Mainers know welfare is broken.
They have seen with their own eyes that the system is susceptible to fraud and abuse. Meanwhile, they see that its successes at lifting Mainers out of poverty are too few and far between.
The ranks of Mainers, including children, who live in extreme poverty are growing. Homelessness continues to be a reality for too many Mainers, and one overdue bill or injury away for many others. The number of hungry Mainers is growing, not shrinking.
And our welfare system is too porous — a few bad apples can easily abuse the system, spending taxpayer dollars on things such as alcohol or tobacco and betraying the generosity of Mainers.
Welfare isn’t working for recipients or for taxpayers. That’s why Democrats have unveiled a reform proposal called “Welfare that Works.” I’m proud to be one of those leading the effort.
Our plan has two big parts. The first is a bill I submitted that attacks the issue of abuse in the system.
Mainers deserve a welfare system that includes reasonable safeguards to protect taxpayer money. My bill will prohibit welfare money from being spent on alcohol, tobacco, gambling, lotteries, bail, guns and ammunition, travel services, adult entertainment and tattoos.
Those products and services do nothing to help Mainers pull themselves out of poverty. That it isn’t already illegal to buy them with welfare benefits goes a long way to explaining why Mainers have so little faith in our welfare system. No one, including welfare recipients who use their benefits appropriately, believes welfare cash should be spent on those items. Mainers are rightfully shocked to learn that, under current law, taxpayer dollars can be spent on those purchases without penalty.
My bill implements tough but fair penalties for people who would break the law and spend welfare cash on prohibited items, including a requirement that the offender reimburse the state for illegally spent cash.
However, unlike previous efforts to establish a “product ban,” my bill goes a step further to prevent abuse before it happens. It calls for the implementation of a system that will block the use of EBT dollars on prohibited items at the point of sale. Just as with food stamps, welfare recipients will simply not be able to purchase prohibited items. If they swipe their card to buy booze, it just won’t work.
But it’s not enough to ensure accountability at the cash register. The largest chunk of welfare benefits is used to help Mainers pay the rent, not go shopping. So our plan takes $5 million of cash out of the system and replaces it with direct rent payments to landlords for housing. This cuts down on the amount of untraceable cash while continuing to help Mainers stay in their homes so they can get back on their feet.
Welfare that Works also fundamentally transforms our state’s welfare program by prioritizing jobs and education and providing targeted services tailored to an individual’s need.
Our current system is too one-size-fits-all to succeed. Mainers need a temporary hand up for different reasons. Maybe they were laid-off from a mill that just closed. Or there are jobs available in their area, but they need to be trained to become employable. Or they are fleeing domestic violence and need more immediate crisis intervention.
Welfare that Works provides targeted services so that Mainers receive the assistance they need — nothing more, nothing less. Those targeted services include strengthened training and education programs, and resources to ensure every Mainer on welfare will achieve a basic education of a GED or equivalent.
Lastly, our plan prioritizes work. Mainers are happy to help their neighbors, but they want to see that their neighbors are helping themselves. We will require welfare recipients to work and, if they can’t find a job, the state will partner with the private sector to provide a transitional job for up to six months. The transitional job program recognizes the integrity and inherent value of work, provides workplace experience and boosts employability so that Mainers can get off welfare and back on track.
Mainers of all political stripes know our welfare system is broken. But they also are tired of welfare being a source of constant political bickering. While the two sides argue and try to score political points, the system remains broken. Nothing changes.
The time has come to move forward. I hope that my colleagues in the Legislature will put their politics aside and pass our plan so that welfare can finally work for all of us — recipients and taxpayers alike.
State Sen. Nathan Libby serves as the ranking Democratic member of the Taxation Committee and represents the city of Lewiston in the Maine Senate.
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