Party member. He’s a right wing Tea Partier!
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-04-20/news/29473101_1_tea-party-supporters-medicare-and-medicaid-vouch
What does that poll have to do with my comment?
Top income bracket in Maine is $19950 for a single filer and $39950 for joint filers. Pretty pitiful-I’d hardly consider that “rich”. The tax break will help most people that actually work.
I’d hate to see your check book. The State is $400million in the hole with the hospitals.
Ok, lets try to be logical for a minute. I don’t agree with you (ever), but one question burns in my brain….How do you pay for all of this? 2+2 Math here! Please tell me where the money will come from to pay for this and all is well. What Do you want the Governor to do (other than resign)?
How about cutting staff at the Statehouse? He can start with his daughter. Do you want to be a patient at a hospital where they are understaffed?
Where will the money come from? You and I in higher co-payments, premiums and deductibles, because insurance companies aren’t going to pay the high costs….
I agree JayC.
I think we should cut a lot of dead weight. If she’s part of the cuts so be it. We as Mainers have allowed the State to grow and grow. There’s no money and cuts need to come from somewhere. If you had to rank health care needs on a scale of one to ten, I would think childless adults should be towards the bottome of that list. I hate to say it, but there’s not enough to go around.
OK, but I have a question for you…
Over the past couple of years, our country has simply lost its productive capacity?
How does that happen?
Simple, jobs are overseas. Next question, please.
Jobs overseas are unrelated to our productive capacity.
“OK, but I have a question for you…Over the past couple of years, our country has simply lost its productive capacity?How does that happen?”
Today’s capitalists want the government to pay their cost or they’ll they rush to the bottom, elsewhere.
It used to called kick backs.
See:
LePage still hopeful of landing KestrelBRUNSWICK, Maine — Maine Gov. Paul LePage says the state has put together a comprehensive package for Kestrel Aircraft Co. and is “ready to make …
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/01/13/business/lepage-still-hopeful-of-landing-kestrel/
Or
Private Sector Gets Job Skills; Public Gets Bill6 days ago … But customized job training for a specific employer still holds favor with public officials, who often argue it may be an effective use of taxpayer …
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/business/states-pay-to-train-workers-to-companies-benefit.html?scp=2&sq=job%20training%20&st=cse
The capitilist system is broken.
They are now bottom feeding internationalists and like prostitutes.
Not only their patriotism and economic decisions, but their moral values, as in how they are selling their their own Nation, their market and their customers down the tubes all are part of the answer to your question, and ll need to be questioned using the same standards that conservatives judge other forms of socialism
…. and everyone’s else patriotism.
Soon, with no jobs and just a non-productive service economy,
we will be not able afford what “our” corporate “persons” make
…. somewhere else.
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.” — Benito Mussolini.
Wake up.
Erm, with all due respect, are you asking me, of all participants in this forum, to wake up?
I was generalizing.
Is that reserved only for some points of views, here, now ?
Besides, this format with every comment “in reply to” and the general tone of political discourse, now, in America, combine to make it hard to both respect the flow and build, to expand upon any thoughts expressed, expect just to totally agree in a patronizing way, like fellow travelers, or to disagree, fundamentally, it has begun to seem, to me.
So with all due respect, too, relative what I actually did said, which points, specifically, didn’t support your point of view and so resulted in your taking umbrage …. and doing so personally enough to say;
” Erm, with all due respect, are you asking me, of all participants in this forum, to wake up?”
Then, not out of spitefulness, but with all possible respect for both the truth and brevity, did I even really imply that you ” of all participants in this forum” are who needs to wake up, at all ?
Sorry, but the one responsible should never have been voted into office; Baldacci. He is the one responsible for creating this entire mess. A way must be found to help those in need, but Baldacci’s mess is not the solution.
We can revoke his position with a petition.
Doesn’t matter what party you choose to follow they all work under the same roof, in the same building, one office next to the other. Do away with parties. Vote in common sense.
The class character of a political party is determined by the class that it serves, not the class character of its membership.
Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party serve the interests of the ruling class.
The U.S. working class needs to form its own party to serve its own interests.
“Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.” — Einstein
You mean’t the ‘NON-WORKING CLASS’ didn’t you?
People keep blaming the Tea Party. This mess isn’t the fault of the Tea Party and its time to find a new whipping boy. Furthermore, it’s not a case of taxing the “wealthy” more to make up the difference. I’m as poor as a church mouse but I don’t feel those wealthier than me should be punished simply because they have worked hard to attain that wealth. Furthermore, who in the h*ll is Barak Obama or anybody else to determine how much money people should be allowed to earn?
You did that last time and look at what that got you.
great, lets just cut services that are needed after mainecare is cut. and let sick people get sicker and possibly die, THAT’S the answer
This doesn’t appear to be much of a job creator. LePage has been in office over a year now and still blames everything on past governors and legislators. Meanwhile, he and his staff can’t get the numbers figured out,he has fired everyone that knew how the systems and operations worked, and replaced them with his “yes men” flunkies. Certain people did need to be replaced, but it would have been nice to have a competent replacement ready.
What was the Democrats doing for the last 36 years. All they did is let every department become a mess. With people in every department not doing their jobs. Those heading all of the departments using their offices for personal and financial gains. You had Libs like Libby Mitchell and Hannah Pingree using their offices to create pay for play schemes which was never prosecuted by Janet Mills. So to say Liberals are the answer is wrong. They are the reason why we are dead last in everything. While those who are mooching off of the system laughing all the way to the bank.
And LePage has been soooooo honest and effective, right?
Isn’t that just like you to desperately try and change the subject again: ( sad!
And who is responsible for Maine Care? How long has LaPage been in office? Now long enough to create this cluster that he inherited. Solution: Hire a team and screen all the people applying for bennies and review who is now on the dole. Streamline and downsize. Get those off the system that don’t need to be on but need to be working instead of creating a giant sucking sound with their hands out.
We didn’t have a looming disaster until after he took over and gave everybody a Tax Break for voting for him!
Oh really? Did he enact legislation to pay off all the folks getting the higher welfare bennies? Think a little before your knee jerk reactions give you a headache.
Shall your “team” visit Wall Street?
Is this people before politics?
This is the Grover Norquist Tax breaks at all costs Mentality!
Easier to make that kind of comment than to do your homework. If you read nothing else but the headline on this article, you’d be able to figure out that this is what phony Lepage calls creating jobs. Unless one is completely brain dead, it’s obvious that what he calls “job creation,” is the absolute opposite.
I doubt that hoho has ever done homework.
Governor Buffoon still has our Mural hidden, what a Governor – feed the rich and guess what the poor get #$%^
The brown shirt people are out loose again:)
Actually, in the U.S., they were the Silver Shirts.
I agree with your point.
The hospitals make have to make a few cutbacks like everyone else. There is nothing wrong with cutbacks and streamlining as the whole country needs it. The hospital are like other businesses, they will adapt, regroup and become more efficient and survive, or fold and be replaced by another hospital. Maybe if medical facilities have to reduce those enormous prices they toss at the public it may be a good thing.
Only 5% of the shortfall is due to new enrollment. A significant amount is due to DHHS not providing payment when it should have. The state budgeted numbers have not changed that much over the last 3 or 4 years. That’s not a hospital’s and their employee’s fault, that is government’s fault. If this passes as the Governor wants it, then it’s going to be government’s action (and neglect) responsible for those jobs being lost.
And there is no way that laying people off is going to cause a reduction of prices, if anything, it’s going to raise them. Just because these cuts go through, doesn’t mean the need for services stops.
Wrong rusjan. Didn’t you know that if LePage makes cuts no one will ever get sick or injured again. Well that is if you listen to the radical right tea party folks.
And if anyone even thinks of getting sick or injured, they can fall back on another LePage solution: kiss his butt. I’m beginning to think he should stop using that phrase, lest somebody says, “Where do I start, Gov? You’re all butt.”
Thanks Mainegal that was really funny. Loved it.
eecchk! Now I’ve gotta deal with that image!
“That’s not a hospital’s and their employee’s fault, that is government’s fault.”
and when people suggest getting government out of the whole system, folks of your mindset flip out…what a joke
Great idea Bonny what we need in Maine are less hospitals. I’m sure if EMMC folded another hospital would open up across the street like you suggest. You make it sound like hospitals are ice cream stands and can be opened on a moments notice. Get real for goodness sake.
It may be just “fold” and not replace.
I agree with you, but like many other “businesses” the “cuts” start at the WRONG end! Lets look at the “top” people.(doesn’t have to be hospitals but lets go with that) You have the CEO, the Assistanc CEO, then there is the secretary to the CEO, and then the managers…well you get my drift. I used to work in healthdcare, been through 3 “cutbacks”..Look at where the money is, it isn’t the people who actually WORK for a living, it’s those who sit behind desks and “think” of things to do…or how things are going to be (not asking staff their opinions-but won’t go there now) and they right the Policy and procedure…oh, I’m rambling on here. LePage is what he is. Oh, by the way….do we, the tax payer pay for his health insurance??? Hum…
He says there is a $220 million shortfall in the DHHS budget, a budget that was prepared by the LePage administration, but offers no numbers to back up his claim. Instead he offers sound bites about how he will not only have to cut Mainecare, but education as well. Last year he proposed and the legislature passed over $100 million in tax cuts which mostly benefited Maine’s wealthiest. He is again proposing almost another $100 million in tax cuts, this time for retirees. He wants to put $39 million into a slush fund even though he himself is constantly crying that we do not have any money. He claims to be against “special interest” but his very first bill signed benefited only one company. He signed into law “insurance reform” that will result in insurance companies being able to increase rates by up to 10% without getting any approval from the Maine Insurance regulators. He campaigned on being able to bring JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, to Maine , yet we have in fact lost jobs under his administration. He has been caught in lie after lie and it doesn’t seem to faze him one bit. He attempted to bully the Appropriations committee by planking himself, uninvited, down in one of their meetings and later told reporters that the committee was stalling. He claims that if he doesn’t get what he wants that come April 1st he will have to take money away from education. Now almost daily we are hearing from different sources how if the LePage cuts to Mainecare are in-acted that thousands more Mainers will be out of work. When he first announced his proposed cuts to Mainecare I made the statement that he had declared WAR on the less fortunate Citizens of Maine and that the cuts would not just be felt by the 65,000 he wanted to remove from the program, but by practically all Mainers in one form or another. Is this really “Maine, the way life should be”?
Great post and so true!!!
Thank you.
Thanks for taking the time to write an accurate and well thought out assessment of the situation.
Thank you.
You should go work for the Maine Democrat Party. Your good at using their platform and their talking points on here. Ben Grant should hire you because your one of their shills.
And you should work for the Republican Party, MHPC, or the like. Or maybe you already do. You have their “platform”.
Hey darkcat. Nice to hear from you again. I hope you are well and that things are going good for you. Thanks for the observation. It really pains me to tell you that you have managed to be wrong once again. What I posted that you claimed to be the MDP platform and talking points really isn’t. What I posted is called the truth. I know that you LePage supporters on the radical right have forgotten what that really is. You might want to look the word up in the dictionary. It goes along with other words like honesty, integrity and ethical. You know traits that the majority of Mainers have and that the man you so blindly support does not possess. As far as my getting a job I have one and have had a job of some type since I was 12 and delivered papers for the BDN. I really do appreciate your concern though. As far as being a shill for anyone is concerned that isn’t going to happen in this life. I know that you feel that being a shill for a political party is a high achievement and I am sure if you keep at it you might make the grade someday with a little work. Just think if you really apply yourself you could be the next Charlie Webster. As I have told you in the past I have been a registered republican since 1967 . I just don’t feel that those who have taken temporary control of the party in Maine stand for the principles that the republican party of Lincoln, Smith and Reagan at one time held dear. I see you are getting some cold weather back in the Pine Tree State. I will think about you when I’m on the beach tomorrow. I’ll be back in Maine the first of May. Be well darkcat and enjoy.
Good Post. Well said.
Thank you.
I love watching darkcat take these vicious beat downs!
Its like a brutal car wreck, its exciting and terrifying at the same time. You cringe a little for the victim, but you can’t tear your eyes away.
For someone who points the finger at people for using talking points, you sure do use a lot of talking points.
For your reading pleasure. Sun Journal article. You really should click on the links as you read, it’s quite informative. For instance the state’s funding has not changed much in the last 3 or 4 years, and only 5% of the shortfall is attributed to new enrollment.
http://www.sunjournal.com/news/state/2012/01/12/increased-mainecare-enrollment-drives-small-portio/1139277
I’m sure that we will be hearing from Adrienne Bennett shortly, giving some sort of diatribe ordered by the governor saying that he has already planned for this fact. It only makes sense, that health care jobs would be affected.
I’m surprised that there isn’t any comments calling the BDN a liberal publication, you know how it goes. They shouldn’t be pointing out and publishing the obvious after effects of this governor’s extreme proposal.
Oh, and……….where is his jobs plan anyway? He’s doing a great job at creating unemployment though.
Where is the Democrats job plan. Oh that is right Emily Cain, Cynthia Dill, Meaghan Maloney, Justin Alfond , Ben Grant etc. have been campaigning their plan for more of the same. With their little “Hear ME Now” tour they have been doing for the past several months. More Tax Hikes, Higher Spending, Everyone on Welfare, More Welfare for their special interest friends including Ex Liberal Politicians. With Gay Marriage , Quimby’s park and their new scam having at least 4 more Casinos along with other Gambling. With Liberals diverting the Gambling revenue from All Gambling in Maine to expanding DHHS AND Welfare. Yep Liberals in Maine all they want is more freebies and handouts while the rest of us get the short end of the stick and struggle to survive.
We have seen the GOP
Trickle down,
Jobs Plan!
Give us all the Money and we will Trickle on you!
Crying? No tears here. Just sharpening my voting pencil. You “Bet I’m on Mainecare.” How did you come to such and odd conclusion? Is it because I demonstrated compassion for the poor and working middle class whom Mr. LePage threatens every time he speaks? I’d advise you not to do any gambling as you’d likely loose all your frilly starched white shirts.
You “Bet I’m on Mainecare”. Well those who are on Mainecare should lose their benefits just like those on Food Stamps or any state handout. They should be getting jobs like the rest of us if they refuse then start bussing them out of here. “I’d advise you not do any gambling as you’d likely lose all your frilly starched white shirts”. I would rather have my money going to Casinos/Racinos or Horsetracks at least it is going for something useful entertainment. Instead of not paying for some lazy Welfare Bum who refuses to become something useful.
Wow! You’re sure one “Dark Cat” man. Once again you fall back on more of the same spoon fed hate speech phrases against the poor, ill, and working class that you use on every story. How original! Hate to break your bubble here, but not everyone who has to use Mainecare or has found themselves unemployed is as you say, “Lazy Welfare Bums Deserving Of Being Bused To Another State.” To say that they are only serves to cast your thoughts/words in a very bad light with the majority of folks out here that live in the real world.
No the people shouldn’t pay for these people anymore. It is time for them to learn responsiblity and to take care of themselves. Why should we have to pay for them . All of us working folks are tired of having our pockets picked so those who refuse to work live the good life. These folks aren’t poor , or ill they are just too lazy to work. Well it’s time for LePage and the Republicans to start cutting and eliminating all of these programs. We need TABOR styled government and policies here in Maine to turn this state around.
Ah, a TABOR advocate. The only defense you have for that and other opinions is gross sterotyping.
No your just defending the failed Liberal agenda of the last 36 years here in Maine. You should go work for the Maine Democrat Party. You libs are in such denial our economy is in the toilet . We are 50th Dead last in economic rankings. 75% of our schools are failing. We have more than 60% of the population on Welfare and Unemployment to the point this state is broke. The Libs want to attack our Governor and Republican Legislature for doing thier jobs. They want to fix the problems instead of kicking the can down the road. The Libs who are running for Legislature is advocating for the same old failed policies and restrictive nanny state that has caused our state to crumble. Well they belong in the minority till they can come up with real solutions that create jobs, lower taxes, fixes infrastructure, fixes our crumbling and failing schools.
The correct contraction of you are is you’re, your indicates possession. Apparently you went to one of the 60% of schools you mention. You are an angry little man aren’t you.
When Jesus advised a crippled man to stand up and walk, he was successful. However, you yourself will not have the same results. You are not Jesus (not even close).
You will not magically heal people by removing needed services. You will harm them.
These folks are cheating the system they want us to feel sorry for them because they refuse to get off of the couch away from the tv or away from the computer and facebook. I don’t care if I am “Jesus” what I am like is most working folks is an angry taxpayer tired of having his taxes raised to have it redistributed to those who refuse to work. The Liberals talk about Shared Prosperity, More Welfare, Shared Sacrifice. What Bull. All they want is everyone on Welfare dependent on them with them holding our hands in a Nanny State environment. Well it is time for the Governor and the Legislature to make the cuts with out the support of the Democrats . They should make further cuts by eliminating more people off of Welfare, eliminating useless programs, eliminating unemployment for those who refuse to go to the career center looking for work. It is time to put business people and working first by cutting taxes even more and reducing spending to reasonable levels. We need to become a business and opportunity state not a Welfare Haven with everyone mooching off the Government.
Thank you Karl for you comment. you really need medication!
Is that all you Liberals have. Well guess what your freebies are ending soon LOL, who’s going to be needing medication when you have to march to the career center looking for job. That is the problem with Liberals today they always like attacking those who pay for them to sit on the couch. But now the tables are being turned they don’t like it. Folks like yourself must be worried that your welfare checks , food stamps and mainecare will be ending.
These folks are cheating the system they want us to feel sorry for them because they refuse to get off of the couch away from the tv or away from the computer and facebook. I don’t care if I am “Jesus” what I am like is most working folks is an angry taxpayer tired of having his taxes raised to have it redistributed to those who refuse to work. The Liberals talk about Shared Prosperity, More Welfare, Shared Sacrifice. What Bull. All they want is everyone on Welfare dependent on them with them holding our hands in a Nanny State environment. Well it is time for the Governor and the Legislature to make the cuts with out the support of the Democrats . They should make further cuts by eliminating more people off of Welfare, eliminating useless programs, eliminating unemployment for those who refuse to go to the career center looking for work. It is time to put business people and working first by cutting taxes even more and reducing spending to reasonable levels. We need to become a business and opportunity state not a Welfare Haven with everyone mooching off the Government.
These folks are cheating the system they want us to feel sorry for them because they refuse to get off of the couch away from the tv or away from the computer and facebook. I don’t care if I am “Jesus” what I am like is most working folks is an angry taxpayer tired of having his taxes raised to have it redistributed to those who refuse to work. The Liberals talk about Shared Prosperity, More Welfare, Shared Sacrifice. What Bull. All they want is everyone on Welfare dependent on them with them holding our hands in a Nanny State environment. Well it is time for the Governor and the Legislature to make the cuts with out the support of the Democrats . They should make further cuts by eliminating more people off of Welfare, eliminating useless programs, eliminating unemployment for those who refuse to go to the career center looking for work. It is time to put business people and working first by cutting taxes even more and reducing spending to reasonable levels. We need to become a business and opportunity state not a Welfare Haven with everyone mooching off the Government.
You have provided no evidence that everyone (or even a significant minority) is actually cheating. You provide plenty of rage, but that’s not the same thing as facts.
I myself am tired of special tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
Your tired of supporting business people. Well I don’t want my tax dollars supporting socialism or communism anymore. I’d rather throw my money at a Casino instead of supporting the lazy. At least the Casinos it’s better entertainment, instead of supporting those who don’t want to work and want to live the good life.
This state will never be a business or opportunity state because the only people qualified to do the jobs that need to be done get tired of listening to the diatribes of generations of ignorance. Half the people screaming cut cut cut are 2 paychecks away from being in that welfare line. The other half are in Florida right now, thank you, but they’ll be back in the spring.
I don’t want to be “Jesus” , I am not a bleeding heart Liberal I don’t feel sorry for anyone including these folks. I want cuts to be made because us the taxpayers can’t afford to subsidize all of these folks anymore. They need to get off of their lazy butts and go get a job. Removing these people from these services is the right thing most of these folks don’t need these programs to begin all they want is a free ride. Sorry but the state is broke and the Governor and Republican majority feel the same way that the majority of working folks feel. Time to get Jobs or time for them to leave and go mooch off of the next Liberal Welfare Haven.
You’re still showing plenty of rage but no facts.
How about the free ride the millionaires are getting?
They’ve succeeded in getting you to direct your rage toward poor people, not toward millionaires. They are successfully using a divide-and-conquer technique with you–you stay mad at poor people, the elderly, and the disabled, and the millionaires can keep enjoying their special tax breaks.
Bull you want everyone to be taxed so you and the rest on Welfare can continue to get handouts. The facts are this state always is running a shortfall it never has had a surplus under Democrats. Now that the Stimulus funds has run out their is no extra money to pay for these programs anymore. The Liberals are in denial they think we can continue to pay for this garbage. Sorry but the Libs are not in charge, us working folks and business people are in control now and we want our money spent differently. We want a philosophic change that is why Democrats are in the minority where they belong. We are tired of the expansion of Welfare. We are tired of having failing schools, tired of crumbling infrastrucutre. We are tired of Special Interest, Enviros, Former Politicians, and idiots like Dennis Bailey doing everything they want with noone stopping them. The people spoke in the last election and they don’t want the Democrats , their candidate (which got only 19% of the vote) or their agenda anymore.
You assume that because I care about my fellow Americans, that I must have a low income and receive social services. You are mistaken. I work 40-50 hour weeks and have a decent income.
Impoverished people are not “garbage”, and the programs that help them are not “garbage.”
Republican policies such as starting perpetual wars while DECREASING federal revenues (tax breaks for millioniares) and declining to regulate Wall Street brought this country to the brink of Depression II. They fought to make Obama’s stimulus as small as possible so it would do as little good as possible. It did manage to stave off total disaster.
Yes the people spoke, 61% of them said, we want someone other than this guy as our governor.
Medic needed again:)
No, bleeding heart liberals have hearts to begin with, all you clearly care about is numero uno. Think you won’t be walking in the shoes of those you mock? Can you guarantee that? It’ll be a different story when you need help.
Regardless of whether LePage succeeds in cutting Mainecare or not, your pocket and everyone else’s will continue to be “picked”. If these cuts pass, not only will the poor and the sick that depend upon these programs be hurt, some people that have jobs will likely lose them. Chances are, most of those healthcare personnel are educated and in the absence of jobs will leave the state. Healthcare in this state will suffer; we have an aging population and already have a shortage of doctors and nurses. For any uneducated lower level healthcare givers that lose their jobs (such as CNA’s), well I guess you’ll just have to keep your fingers crossed that not too many of them are single mothers that would qualify for TANF.
All because of people like yourself that buy into these ridiculous stereotypes of “lazy bums” during a time when for every job there are 4 applicants (In reality though, if you apply for a job, much more than 4 people will apply for that job).
Nice try there are enough jobs it’s people not wanting to take these jobs. They think we have to give them living wages, benefits and welfare handouts on top of them getting a job. The Libs would rather see everyone sit home and continue to have us paying for them instead of going to work. Well guess what the sugar daddies (the taxpayers) have no more money to give to the moochers. The money trees the Dems use to keep tapping are now dry. These cuts are going to be made sooner or later so it is time for the Dems to go find something new to whine about.
You are the only one whining here, darkcat. “Liberals” this and “lazy bums” that. You know, using “liberal” in that context, as a type of slur, over and over only indicates one thing. I shouldn’t say it, but others will understand :)
Get off your computer and go to work!
Be ALL you can be before you dump on others!
Nice try you run out of liberal talking points. Face the facts these cuts are going to be made with or without the support of Democrats. The Dems in Augusta are worried and bitting their fingernails because if they vote for these cuts they will lose even more seats in the next election. That is why folks who aren’t term limited on the Democrat are not running for office. Why because the know that winning back the legislature will be tough as most experts on tv are predicting.
Did you skip over the article that discussed the lack of Republican support for LePage’s proposal? Absolutely entertaining!
I bet you think that the income inequality fact in this nation is just “envy”, just like Mitt Romney. That’s gonna cost him some votes
Yeah that is why Nobama still isn’t above 45% in the approval ratings and his ratings on the economy is in the low 30’s%. Face the facts Obama is only popular among the Welfare Crowd. Most of us think he is a communist, a socialist and an arrogant, ignorant elitist who has never held a job that doesn’t take Taxpayer money. That is why you have folks like Steven Colbert of all people thinking about running as a third party candidate because the Liberals and their hero Nobama has failed them.
darkcat as soon as you take your free medications you will feel better:)
As soon as LePage , Mary Mayhew and the Republican Legislature kicks all of you folks off of the Government handouts, I will be throwing a party drinking alot of Coors and Budwiser.
“Hate to break your bubble here, but not everyone who has to use Mainecare or has found themselves unemployed is as you say, “Lazy Welfare Bums Deserving Of Being Bused To Another State.”
One of the few correct comments you rarely post. Yes, their are individuals who use these programs when times are tough to make ends meet until they can get back on the feet, and rightly so. The problem is one which you and everyone else on the Left refuse to admit but that those of us who live in the REAL WORLD know. That problem is the fact that there is an entire generation that believe they do not have to work and are entitiled to live off these programs their entire life. That is not hate speech against the poor, it is just a simple fact.
No one in State government, including the Governor is proposing to eliminate these programs. What they are saying is that Maine needs to bring their progams in line with those required by Federal Law and what is wrong with that. Why should the working people of Maine be required to pay more than what the Federal Government mandates.
“Hate to break your bubble here, but not everyone who has to use Mainecare or has found themselves unemployed is as you say, “Lazy Welfare Bums Deserving Of Being Bused To Another State.”
One of the few correct comments you rarely post. Yes, their are individuals who use these programs when times are tough to make ends meet until they can get back on the feet, and rightly so. The problem is one which you and everyone else on the Left refuse to admit but that those of us who live in the REAL WORLD know. That problem is the fact that there is an entire generation that believe they do not have to work and are entitiled to live off these programs their entire life. That is not hate speech against the poor, it is just a simple fact.
No one in State government, including the Governor is proposing to eliminate these programs. What they are saying is that Maine needs to bring their progams in line with those required by Federal Law and what is wrong with that. Why should the working people of Maine be required to pay more than what the Federal Government mandates.
“Hate to break your bubble here, but not everyone who has to use Mainecare or has found themselves unemployed is as you say, “Lazy Welfare Bums Deserving Of Being Bused To Another State.”
One of the few correct comments you rarely post. Yes, there are individuals who use these programs when times are tough to make ends meet until they can get back on the feet, and rightly so. The problem is one which you and everyone else on the Left refuse to admit but that those of us who live in the REAL WORLD know. That problem is the fact that there is an entire generation that believe they do not have to work and are entitled to live off these programs their entire life. That is not hate speech against the poor; it is just a simple fact.
No one in State government, including the Governor is proposing to eliminate these programs. What they are saying is that Maine needs to bring their progams in line with those required by Federal Law and what is wrong with that. Why should the working people of Maine be required to pay more than what the Federal Government mandates.
“Hate to break your bubble here, but not everyone who has to use Mainecare or has found themselves unemployed is as you say, “Lazy Welfare Bums Deserving Of Being Bused To Another State.”
One of the few correct comments you rarely post. Yes, there are individuals who use these programs when times are tough to make ends meet until they can get back on the feet, and rightly so. The problem is one which you and everyone else on the Left refuse to admit but that those of us who live in the REAL WORLD know. That problem is the fact that there is an entire generation that believes they do not have to work and are entitled to live off these programs their entire life. That is not hate speech against the poor; it is just a simple fact.
No one in State government, including the Governor is proposing to eliminate these programs. What they are saying is that Maine needs to bring their programs in line with those required by Federal Law and what is wrong with that. Why should the working people of Maine be required to pay more than what the Federal Government mandates?
Do you just “cut and paste” this garbage from story to story. Come on, we know you must be a paid defender of LePage. Are you really Adrienne Bennett or do you work for the Maine Heritage Policy Center? Come on now, “fess up”.
No I am an Independent from Madison who is fed up with Liberals and Welfare Cases wanting my taxes raised so they can out and live the good life. They want us to work harder to pay for them while we struggle they can go out get new cars & trucks, satellite dishes, swimming pools etc.. These folks who are “disabled” they can’t work but they can go jogging and running every day , chase the mailman/mailwoman for their SSDI checks. I am tired of Liberals refusing to deal with the shortfalls we have every year because of the mess they have created. They always attack Lepage and Republicans because they are saying no more too. The Liberals always fight everything that is proposed for jobs from LNG terminals, Casinos/Racinos, Coal Gasification, Natural Gas Pipelines, Maine Indian Tribe Job Proposals, Manufacturing. It is time to put the economy first, taxpayers first being a Welfaree Haven where you get everyone from the bums, special interest, enviros, ex-democrat politicians all wanting a handout. It needs to be fixed it isn’t sustainable anymore.
I have only seen your good friend Paul create one job since he went to Augusta and it is a State job supported by my taxes which he gave to his daughter. The only other jobs that he might have been connected with are working for Mardens and most of those people qualify for all the state assistance out there because their jobs pay to little and their employer provides little in the way of benefits.
Really how many jobs did the Democrats create in the last 36 years only 56. That’s right only 56. Every year for the last 40 years the Democrat’s had a shortfall, always raising taxes , borrowing money to expand Welfare. Our roads and bridges are in such bad shape you can’t go 50 ft without hitting massive potholes that causes damage to vehicles. They do everything to drive businesses out. They attack the working folks and retirees with massive tax hikes to pay for the lazy Welfare Bums. They fight everything that is proposed for jobs. The facts are Democrats are bad for business, bad for Maine and its people and bad for America thanks to our dim minded narrow viewed president and vice president.
No I am an Independent from Madison who is fed up with Liberals and Welfare Cases wanting my taxes raised so they can out and live the good life. They want us to work harder to pay for them while we struggle they can go out get new cars & trucks, satellite dishes, swimming pools etc.. These folks who are “disabled” they can’t work but they can go jogging and running every day , chase the mailman/mailwoman for their SSDI checks. I am tired of Liberals refusing to deal with the shortfalls we have every year because of the mess they have created. They always attack Lepage and Republicans because they are saying no more too. The Liberals always fight everything that is proposed for jobs from LNG terminals, Casinos/Racinos, Coal Gasification, Natural Gas Pipelines, Maine Indian Tribe Job Proposals, Manufacturing. It is time to put the economy first, taxpayers first being a Welfaree Haven where you get everyone from the bums, special interest, enviros, ex-democrat politicians all wanting a handout. It needs to be fixed it isn’t sustainable anymore.
You would fit in with the Westboro Church. It’s either their way or the highway.
No it is common sense. You can’t keep spending , borrowing and raising taxes so the Liberals can expand welfare to everyone.
Perhaps if we did a better job of going after the tax cheaters in this country we wouldn’t have the financial problems we are having trying to provide services. The IRS reports that companies and individuals underpaid their taxes by $385 billion dollars last year after audits and enforcement efforts. Congress’ answer was to slash the IRS budget by $300 million.
It’s not just the poor taking advantage of the system…
One of the first totally accurate posts I read in this thread. Stillrelaxin thinks it is a Democrat vs. Republican issue, and that he/she and the Democrats have all the answers. I wish it were that simple and we could vote him/her supreme ruler. The IRS is inept at enforcing a code so large and complex they simply can’t do it. The code should be simplified to a point it is enforceable, and Congress can’t continue to use it to sell favors. Election reform and policy change is needed desperately, and one side doesn’t have the monopoly on what is best for our country. We all just have a bias, and some of us are more expressive than others.
Golly Flydoc, thanks for so narrowly defining what I may think. Please keep in mind that this a “Comment” section. As such it would be very difficult and probably inappropriate for anyone to FULLY express what they may think about anything. You say, “StillRelaxin believes this issue is about Democrats Vs. Republicans,” and that “The Democrats have all the answers.”
In truth I would say it’s more of an issue between those who care about someone other than themselves and those who don’t care about anyone but themselves. You are free to attribute any political party affiliations you like to those descriptions. I do of course have my opinions here. I’d say Darkcat above pretty much exemplifies the side that clearly doesn’t care.
I fully realize that neither side of this issue has ALL the answers. However if I have to choose a side and support a viewpoint, I will say that I feel much more comfortable siding with those who seem to care, or at least pretend to care than the folks who feel pride when they express to us all that they couldn’t care less about anyone but themselves.
Your wish for simplicity is humbling. However, “With America’s sons in the fields far away, with America’s future under challenge right here at home, with our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office–Largely Ignored Online Poster.”
“Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, your nomination as “Supreme Ruler.”
No Darkcat feels like what most working folks feel about Democrats in Washington and Augusta. They are for Welfare, People being lazy and dependent on Government handouts. That Democrats lie claim they are for lower taxes on the middle class and lower income. Take a look at the record here in Maine and their failed business policies, business regulations, failing schools, nanny state, their tax policies which hurt the economy, prosperity and drive out all of our population. The only thing Democrats care about is Welfare, Their Special Interest buddies, Enviros , Ex-Democrat Politicans (Angus King, Dennis Baiely, Kurt Adams). To them it’s how much can we take from everyone including the people we claim to be fighting for and fill our pockets and our friends pockets. That is why they are in the minority in Augusta and you hear John Martin, Peggy Rotundo, Justin Alfond, Cynthia Dill, Emily Cain crying whining like spoiled little kids because they can’t take us for a ride anymore.
And this back-and-forth provides the classic example of why more and more people are abandoning both parties and changing their voting status to independent. It’s always the other party’s fault for all that ails America.
All this blind partisanship just steadies my resolve to never be a registered Republican or Democrat the rest of my life. I’ve been both at one time or another and accept now, in my older years, that neither have the best interests of the American people at heart. The only interests they serve are their own and the parties they represent. And that goes as well for those who choose to put the blinders on and drink the kool-aid being served up.
Put your gloves on and go at it. I hope you both knock yourselves out.
The clams I dig are bright enough to know better than what you say , how could anyone insult so many good people in the name of a few welfare cheats. The majority of people receiving said services are disabled, come from poor possibly abusive family’s and are trying to dig out in this economy which they did not create. Why don’t you complain about the NUTTING heist or did he give all his stolen loot to GOP. One welfare cheat how many million and everyone is worried about the little people. My advise go to confession it worked for pedifile priests it should work for the subjective Christian, Muslim, Mormon human judges. FYI I work full time have since I was 12 as I was a dirt poor child before welfare Got free cheese though and was greatful, went to Vietnam at 18 so I have no respect for Chicken Hawks and or
religious warmonger out there on the far right. Of reality that is. Try looking in if you can see through Rupert Murdocks BUTT but then you have to see through Limbaughs fat rolls and all you will see is a drug fest with fat old men and their child brides spewing subjective ignorance for all who eagerly await validation of their shallow points. Confession is faster.
The clams I dig are bright enough to know better than what you say , how could anyone insult so many good people in the name of a few welfare cheats. The majority of people receiving said services are disabled, come from poor possibly abusive family’s and are trying to dig out in this economy which they did not create. Why don’t you complain about the NUTTING heist or did he give all his stolen loot to GOP. One welfare cheat how many million and everyone is worried about the little people. My advise go to confession it worked for pedifile priests it should work for the subjective Christian, Muslim, Mormon human judges. FYI I work full time have since I was 12 as I was a dirt poor child before welfare Got free cheese though and was greatful, went to Vietnam at 18 so I have no respect for Chicken Hawks and or
religious warmonger out there on the far right. Of reality that is. Try looking in if you can see through Rupert Murdocks BUTT but then you have to see through Limbaughs fat rolls and all you will see is a drug fest with fat old men and their child brides spewing subjective ignorance for all who eagerly await validation of their shallow points. Confession is faster.
The clams I dig are bright enough to know better than what you say , how could anyone insult so many good people in the name of a few welfare cheats. The majority of people receiving said services are disabled, come from poor possibly abusive family’s and are trying to dig out in this economy which they did not create. Why don’t you complain about the NUTTING heist or did he give all his stolen loot to GOP. One welfare cheat how many million and everyone is worried about the little people. My advise go to confession it worked for pedifile priests it should work for the subjective Christian, Muslim, Mormon human judges. FYI I work full time have since I was 12 as I was a dirt poor child before welfare Got free cheese though and was greatful, went to Vietnam at 18 so I have no respect for Chicken Hawks and or
religious warmonger out there on the far right. Of reality that is. Try looking in if you can see through Rupert Murdocks BUTT but then you have to see through Limbaughs fat rolls and all you will see is a drug fest with fat old men and their child brides spewing subjective ignorance for all who eagerly await validation of their shallow points. Confession is faster.
The clams I dig are bright enough to know better than what you say , how could anyone insult so many good people in the name of a few welfare cheats. The majority of people receiving said services are disabled, come from poor possibly abusive family’s and are trying to dig out in this economy which they did not create. Why don’t you complain about the NUTTING heist or did he give all his stolen loot to GOP. One welfare cheat how many million and everyone is worried about the little people. My advise go to confession it worked for pedifile priests it should work for the subjective Christian, Muslim, Mormon human judges. FYI I work full time have since I was 12 as I was a dirt poor child before welfare Got free cheese though and was greatful, went to Vietnam at 18 so I have no respect for Chicken Hawks and or
religious warmonger out there on the far right. Of reality that is. Try looking in if you can see through Rupert Murdocks BUTT but then you have to see through Limbaughs fat rolls and all you will see is a drug fest with fat old men and their child brides spewing subjective ignorance for all who eagerly await validation of their shallow points. Confession is faster.
To bad we all elected him huh lol
i didn’t vote for the sob
So what if they are. Many people are due to layoffs and lack of work
Why is it that whenever they try to make cuts to any sort of social services/welfare it is a total bloodshed. Yet, whenever they make cuts to the DOT or the education system to avoid cutting social services, you don’t hear a peep?
I pay a lot of taxes and fees to pay for, in many cases (depending on where you live), non-existent road maintenance. We pay a lot of taxes to create a well educated work-force, yet they continuously make cuts to education. And yet everyones solution seems to be to raise taxes on the productive, instead of cutting programs that help support the people who are products of the underfunded education system.
So really, it is your choice. Have an underfunded education system which leads to an increased number of people who need to be on welfare until it eventually ends up totally spiraling out of control and we end up like Detroit, or adversely we could have a well funded education system that minimizes need for various social programs and creates a large number of productive people which creates a stronger more stable economy which leads to higher tax revenues.
“Why is it that whenever they try to make cuts to any sort of social services/welfare it is a total bloodshed. Yet, whenever they make cuts to the DOT or the education system to avoid cutting social services, you don’t hear a peep?”
because the democrats in this state act on emotion, not rational thought
Yup, how’s that job creation thing coming along for ya, huh?
Really, let’s just call it like it is….
The guy is in over his head. He doesn’t know how to play the game. He’s not the one with all the answers. He had no idea what he was getting in to. He is plainly not up to the task of governing. He is not in the right league. He knows not what he is saying (or doing). He has no political capital. He has no understanding of how to find consensus. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.
By now, even Adrienne Bennett is surely aware that he is not competent!! (if not, then arguably the governor’s spokesperson is not either).
The Emperor has no clothes.
(With all apologies to HCA)
Keep cutting we all know it will hurt.
Get rid of the stupid methadone clinics and we will be doing much be
tter! Thats l a of money!!
How exactly would we be doing much better?
The money we would save and the crime from the people stealing the meth and saboxone, not to mention the ones that are selling it on the streets….and then of course it ends up in our jails.
Now we need to open vertigo clinics.
I recently got to hear someone speak on this issue. The man that was speaking has been working at methadone clinics for years. According to him, the bad reputation they have received, the stereotypes of their clientele is hogwash. There is always a small fraction of people that for whatever reason, cause trouble. When we hear about methadone clinics in the news, etc., those are the people we hear about…not the majority that have done quite well on it, have straightened out their lives, and eventually gotten off the methadone as well. In addition, people falsely believe that an addict can basically just walk into a methadone clinic and receive methadone. In reality, there is an extensive process to qualify, including showing that one has tried other methods because methadone is really a last ditch effort to get these people clean.
Maybe they ought to put out a study to actually show their success rates. This could go a long way in helping their reputation.
OK, so make a positive suggestion on how to reign in the costs. Cut the doctors 50%? Lay off nurses? Where will the savings come from? Vote democrat and continue the craziness, there aren’t a lot of choices, but the comments tell it all from “stillrelaxin”. It’s ok to throw around little disparaging comments about the other side, makes it fun and puffs the ego, but nothing is gained. All he needs is positive problem oriented suggestions.
How about rescinding the $100 million plus tax cut from the last legislative session that benefited primarily the wealthiest Mainers. Forget putting $39 million into a slush fund. Table the almost $100 million in tax cuts he has proposed for retirees in this session of the legislature. Hire enough investigators to ferret out whatever fraud there might be in the system looking into recipients, vendors and providers. Keep his promise of JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. Go over State agency budgets with a fine tooth comb and make cuts to outdated or no longer needed agencies and programs and then when that is done cut taxes.
Crying wolf again! Wait this guy is a lobbyist and Treasurer of PAC for hospitals.
Or even better – wait until he is Commissioner of DHHS.
Yes, step aside, Mayhew. We’ve got just the place for you at Maine State Housing…after Lepage wrests full control of it and revamps it…that is, unless Poliquin decides he wants it.
Why is it that the only one you believe on this subject is the one person who should be able to provide facts in the form of verifiable numbers and either can’t or won’t?
All I pointed out that was the facts. When pressed by the lawmakers he couldn’t say for sure if there would be lay offs. I haven’t seen any real numbers so as I have said before let the lawmakers figure this out that’s their job.
I thought our fearless leader was going create jobs. I wonder what the net is so far. Another number to throw into the cost/benefit calcualtions for his Draconian cuts.
I am not surprised about the layoffs at all. You have to remember LePage lied about bringing jobs to Maine. Since he has been in charge, thousands of Mainers have lost their jobs.
Focus people. this is about taxes, they want more and we don’t want to pay.
Man up!
Pay your Taxes !
i am so sick of this
And people wonder why Maine keeps coming DEAD LAST in business’s re-locating or staying ! Kestrel Aviation is on the verge of leaving for Wisconsin and people wonder why ? Here’s a perfect example. If we can’t take care of our own people, then why would anyone want to do business, or invest in any business, up here ? LePage keeps cutting and pretty soon there isin’t going to be anyone up here to look out for the health of Mainer’s. How do we all feel about a nice ride to Boston or Manchester to see the family doctor ? And now that LePage is getting ready to give the health insurance companies ‘at will’ power to raise their rates, with no outside review or control’s, we can all get ready to take out a mortgage, if we still have a house, to cover the cost of our health insurance or the doctor visit. A Wisconsin solution is becoming more and more clear as just about the only way to get Maine back on track. 3 more years of this and we all might as well start moving south.
Another example of Landslide Le Page’s job creation program for Maine!!
Lepage giveth and Lepage taketh away. Net result? 1 job… for his daughter.
I hope Lepage does NOT get his reforms and MaineCare runs out of funds on April 1
That way NO ONE gets MaineCare. Not elderly,not disabled…NO ONE.
Just delete MaineCare.
I worked, paid into the system, have a college degree plus. I was born with heart disease and some other serious medical issues but for as long as I could I worked paid into the system. What ended my working was a little thing called cancer, one of the rarest forms. This rare form went into remission for 4 years – last year I got cancer again this time an aggressive form. I have done everything on my own. I hate asking for help but I am one of those people gets some help from MaineCare. Most of my medical bills are paid by the Federal Government I am on SSDI. I hate having to get or ask for help however I am fighting for my life.
I do not drink, smoke anything ever or do drugs (wait do Chemo drugs and a mild anti depressants count) I made a decision not to have any children. If I could not pay on my own for a child I was not going to have one. .
For the record – I agree that the MaineCare does have users and losers on it. Yes, changes need to be made I am not sure what these may be. Please those of you who are posting do not assume that all of us who get some help from MaineCare are losers. I wish I could work but right now I am just fighting to stay alive.
Thank everyone for reading this posting. If I made any spelling or grammar mistakes in this posting I am sorry.
Thank you, Carole, for giving a human face to this. Your comments should be required reading for those Lepage supporters who blindly accept his every comment. As a fellow survivor, I wish you the best.
i am sorry Carole that you have been dealt a bad hand. you are one of the few of us that need mainecare to survive even though we have paid in to the system instead of just making babies and sitting on our butts. I hope that you are healed soon. god bless
I am not perfect and somehow ended up with my post appearing twice. Sorry this is an edit so you only have read what I posted once.
Carole, not everyone in Maine wants to throw you under the bus. Most Mainers are still compassionate people who put their fellow humans in front of money. We will survive this Troglodyte and his minions. Then we will set about undoing the damage that he has done while in Augusta. I love how people who have never had any misfortune in their lives are the first to pass judgement on others.
Ahhh…the “I’m not the bad apple, it’s everybody else” argument. Did it occur to you that others on Mainecare may be in a similar position? Or that there is more than one situation in which someone would have a valid need for Mainecare?
Don’t fret about spelling and grammar, concentrate on getting better. Lol besides most of us are pretty good at reading typos anyway. I am sorry you have to go through this period, and it is even worse that you have to stress over the actions of a governor who only got 38% of the vote and does not represent the majority of Mainers. He wants to run Maine like a business and as such sees people as a commodity and not as human beings. You just work on getting better, we will pull his teeth in November when we vote out the Republicans. That in and of itself is sad as well, I am sure a lot of those that will lose their seats this fall are good people, and their only crime will be having that same “R” in front of their name that LePage does.
Apology not necessary, Carole. Sometimes things need to be posted twice, so a message will finally get “drummed into” some of the thick-heads here.
How about we just delete cruel people who lack compassion for their fellow man? Zap-no more Tea Partiers.
Hope you don’t lose your job, get sick, get dropped by your health insurance company and can’t get a new affordable policy cuz of yer preexisting condition – after April 1!
Very good point – Pre existing conditions.
That’s a marvelous idea. [sarcasm implied.]
i can see why no one buys this liberal trash paper anymore
Did your imaginary friend read the article and then post for you?
The financial situation can’t be all that bad if Maine General is building a whole new facility when they already have 2 big campuses.
Sounds to me like Mainecare recipients take the hit either way you look at it. They seem to be the reason hospitals run in the red because the hospital doesn’t get reimbursed for the full costs and now the hospitals are saying it will be a hardship on them if Mainecare is cut.
MaineCare owes each hospital in the state millions in unpaid reimbursement. This has already resulted in many layoffs around the state. This isn’t anything new.
MaineCare needs to eliminate the people who abuse the system. This will fix the problem. I work in the Emergency Department at a hospital in Maine. I see multiple cases of abuse by MaineCare patients each time I go to work. They don’t care because it doesn’t cost them a dime.
I’m curious…
Why is it always low-level healthcare employees that express dissatisfaction with Mainecare…yet the educated staff (doctors and nurses), never seem to speak out against Mainecare? Oh, hold on a minute, a doctor did speak out in an editorial on BDN…in favor of Mainecare. Could it be……the difference in education???
Don’t try to tell me you’re not one of those low-level staff. If you were not, you would have proudly put that kind of credibility on display.
Your SmrtyPnts are showing.
Yes, pay out more in unemployment, food stamps, etc to those who lose their jobs.
He’s really attacked the low income people in this state. Now those who actually have jobs will lose them too. OH – maybe he’ll want to build another casino so they can work.
Yes this posting is right on the money. Another issue is that many of us could work part time say 10 to 15 hour max when our health allows. If I could be allowed to keep the money after paying taxes all of this money I could be a lot better off. I have talked to my doctors who say I am not alone with this thinking. It is all or nothing.
I have never been married but if I did get married I would lose a large part of my medical benefits. (the ones I paid in for and to and hoped I would not have to use) I have not added up all of the bills and payments that have been made for my treatments but it is between 3/4 to a million dollars. I have been lucky I have not had to have surgery. I have not asked as little help as possible. I drove my self to all of my treatments and will continue to do so. I am not the only person attempting to do what they can for themselves. Again I think the reason some people and this is true of seniors cannot get married is they will end up costing the other person too much monies. Love is one thing but asking someone to pay four hundred thousand dollars in medical bills is another thing.
With my doctors permission I am looking to do some positive and upbeat volunteer work, with whatever group’s understanding about my on going medical treatments. I do not want to just sit back and do nothing like watch TV (wait I cannot afford to have cable TV or any type of TV) I am a person who wants to give back.
I voted against the Race Track and gambling plan for Biddeford. I live in Biddeford. I guess my question is what can we the citizens do to bring jobs to Maine – besides griping on web sites. Anyone have any ideas?
I thought that part of bozo’s campaign platform was job creation.
We are frequently warned that politics on the national level is “class warfare”. Governor LePage has brought class warfare to Maine and it seems to be his major achievement. Is it possible that we could have a governor who could actually tackle the problems rationally without resorting to witch hunts?
Haaahaaa don’t make me laugh. The Medicaid system owes hospitals so much back money from upwards of 5-7 years now. They haven’t paid hospitals and they keep going somehow thankfully. If DHHS ACTUALLY paid it’s debts to healthcare providers instead of letting people keep having more and more children that tax money has to pay to support, and all the people who have self inflicted drug issues etc, then there wouldn’t be any more or less money in the coffers..
Why isn’t medicare criticized more for not paying their obligations from the past?
Does this also cover the millions of dollars that the state and feds OWE hospitals? Many hospitals are usually 2yrs or more BEHIND getting their $$$$. Now, I think but not paying the back pay, shutting down small rural hosptials and “laying off” people will help balance the budget? Hum, I wonder if that person at the Blaine house has his health insurance or are WE paying for it? Many people now a days have to decide to put food on their table or pay for health insurance, and you know…..it’s not the “young ones” that are doing it. It’s our SENIOR CITIZENS that are doing that! Now, what is needed is to teach they “others who prefers to come to Maine because they pay better”. Also, the young “ladies” who have children just about every 2 years…..
The LePage Apocalypse
yessah
AMHI recently informed me it costs $600 a day for each mental patient there. Why don’t we send them all to the nearest Hilton? Realistically, isn’t this exorbitant and the medical profession raping the system? Perhaps this should be more closely looked at and bid out to the private sector.
$600/day? Why don’t we close the Blaine House, then, and put its occupants in AMHI, where they should have been all along?
Whatever he does will back fire in his face, believe you me. I have seen it happen before to the best of them and he is not the best of them by far. I think his salary should be slashed and his own benefits jeaopardized, but of course it does not matter what any of us think, because he is in charge for another 3 years, the low-life dirtbag. His day will come eventually.
Layoff Lepage
New post: Thank you for the good and nice comments. I am not from what I can see going lose too much in the way of benefit’s, because I am on SSDI. However my cost of living increase from SSDI and also those on SSI have been hit. Our meaning seniors, people who worked 40 plus years are have to pay out more for medical plans or any programs they may be on.
My cost of living increase is already gone. The dollar amount of the increase was taken away from my SNAP or food program, dollar for dollar. Later this year I will get a rent increase because on paper I am getting more in benefits. I and many people across the country are not getting an increase. In the end I will be getting less monies. Does this make sense or cents. Why give me and other people an increase . I would love to see what all this has cost in terms of an increase in an administrative costs.
Penny wise and pound foolish.
there goes the unemployment rate sky high too. this plan is no good. i am sorry if people disagree, but the hospital staff and the poor will pay for this. i think the ones that can work should get off their butts and work and stop spreading their legs and stop making more babies. I am sorry but he is not creating jobs, he is taking good jobs away from people.
And that folks is how to build jobs the Republican way. Let’s see where congressional candidate/state senator Kevin Raye steers this. A look into his future.
Not to worry-Raye’s going to be back making mustard before long.
Throw out the Ketchup folks. Raye and Collins are going to force all Maine school children to eat heaps of mustard on their potatoes.
Typical liberal scare tactics. Guarantee Jeff Austin is a democrat
Time to kick LePage out of office!! Cutting MaineCare will hurt if not actually kill some people. Why should we provide health care to the LePage let him pay his own coverage he has the money.
Another job creation project from our esteemed governor.
I continue to ask the same question- WHY should recipients of Mainecare benefits be forced to shoulder the consequences of the incompetence of Mary Mayhew? I also question why, rather throwing 65,000 peope under the bus, more isn’t being done to root out waste and mismanagement and to correct the mistakes made in the budgeting process.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘Maincare’ related article, lately?:
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was paying for one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating that claim over and over and over again.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
Why is this now the standard running sentence in every ‘MaineCare’ related article, lately? :
“… MaineCare is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health insurance for the poor….”
The Medicaid program is a joint partnership in concert with the Federal government in which all States participate, individually and collectively. Maine’s program is now called ‘Mainecare’.
Maine is a poor state, and has specific needs and challenges with respect it’s elderly, disabled, and working poor population, as a result. There are other poor states, besides Maine.
There are those that would have you believe that it’s such a cushy deal here that people are actually migrating from other states, just to glom onto to Maine-style benefits.
It’s not true, however, I did hear, within living memory, that Rudy Giuliani was dolling out one way
bus fare from NYC to Bangor for a short time.
I have no way of confirming that particular rumor, but it’s only thing I ever heard that would suggest Le Page has any basis for repeating his claim over and over and over again until people accept it as fact – George Bush style.
The consequences will be costly.
The hospitals have turned into wide ranging conglomerates; with multi bay emergency rooms and outpatient centers over an entire region. They offer highly technical and specialized services often in competition with the growing group practices—mine now has weekend hours, a lab, a variety of imaging facilities and specialists on staff..
We have a choice of facilities to go to now; the hospital being the most expensive, but for real emergencies offers the best in specialized diagnostic and other services….a cut hand can be cleaned and stitched downtown; but if there’s nerve and tendon damage, then it’s best to go to the hospital.
Where ambulances take people seems to be always to the hospital. Isn’t there somewhere less expensive and better suited?
Probably not; so many we need a fund to keep the ER’s in business and enable clinics, hospitals and group/speciality practices to compete on an even playing field.
Nor is everyone covered by the same rate of reimbursement; and more they rely on Mainecare and Medicare the more ‘socialized’ they become with standardized salaries, etc.
Maine care eligibility has to be reduced; and benefits cut; so Maine is the same as other states. The boom days are over; and belts have to be tightened. If hospitals lose a few people, so be it.
LePage promises to pay money owed to hospitals and pays back $70m; and the hospitals rack up even more debt with their expansion plans and then go whine about it???.
This is the most irresponsible governor I have ever seen here in the state of Maine and I have lived here for 71 years and a Republican….God…please tell me he can’t get any worse in keeping the rich…richer and the middle class…dirt poor….us Seniors will take a hit…so much for our golden years…..
The “tax the rich” crowd is alive and well on this page, proof that if you tell some people a lie long enough soon they will believe it.
According to Forbes Magazine, the 40 richest Americans wealth combined equals about a trillion dollars. In order to put that into perspective one would have to just look at how many trillions of dollars our federal government has gone into the hole in the three years Obama has been in charge and see that if we took all of what these rich guys had it would only be a drop in the bucket to what is being spent.
Personally I think Uncle Sugar should keep right on spending, give everyone what he thinks he has to have to meet his basic needs. Pay all the lavish entitlements and pensions promised by politicians, and have a good time until our nation and state are totally broke.
That way there will be no more arguing and whining and maybe the wagon riders will finally shut up!
This man is such an EGOMANIAC, that earlier today he was spouting off about how important LIFE is at the Pro-Lifers meeting, yet he is doing everything he can to make sure that many others will eventually die of sickness because they are not able to get the health care they will need. I am so terribly tired of hearing him talk out of both sides of his mouth. How do you know if the “Penguin” Lepage is lying..???? Simple…His lips are moving.
there are 7 other states that have mainecare like programs
if you do not like mainecare cuts, move to one of those states, we dont want you here
OK, enough is enough, I am running for Governor as a Socialist. I’m not a Democrat, I’m not afraid of being called a Socialist, because I AM a Socialist. I’m going to raise the taxes of the few millionaires to pay for the needs of the many. And you know what? As bad as your guy has done these past months, I’d put good money on my winning.
Dear Mr. LePage,Thank god for you, that you have never been faced with a long life-time disability. And are able to afford the comforts in life without the worry where the next dollar will come from.
Then to add insult to injury to those who are on Disability, and have before in their lives worked, and have been faced with the unfortunate circumstances of having to live off a fixed income, you decide to cut more of what has not been truly all that much to begin with.
And to close, how dare you purpose to take dental away from Maine care recipients?!!!?
God help you if you ever had to live off welfare, had unfortunate circumstances in your health come about that you were not able to afford.
I find myself more depressed worrying about my health, and my current issues of dental due to my health and depleted deficiencies due to being sick and losing my teeth because of thus. And becoming more sick because of the cuts you are making and the more benefits you are taking away from me and my fellow Americans.
And as a P.S, I am under categorical care… I have Alpha One…. I require a live in aide because of my seizures that have been caused because I am a battered woman and my ex husband beat me and caused these which are out of my control. And here again, you are wanting to take that away from me….
How fair are you? …. It’s easy to take away from the poor…. there is not much there to gather…..
Sincerely disgusted….
Christy L. Curry
Dear Mr. LePage,Thank god for you, that you have never been faced with a long life-time disability. And are able to afford the comforts in life without the worry where the next dollar will come from.
Then to add insult to injury to those who are on Disability, and have before in their lives worked, and have been faced with the unfortunate circumstances of having to live off a fixed income, you decide to cut more of what has not been truly all that much to begin with.
And to close, how dare you purpose to take dental away from Maine care recipients?!!!?
God help you if you ever had to live off welfare, had unfortunate circumstances in your health come about that you were not able to afford.
I find myself more depressed worrying about my health, and my current issues of dental due to my health and depleted deficiencies due to being sick and losing my teeth because of thus. And becoming more sick because of the cuts you are making and the more benefits you are taking away from me and my fellow Americans.
And as a P.S, I am under categorical care… I have Alpha One…. I require a live in aide because of my seizures that have been caused because I am a battered woman and my ex husband beat me and caused these which are out of my control. And here again, you are wanting to take that away from me….
How fair are you? …. It’s easy to take away from the poor…. there is not much there to gather…..
Sincerely disgusted….
Christy L. Curry