"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it can not save the few who are rich."
Fifty years ago today, President John F. Kennedy spoke those words in his inaugural address.
Understanding the moral and economic value to us all in lifting people out of poverty, some of the nation's and Maine's greatest achievements in public policy have been in fighting poverty: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. Maine Equal Justice does an excellent job of explaining the programs where the state has a major role to play.
It should be no surprise that – because the programs are designed that way – use of income supports and medical assistance by Maine families has increased since the global economic collapse 2 years ago. And directly or indirectly, we all benefit when our neighbors have the resources to participate in the economy and when they have access to treatment that prevents illness.
Last fall, during the gubernatorial election season, anti-tax and anti-government voices in Maine issued a deeply flawed report designed to undermine public support for excellent programs that give Maine families a path out of poverty. Tarren Bragdon, Director of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, in speaking about his organization’s report "Fixing the System" said, "What Maine's welfare system has done is it's trapped primarily moms and kids in poverty because it undermines hard work."
(The Maine Center for Economic Policy published an excellent response to MHPC’s claims.)
No surprise here either, that Maine's chief anti-government advocate would criticize successful public programs.
It was surprising, however, to hear Mary Mayhew, whom Governor LePage nominated yesterday to head the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, use similar language about Maine’s excellent anti-poverty programs. At the announcement of her nomination yesterday, Ms. Mayhew said, "Welfare was never meant to be a lifestyle [...] Yet that is exactly what it has become for too many families who are trapped in a failing system."
Since Mr. Bragdon is also co-chair of Governor LePage’s transition team, perhaps seeing his rhetoric echoed in this way shouldn’t be a surprise.
I was generally encouraged, however, by Ms. Mayhew's nomination to head the department responsible for most of Maine's anti-poverty efforts. She is a capable and effective advocate. Let's hope her circle of influence stays broader than those driven by ideology to dismantle structures that help us all: rich and poor alike.
