Mayor wants to publicly name who’s on welfare

The mayor of a Maine city has proposed a statewide public database of people receiving state-funded public assistance, arguing that a list of people on welfare would inform taxpayers about what they’re paying for. On Thursday, MacDonald announced he wants to pursue the creation of a website that reports on the personal details of welfare recipients.

He said Maine has a website listing pension amounts issued to state workers, and questioned why other recipients of state revenue are protected. Other states have passed controversial laws requiring drug testing for those on welfare, measures that opponents say are unfair and unconstitutional.

“Yes, I am referring to those known as welfare recipients”, wrote MacDonald. “Why are they treated differently than pensioners?” he wrote. (A rhetorical question).

“You can’t just print the names of people who receive public benefits in a newspaper”, said Gattine. “Just shut up and pay!”

Well, the days of being quiet are gone.

But that’s not all.

He also favors legislation to block welfare to newly-born children of parents who are on welfare, and to limit total lifetime public assistance benefits to 60 months (as per federal law).

Macdonald ended his weekly column by promising to “talk about our progressive liberal friends’ war on the elderly” in next week’s edition.

Lewiston, with about 36,000 residents, has been the center of controversy before.

MacDonald said he’s asked one Democratic and one Republican state senator to consider sponsoring a bill in the next legislative session.

“Unfortunately, with today’s economy, it’s hard to get off the program because your money is going to rent and everything else that you need, and that little bit of food stamps we get is what keeps us alive”, Sheena Dingledine said.

Robert Macdonald later said his remarks were taken out of context, but he had more controversy ahead.

“I’m not sorry”, he told The Portland Press Herald. Protests broke out after Macdonald said that immigrants (Lewiston is a popular area for Somali refugees) should “leave [their] culture at the door”.