Paul LePage on Welfare & Poverty

	Paul LePage on Welfare & Poverty

Maine's TANF welfare system is too generous

Gov. LePage announced that he will seek changes to the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in order to avoid millions of dollars in federal penalties that he said result from a welfare system that's too generous. Democrats said the problems in the TANF program are not new and that LePage is highlighting the issue now to bolster his image as a welfare reformer.

According to LePage, the state could be liable for up to $13 million in federal fines for not meeting national TANF guidelines from 2007 to 2010, though that amount can be reduced if Maine takes quick action. At issue is that the state did not meet federal requirements for the number of TANF recipients who were working while receiving benefits. "We must fix this Maine law in order to comply with federal law," said LePage. "Maine is overly generous in allowing a wide variety of exemptions from the work requirement, which are not recommended by the federal government, making it impossible to meet federal standards."

Source: Bangor Daily News on 2014 Maine gubernatorial race , Jan 3, 2014

End welfare-on-day-one: No instant eligibility for benefits

Maine is one of just a few places in the country that offers "welfare-on-day-one," for legal non-citizens. Our budget saves $20 million by eliminating instant eligibility for welfare benefits and sends the message that work and independence are what is expected of everyone in Maine. Our budget also includes a true five-year time limit on welfare eligibility and incentives to help move people from dependence to self-sustaining employment. Source: Maine 2011 State of the State Address , Feb 10, 2011

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*Other governors on Welfare & Poverty:*		*Paul LePage on other issues:*
*ME Gubernatorial:* Eliot Cutler *ME Senatorial:* Angus King Scott D`Amboise Susan Collins *Election 2013:* NJ-R: Chris Christie (won) NJ-D: Barbara Buono (lost) VA-R: Bob McDonnell(Retiring) VA-R: Ken Cuccinelli (lost) VA-D: Terry McAuliffe (won) *Gubernatorial Debates 2014:* AR: Ross(D) vs.Hutchinson(R) CA: Brown(D) vs.Solis(D) vs.Villaraigosa(D) CO: Hickenlooper(D) vs.Tancredo(R) vs.Hess(L) CT: Malloy(D) vs.Foley(R) FL: Scott(R) vs.Crist(D) HI: Abercrombie(D) vs.Djou(R) IA: Branstad(R) vs.Hoefling(R) vs.Culver(D) MA: Coakley(D) vs.Grossman(D) vs.Berwick(D) vs.Baker(R) ME: LePage(R) vs.Michaud(D) vs.Cutler(I) MI: Snyder(R) vs.Schauer(D) NM: Martinez(R) vs.Johnson(L) OK: Fallin(R) vs.Boren(D) PA: Corbett(R) vs.Schwartz(D) vs.Critz(D)	*Up for re-election 2014:* AK-R: Sean Parnell AL-R: Robert Bentley CA-D: Jerry Brown CO-D: John Hickenlooper CT-D: Dan Malloy FL-R: Rick Scott GA-R: Nathan Deal HI-D: Neil Abercrombie IA-R: Terry Branstad ID-R: Butch Otter IL-D: Pat Quinn KS-R: Sam Brownback ME-R: Paul LePage MI-R: Rick Snyder MN-D: Mark Dayton NH-D: Maggie Hassan NM-R: Susana Martinez NV-R: Brian Sandoval NY-D: Andrew Cuomo OH-R: John Kasich OK-R: Mary Fallin OR-D: John Kitzhaber PA-R: Tom Corbett SC-R: Nikki Haley SD-R: Dennis Daugaard TN-R: Bill Haslam VT-D: Peter Shumlin WI-R: Scott Walker WY-R: Matt Mead	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Local Issues Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty *Term-Limited or Retiring 2014:* AR-D: Mike Beebe AZ-R: Jan Brewer MA-D: Deval Patrick MD-D: Martin O'Malley RI-I: Linc Chafee TX-R: Rick Perry

Page last updated: Feb 07, 2014