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“The welfare state is not really about the welfare of the masses. It is about the egos of the elites.”

Thomas Sowell

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It is truly a shame that programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) have fallen under the spell of political bloodsuckers who use them for their own political and personal gains.

It’s not that I like either of the programs in their present form. It’s the politicians’ use of them that I dislike even more. My wife and I are fortunate to be at a fairly decent place at this stage in our life and we are more than happy to help those in need, especially if it is our friends or neighbors that need something to get by for a short period of time. It’s better than having a politician suck it out of our wallets or giving it to an organization that pays five or six figure salaries.

Recently Governor LePage issued a press release that Maine faces up to $7 million in fines by the federal government for failing to meet the welfare work requirements. That’s something the Democrats in Augusta have been fighting against since I can remember, which is completely the opposite of federal law in regard to welfare. To quote the governor’s words: “The TANF program requires welfare recipients to work or be engaged in an approved work-related activity. To avoid fines, Maine needed an overall work participation rate of 47.5 percent and an 87.5 parent rate for two-parent families receiving TANF. In 2011, the overall rate was only 19.1 percent, and the two-parent rate was a dismal 18.7 percent.”

I am somewhat confused by the response of the Democrats in the Maine Legislature because they stated present legislation would alleviate those fines and everything is OK as far as Maine’s participation in the TANF program. I believe that is the liberals’ typical response when a law goes against what they want. Lord only knows that they have a perfect example with their leader who occupies the White House delaying anything with ObamaCare that is not functioning properly. If we broke federal laws, the feds would descend upon us like vultures and lock us away for good just to shut us up. Unfortunately there have been too many cases of the federal government doing just that but that’s a future column.

I have to believe that our elected officials in the majority must be related to ostriches when it comes to government assistance for the needy. I think it is a shame that a senior citizen who served his or her country in World War II has to show some type of proof of where they live and that they are in fact a citizen of the United States after all those years and yet the liberals claim it’s discriminatory to require that to vote or receive welfare benefits. After witnessing a woman attempting to use two EBT cards a few years ago because there weren’t enough funds for her purchase tells me that every one of those cards should have a picture identifying the person using that card. Some stores require a picture ID to purchase alcohol and although I’ll be 66 this year I have no problem at all with it. At least it keeps a clerk who is working from being fired or the store from facing heavy fines or worse.

The shame of any government program is that it is wide open for abuse and misuse although the liberal left will never admit to that. It is easy to witness abuse of our tax dollars on a daily basis if one really wants to see it with their own eyes. Let’s cut the purchase of Red Bull, candy, soda and other nonessentials with our tax dollars. Let me finish by stating that I am disgusted by the amount of people using EBT cards smelling of marijuana or God only knows what other drugs. That’s a solid reason for them to submit to drug tests to keep their benefits.

Lane Hiltunen of Windham believes it’s time for government to quit being Santa Claus.