“It is just obvious that you can’t have open borders and a welfare state.” So said Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman.

Yet, right here in Maine, according to DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew, our government encourages that practice by paying more than $1 million per year in welfare benefits to nearly 1,000 illegal immigrants, most of whom live in Portland.

If the people of Portland want to give welfare payments to illegal immigrants, that’s very generous of them. They should not, however, expect hardworking taxpayers across Maine to pay for it, especially when many of the most needy Mainers are currently stuck on waiting lists and the nursing homes are underfunded.

One hopes that this is an issue that both Republicans and Democrats could agree on. Unfortunately, as always, big government politicians  —who say “no” to every attempt to reform our broken welfare system — are fighting tooth-and-nail to continue sending Maine tax dollars to illegal immigrants.

If these politicians won’t even agree that illegal immigrants shouldn’t receive welfare payments, how can they be expected to tackle the deeper issues of welfare abuse in Maine?

Perhaps those Augusta politicians see welfare abuse in the same manner as Maine Democrat Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Jeff McCabe, who recently remarked that welfare abuse is a “victimless crime.”

Welfare abuse is not a “victimless crime.” The victims are every single working Mainer who pays taxes to pay for that nonsense.

It is time to put an end to that wasteful use of the public’s tax dollars.

Eric Brakey, Auburn