Although many would say the issue of LD 369 is behind us, I think it is important for us to reflect on this issue and take a closer look at some of the issues that emerged as a result — especially if we’re faced with a people’s veto campaign to undo the newly passed law.
Let’s first take a walk down memory lane to 1950, a time when blacks received the message “you don’t belong here” from restaurants, park benches and everything in between. The Maine lawmakers who refused to support providing General Assistance to those seeking asylum sent the very same message. Much like communities in 1950s America, LD 369 opponents effectively aimed to create a system that ensured those awaiting asylum remained impoverished, dependent and with few societal resources to improve their lives.
Legislators who opposed aiding new Mainers served as poster children for systematic oppression. Despite Gov. Paul LePage’s accidental move allowing LD 369 to become law, the irrational beliefs held by LePage and his supporters are seeded in xenophobia and racism, even if there’s no admission of it. This is deeply concerning.
Many of those seeking asylum here in Maine fled their home countries to escape government persecution and intense violence. Once they manage to arrive in the U.S., they often apply for asylum. Asylees are considered “undocumented” but reside in our country legally. Many who await asylum are educated, skilled and willing to work to contribute economically and culturally to Maine.
But our laws are what stand in their way. Federal law prevents asylees from working for at least 6 months. The process often takes years. During that time, those seeking asylum are forced to rely on General Assistance to pay for rent, food and medication. A large part of the issue lies in the laws that prevent these Mainers from working. Backlogs in application processing just make matters worse and contribute to the long amount of time new Mainers are forced to rely on General Assistance.
Since LePage’s re-election, we have heard false rhetoric thrown at us by him and his supporters that attempts to fool us into believing these people are undeserving of assistance. We are told people awaiting asylum are “illegal” immigrants and that assisting them is too costly. Both of these statements are false.
If LePage and his supporters want to talk about “fiscal responsibility,” one would think the issue of providing General Assistance to those in need would not have been the only issue in the state’s spotlight. LePage and state lawmakers would have shifted more of their focus to the recent abuses of the New Markets Capital Investment Program, a Maine tax credit program, by out-of-state financiers.
This tax credit abuse is costing Maine taxpayers $16 million, and it didn’t prevent the Great Northern Paper mill from closing, which put more than 200 Maine people out of work. The economic costs of this robbery are much more than the costs of General Assistance administration in Bangor, Lewiston and Portland combined. General Assistance costs totaled approximately $13 million in 2014 for these municipalities.
LePage’s irrational beliefs about new Mainers increased the likelihood that 900 asylees would have become homeless overnight. If these 900 asylum seekers became homeless, they would have been forced to depend on the already limited public resources for the homeless. This would have meant 900 more people crowding the lines at food pantries and soup kitchens; using hospital emergency rooms and local health clinics without the ability to pay; using ambulances; staying in shelters already hemorrhaging people, thereby forcing more people onto the streets; and ending up in jail or prison for “crimes” that are the direct result of homelessness (public urination, criminal trespassing, etc).
Once homeless, people are subject to an increased risk of mental and physical health issues, as well as an increased risk of substance abuse and drug addiction, all of which result in increases in health care, law enforcement, correctional, public service, social service and emergency shelter costs that Maine taxpayers will pick up in the long run. This would not have been a long-term cost savings for taxpayers.
Through their actions, LePage and his supporters in Augusta have made it clear to all of us that they support forcing new Mainers into a situation that would have been near impossible for them to overcome. The cataracts of racism and xenophobia have developed in the eyes of some of our state’s leaders. They were unable to see the true issues at hand, rendering them unable to recognize real solutions. As a resident of Maine, I am deeply concerned.
Robert Marcroft is a social worker working with individuals and families who are impoverished and homeless in Maine. He lives in Westbrook.