My husband and I are hard-working individuals who work 40 to 50 hours a week, yet we struggle financially. In Lewiston, people on welfare get free food, free housing, free medical and lots of money to use, however they wish. That is ridiculous. People on welfare should not get cash.

The Lewiston City Council has stated that current asylum seekers can be on welfare indefinitely. Are members of the council out of their minds?

Residents are taxed to death in Maine and the councilors want to spend money educating residents on why they should pay for trash removal? Lewiston property taxes are outrageous and residents continue to lose things such as spring clean-up; plus there is the rain tax.

Maine is now the welfare state and Lewiston the welfare city. It’s all insane. There are so many new children coming into the schools that new schools must be built, bringing higher taxes.

There are plenty of jobs in Maine, but people have to want to work. I am not talking about hard-working people who have lost their jobs to overseas companies. Those people will find jobs and get back to work.

I understand the plight of the asylum seekers, but many Mainers have had huge tragedies and do not expect to be supported by the taxpayers the rest of their lives. Bravo to the asylum seekers who are not on welfare and are contributing to the tax base of Lewiston and the state of Maine.

Jeanne Martin, Lewiston

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