Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald apparently believes that there are two kinds of kids going to school in Lewiston: good kids and poor kids.

During a public meeting at Geiger Elementary School Macdonald launched into an anger-filled tirade. According to the Sun Journal, he called children from poor families that need help from programs like General Assistance (GA) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) “lazy in school.”

The next day, Macdonald continued his attacks, blaming everything from school overcrowding to poor school outcomes on kids who come with their families from “out of state because of our welfare generosity.” In Macdonald’s opinion, “[t]hey could care less about going to school. They don’t feel like they’re going to work anyway.”

To back up his view, Macdonald makes up his own facts.

In fact, there is no evidence to support his claim that poor and working-class families relocate to Maine to receive benefits. It’s a myth that people move to Maine for TANF or GA. And the mayor should know better.

The reasons poor families move are similar to the reasons everyone moves: for work, safer communities to raise their children, and to be closer to family. Sometimes they are simply coming home.

Macdonald is spreading a hurtful and untrue accusation that is easily disproved.

Maine’s TANF benefits offer no incentive for someone to move to the state. For a family of three — usually a mom with two young children — Maine’s monthly TANF amount is just $485 per month, or about $16 per day to support a family.

That’s the lowest amount in New England and it hasn’t changed since 2001, despite substantial increases in the cost of living. The amount isn’t enough to lift people out of poverty, but instead acts as a temporary bridge as families work toward greater stability and financial security.

Pitting people against one another — into “us” versus “them” — is a strategy that politicians use all too often. No good comes from statements like: “It’s not fair that your kid goes to school and is denied an education because an out-of-stater misbehaves.”

With words like these, Macdonald creates an enemy to blame our problems on; implying that there are simple solutions to the challenges facing our communities. Suggesting that the solution to overcrowding in schools is to cut benefits so that “welfare-seeking families would move away when benefits disappeared” is ludicrous. It is an idea that has no basis in fact and only harms some of Maine’s most vulnerable children.

Instead, Mayor Macdonald should promote Lewiston as a community of possibilities, hope, safety and good public schools. It’s time to inspire investment in our families, our businesses and our community.

Sound public policy should be based on facts, not anecdotes, stereotypes or rhetoric.

Maine can only address the real causes of poverty when we understand what it looks like and how it impacts us all. Real solutions mean helping families find good jobs by giving them the temporary support they need to weather tough times and the tools to be successful in the workforce.

Here’s what we know about TANF. According to a 2010 survey, the median length of time Maine families spend on TANF is just 18 months. Additionally, 97 percent of TANF families have work experience and report having an average of three jobs during the past five years.

If we understand the facts, we can make meaningful improvements to anti-poverty programs and improve the lives of people who are struggling to get by.

Mayor MacDonald, there is no “us” and “them.”

We are one community, and we all share the common hope to provide a better life for our children, to help them get a quality education and to be successful in life.

Rachel Lowe lives in Auburn and is the recent past president of Maine Equal Justice Partners, a statewide, nonprofit civil legal aid and advocacy organization.

Lewiston Mayor Robert MacDonald apparently believes that there are two

kinds of kids going to school in Lewiston: good kids and poor kids.

During a public meeting last week MacDonald launched into an

anger-filled tirade. According to the Sun Journal, he called children

from poor families that need help from programs like General

Assistance (GA) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

“lazy in school.”

The next day, MacDonald continued his attacks, blaming everything from

school overcrowding to poor school outcomes on kids who come with

their families from “out of state because of our welfare generosity.”

In MacDonald’s opinion, “[t]hey could care less about going to school.

They don’t feel like they’re going to work anyway.”

To back up his view, MacDonald makes up his own facts.

In fact, there is no evidence to support his claim that poor and

working-class families relocate to Maine to receive benefits. It’s a

myth that people move to Maine for TANF or GA. And the mayor should

know better.

The reasons poor families move are similar to the reasons everyone

moves: for work, safer communities to raise their children, and to be

closer to family. Sometimes they are simply coming home.

MacDonald is spreading a hurtful and untrue accusation that is easily disproved.

Maine’s TANF benefits offer no incentive for someone to move to the

state. For a family of three – usually a mom with two young children –

Maine’s monthly TANF amount is just $485 per month, or about $16 per

day to support a family.

That’s the lowest amount in New England and it hasn’t changed since

2001, despite substantial increases in the cost of living. The amount

isn’t enough to lift people out of poverty, but instead acts as a

temporary bridge as families work toward greater stability and

financial security.

Pitting people against one another – into “us” versus “them” – is a

strategy that politicians use all too often. No good comes from

statements like: “It’s not fair that your kid goes to school and is

denied an education because an out-of-stater misbehaves.”

With words like these, MacDonald creates an enemy to blame our

problems on; implying that there are simple solutions to the

challenges facing our communities. Suggesting that the solution to

overcrowding in schools is to cut benefits so that “welfare-seeking

families would move away when benefits disappeared” is ludicrous. It

is an idea that has no basis in fact and only harms some of Maine’s

most vulnerable children.

Instead, Mayor MacDonald should promote Lewiston as a community of

possibilities, hope, safety and good public schools. It’s time to

inspire investment in our families, our businesses and our community.

Sound public policy should be based on facts, not anecdotes,

stereotypes or rhetoric.

Maine can only address the real causes of poverty when we understand

what it looks like and how it impacts us all. Real solutions mean

helping families find good jobs by giving them the temporary support

they need to weather tough times and the tools to be successful in the

workforce.

Here’s what we know about TANF. According to a 2010 survey, the median

length of time Maine families spend on TANF is just 18 months.

Additionally, 97 percent of TANF families have work experience and

report having an average of three jobs during the past five years.

If we understand the facts, we can make meaningful improvements to

anti-poverty programs and improve the lives of people who are

struggling to get by.

Mayor MacDonald, there is no “us” and “them.”

We are one community, and we all share the common hope to provide a

better life for our children, to help them get a quality education and

to be successful in life.

Rachel Lowe lives in Auburn and is the recent past president of Maine

Equal Justice Partners, a statewide, nonprofit civil legal aid and

advocacy organization.

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