To the editor:

State Rep. Seth Berry and the rest of the Democrats are looking at the welfare mess they created in Maine through rose-colored glasses and trying to put a positive spin onit.

They are nitpicking the governor’s comments on welfare recipients versus the number of people paying taxes. I took it as he meant it, that the number of people paying income taxes is less than the number of people on welfare and receiving social services in Maine.

Under Gov. “Welfare Is my Middle Name” Baldacci, the number of people receiving these services in Maine exploded. We had the specter of thousands of immigrants flocking into the cities of Portland and Lewiston.

They did not come from their home countries, but from other states where their welfare benefits were set to expire. They came to Maine for the welfare and social services the state offers.

Despite what Department of Health and Human Services officials and Democratic legislators say, people do come to Maine to receive these services.

The problems caused by Maine becoming a welfare state were shown when the stimulus money arrived here. Instead of using the money for bridge and highway maintenance, which would have put thousands of people to work, it was used to cover the budget hole in the DHHS budget caused by all the welfare and social service spending.

The bottom line in Maine is that there are not enough people paying income taxes to cover all of those receiving welfare and social services.

Raymond T. West

Topsham