Never would'a thunk. Very disturbing.

Dickens created characters like Oliver and Joe (in "Bleak House&quot to highlight the plight of the poor in "workhouse" era Britain. He regularly lampooned the sadistic, the hypocrites and the "Scrooges" and Uriah Heaps of the world.
So yes, he would have loved LePage, to model as the next character to be universally hated in his next novel.

LePlague and Mary Mayhem have been driving dhhs into the ground from day 1

and make him decide whether he should turn the thermostat down to 50 degrees or have enough money for medication.

Michigan has decided to cut food stamps to the elderly and disabled across the board. Why?

Certainly not because food is cheaper...and not because this population has suddenly gotten an increase in Social Security, which it won't, for the 3rd time this decade.

No, the state of Michigan cannot figure out how to raise taxes on the poor, so it's cutting the lifeline, instead.

and continue the LePage legacy.

(and IIRC she's a Democrat)

What's she going to run on? All she has is failure.

The populace re-elected him even after a disastrous first term. The overpowering desire for "no taxes" seems to overcome common sense.

He was elected twice because each time, there was a 3-way race. The "independent" candidate siphoned off just enough of the Democratic vote so that LePage was able to squeak it out. Actually in 2010 there were 4 candidates, and LePage was elected with only 38% of the vote. In 2014, LePage got 48% of the vote. So he's been elected twice in spite of the fact that the majority of voters voted against him!

teachings of feeding the poor. What a piece of shit.

This pisses me off. SNAP is funded by the federal government. Why should states be able to screw it up?

The Federal Gov't gives the $$ to the state & then backs off, leaving the state to decide how to use it, within certain guidelines. LePage is NOT following the guidelines (one problem), but given the current political climate, if the Federal Gov't said "you're screwing this up - we'll take it from here!" that would be reported as an unconstitutional power-grab, and give FOX about a week of good anti-Federal Gov't, Anti-Obama talking points.

Massachusetts is close by (ME was originally PART of MA, btw) and seems to do a pretty good job with their social safety net. That's the state I'd nominate, if it were up to me (which, of course , it is decidedly NOT!)

36th out of 53 states??!! Assuming Puerto Rico to be the 51st (although it's really a territory, not a state), and I guess maybe Guam is 52. Who, what or where is #53??

Puerto Rico, Guam and DC are the most likely culprits when running across the truncated '53 states'; and also, not all states are states-- four are commonwealths.

... I know Massachusetts and Virginia are commonwealths, but what are the other two again?

Furthermore the name Commonwealth is just another name for State. A State calling itself a Commonwealth means nothing different that a State calling itself a State.

Technically a Commonwealth relies on the Common Law, except where the State legislature has passed Statutes changing the law. On the other hand a State relies on such passed Statutes as its primary law, but in areas of the law where no Statutes have been enacted, the Common Law prevails.

In the real world there is no difference, the Common Law prevails unless a statute replaced it in both a State or Commonwealth.

LePage himself doesn't look as if he's missed too many meals. How does one justify having a nice, full tummy, and plenty of extras tucked away in the larder, while denying basic sustenance to one's citizens? Good grief!


ps to Greg: Pennsylvania's a commonwealth.

but 47 other governors are doing better than LePage even with Obama.

So that excuse does not fly.

That look just reminds me of Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life". He's a scurvy spider. Ugh!