Augusta to be third city to accept Somali refugees/How Can Maine Afford This?

Boston.com ^ | 23 August 2002

[SheLion]

City officials are gearing up for an influx of Somali refugees who apparently intend to make Augusta their home.

''We have word that several hundred more are coming to Maine by the end of the year, maybe as many as 2,000 ," Assistant City Manager Michael Lombardo said.

[SheLion]

Maine. The second highest taxed state in the Union.  Jobs are scarce.  High welfare.  And Maine is accepting more people.  I don't know about you, but I can't afford for my taxes to go up anymore to help other people.  I am all for giving people a home, but if the money isn't there to put food on your table, how can you afford to feed others.

Maine's budget is ripped.  We do not have money for our state.  How does the Governor find money for "extra" people?  We do not have an interstate from Houlton on up to Caribou.  It's a 2 lane winding road that takes an hour to cross. 

We can't get decent health care and prescription drugs for our seniors.  Yet, the State House was newly renovated with heated steps and elevator music and $170,000 pending in art work.

Am I the only one scratching my head?  The following are articles I have saved just this year about Maine's failing budget:

Lawmakers to ask King for budget bill

Reform Taxes in Pieces

State budget may be $25 million more in the red

King reluctantly plans shutdown

Wake up, Maine

King eyes tax increase as budget fix

Lobbyist spending tops $3.5 million

Maine faces $90 million budget gap

BACK IN THE BUDGET

Maine taxes rise with myths

Stop spending

Somali women create support group in Lewiston

It's Broke/Maine's Budget

Refugees to resettle in Maine again follow post-attack backlog ;

Maine Looks Like Home to Somali Immigrants

[SheLion]

Ping

[SheLion]

Sounds good to ME! The US is bursting at the seams! Bring 'em all in!

[okie01]

"We can't get decent health care and prescription drugs for our seniors. Yet, the State House was newly renovated with heated steps and elevator music and $170,000 pending in art work."

Talk about mean-spirited!

You wouldn't want the dedicated politicians and hard-working bureaucrats to do without, would you?

[FryingPan101]

I guess I'll have to spend some time researching. Why Maine? I remember Clinton was involved in this relocation effort. Thanks for the links.

[xrp]

Neal Boortz covered this topic this morning. Apparently the Somalis sent out beggars to locate the friendliest city that would allow immigrants to steal from the pockets of the long-time residents.

Now they're all moving there to steal!

Do a google.com or yahoo.com search on Lewiston and Somali and read some interesting articles.

[SheLion]

You wouldn't want the dedicated politicians and hard-working bureaucrats to do without, would you?

Yea. Go figure. LOL!

[SheLion]

I guess I'll have to spend some time researching. Why Maine? I remember Clinton was involved in this relocation effort. Thanks for the links.

If you find out anything during your research, let me know. It gets mighty cold in Maine. Wonder why they came up from Atlanta. It's nice and warm year round there....

[SheLion]

Do a google.com or yahoo.com search on Lewiston and Somali and read some interesting articles.

I can't. I'm too depressed.

[Leisler]

.Why? Because the population of these towns are decreasing, thus the welfare workers have less "clients." So, being good entrepreneurs, they import what they need. Busier then ever. Going to need more staff, office space, laptops, SUV's, etc. Lastly, looking over Maine’s politicians, they figured if you’re so dumb to have Muskey, Mitchell, Snow, Baldacchi, et al, you’re the easiest to snooker.

[SheLion]

Maine’s politicians, they figured if you’re so dumb to have Muskey, Mitchell, Snow, Baldacchi, et al, you’re the easiest to snooker.

oh God save us.........

[Madame Dufarge]

From SheLion's link in #7: "Refugees to settle in Maine..."

The refugee resettlement program at Catholic Charities Maine had feared it would have to shut down because the flow of refugees slowed drastically after Sept. 11. The program needs to resettle about 250 people a year to keep its federal funding.

[SheLion]

The program needs to resettle about 250 people a year to keep its federal funding.

You've got to be KIDDING me! What with the billions from the MSA coming in, and grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.........and now this? Federal FUNDING???!!!

This is SO sick. Who invented this deal?

Grants for what? The $170,000 for ART WORK for the STATE HOUSE? I hope those grants are putting food on their tables!

[ozone1]

You hit it on the head.
I've seen at least 1 family in Augu$ta already.
Maine is one of the last states to pay welfare/food stamps/section 8 housing for immigrants.
Augusta already can't assimilate the 1200 workers just fired from the Sanmina (Computer chip) closing. They were skilled workers.
There are plenty of empty apartments from all the people leaving Maine. Gotta keep the social workers employed.
I thought Lewiston was going to take 3500 not 1000. I guess they figured out they couldn't take that many without busting the budget. Augusta's next, then Bangor, then Houlton. Hope they move in the summertime, cause they are in for a real surprise in winter. I don't think they are prepared for it and really feel sorry for them for being suckered up here. (No jobs, cold apartment, 20 below outside, no winter clothes, no public transportation etc).
I hope Mama Baldacci's (the restaurant) hires a few of them. That's the least Bubba Baldacci can do since he brought them here in exchange for support from the Catholic church.

[ASDFGHJK]

Doesn't Mexico want California back? Well, they can have it back.

LOL. I have no problem with immigration, but your post was funny.

[lewislynn]

California, the state everyone loves to hate.

But while everyone is side tracked or rather obsessed with what is happening in California to ridicule, yours/their neighborhoods, communities, states are crumbling around you/them at a rapid pace.

[lewislynn]

Maine. The second highest taxed state in the Union. Jobs are scarce. High welfare. And Maine is accepting more people.

Yet you have the nerve to ridicule other states....Go have a cigarette and chill....

but if the money isn't there to put food on your table, how can you afford to feed others.

Oh wait. maybe it's your cigarette taxes that are funding the Somalis...you know, the high taxes you're complaining about. And maybe you don't have food on the table because your obsession with cigarettes is stronger than your need to eat and feed your kids.

[FryingPan101]

Aha, Madame. Thank you.

[Madame Dufarge]

And maybe you don't have food on the table because your obsession with cigarettes is stronger than your need to eat and feed your kids.

Your hate-filled obsession with smokers, exposing to all the open, running sore that passes for your brain, is leaking over into threads that have nothing to do with tobacco