Maine is a large state by size... largest of the New England States by area, and bigger than the other five New England states combined, but we are a small state by population--in the bottom 5-6 nationally. But, with only 1.3 million people, we sure do have our share of government corruption and over-reach, especially with in our "Department of Health & Human Services" (DHHS)-- which is our equivalent of most State's "Child Protection" services (CPS.) Maine is a beautiful state, but there are way too many liberals in the southern third of our territory--which is basically Massachusetts North, in terms of liberal values, and where over two-thirds of our population resides.
For a small population, we sure have had our share of high-profile CPS-(DHHS)-related scandals in recent years, and our share of avoidable deaths, as well, of children in State custody. I've written about a couple of these in these pages, recently. I am loathe to "tattle" on my own state, especially, as a former friend of mind has been Governor the past eight years, but the interplay between our State DHHS and fraudulent financial shenanigans typical of CPS departments in other states, is worth mentioning, only if it points out the enormous pressures even "conservatives" people (like my former friend, Governor Paul LePage) can slip into when forced to deal with the CPS/DHHS milieu.
Consider this article in our second-largest circulation daily (a liberal bastion that dominates the "other two-thirds of Maine," but doesn't ever really reflect our conservative values):
https://bangordailynews.com/2011/08/12/opinion/dhhs-hidden-camera-captures-more-buzz-than-sting/
The good people at Project Veritas sent it a guy to try to scam his way onto our State "Mainecare" rolls, and he nearly gets through, even though he makes it clear he is supposedly importing drugs to Maine on his private yacht, "The Bob Marley." The article is laughable on one level, but scary on another, because it does show the distinct lack of training (and basic intelligence) that people seem to have received that are supposed to be the gate keepers of our slim expendable state funds.
Governor LePage is lucky this didn't pan out as hoped , because though he was once a friend, he immediately cut ties with myself and Maine's true conservatives, and was co-opted by the Maine Heritage Policy Center (our Heritage Foundation, NEOCONSERVATIVE, unit/branch) the moment he was elected. A real conservative would have cut way back on the DHHS at all levels, and would have made sure those few employees that were kept were not this dull.
(Governor Paul LePage, former friend.)
However, Paul shines through as even more manipulated by MHPC in this article, also from the Bolshevik Dorogoy Novosty (aka, Bangor Daily News.) Check it out:
This article deals with (for-sure, though so-far-unproven) LePage-directed misappropriation of federal funds, intended to benefit different groups of under-privileged than where the funds, apparently actually ended up:
"The available evidence shows that DHHS’ changes haven’t made low-income families better off. A LePage administration analysis from last year showed that two-thirds of those who lost TANF-funded assistance continued to lack employment and that those who were working were earning poverty-level wages. Other research has shown that many families plunged into homelessness."
Make no mistake about it, this has MHPC (Heritage Foundation) "advice" to LePage written all over it, and while I can certainly understand the temptation to misappropriate federal funds, for cutting into state deficits, etc., I would suggest that a true conservative would just stop accepting unwarranted SOCIALIST "grants" from THE TAXPAYERS to begin with. Those who argue otherwise seem to think that federal funds fall from trees in Washington, D.C., when the reality, of course, is that state taxpayers still pay for it in one way or another, through WAY-TOO-DRACONIAN federal taxation.
(The Koch Brothers...the neoconservative force behind the Heritage Foundation and the MHPC.)
These two examples are just two recent ones of how Maine DHHS is definitely an out-of-control fiscal bottomless pit, that needs to be trimmed to a bare skeleton of what it currently is (i.e. the largest state employer--having recently surpassed our famous ship maker--Bath Iron Works--, and the largest piece, BY FAR, of state spending.) It is as massive and omnipotent v.v. Maine families after eight years of a "conservative" Governor, as ever, and that is thoroughly unconscionable, especially as we have just elected a very corrupt liberal Democrat to replace LePage, who will, undoubtedly, only make things much worse.
Again, we need to truly REINVENT government, by going back to what works (and to what we were bequeathed)--a non-socialist and Constitutional laissez-faire government that gets out of the way, and lets markets (and people) work out their own profits, sustainable lifestyles, and family-child protection issues.