Remember in 1996 when Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton famously created the "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act"? It was designed to break the cycle of poverty, limit the time individuals could receive benefits and contained a work requirement. As a result of that legislation poverty and welfare rates declined for several years.
What I'll bet few people realize is that in 2012, Health and Human Services began allowing states to apply for a waiver of the requirements under certain conditions.
In recent years, the welfare numbers have exploded. Nationally, food stamp recipients rose from 17.2 million in 2000 to 45.8 million in 2015. An astounding 250% increase. So the Governor of Maine established work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults. That seems quite reasonable. In three months the number of able bodied adults in Maine receiving food stamps dropped by 80%.
Lest you think that people are suffering due to this reform measure, studies show that many adults who get food stamps spend their own money on poor choices. Over half regularly smoke tobacco, for example.
It could reasonably be argued that Gov. LePage is a true leader and problem solver. Both are qualities we need in the Presidency.
John Bryant
Rotonda West, FL
