GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending on t

A fine example of Republican hypocrisy OR "if you guys are for it, we're against it - no matter how much we used to say we were for it"

GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending on tobacco, liquor, lottery

AUGUSTA, Maine — A surreal reversal in the Maine Senate on Monday saw majority Democrats advance a bill to ban the use of welfare dollars for alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets, gambling and bail, while Republicans voted against the clampdown — despite having originally supported it.

The move by Democrats, who narrowly approved the bill 18-17 Monday night, is an attempt to blunt Republicans’ attack line that they aren’t serious about welfare reform. Members of the GOP have advocated for wholesale reform of a system they consider too generous.

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Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

I would assume that the Republican position would be that they wanted the budgets of the Welfare programs cut, not just to have a handful of products banned from purchase.

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

Somerville said:

A fine example of Republican hypocrisy OR "if you guys are for it, we're against it - no matter how much we used to say we were for it"

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Although to be far this was a matter of self interest too. Many Republican need welfare to support their vices and the money for bail.

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

tlmorg02 said:

I would assume that the Republican position would be that they wanted the budgets of the Welfare programs cut, not just to have a handful of products banned from purchase.

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Yes the Governor and the Republican minority in the state legislature have tried that also but the specific bill passed by the Dems was almost word for word the same as one proposed previously by the Repubs.

It began with a report from the Governor's office that too much of the cash being withdrawn using the state-issued welfare debit cards was coming out of ATMs found in liquor stores and smoke shops. Without any proof that the cash withdrawn was being used to purchase items on the No Buy list - likely but not proven.

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

It's probably the same situation as when the Republicans wanted to undo the provision in NIH funding thest pays for Democrats and Republicans political conventions. The Dems claimed it was a "bandaid" that wouldn't really help anything. In this case, it sounds like "the bill doesn't go far enough" in much the same way.

But if you feel this is proof that Republicans are only against Democrats and not any reform, consistency mandates you agree that Democrats would rather have lavish hotel rooms than help cure childhood cancer.

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

Gonzo Rodeo said:

It's probably the same situation as when the Republicans wanted to undo the provision in NIH funding thest pays for Democrats and Republicans political conventions. The Dems claimed it was a "bandaid" that wouldn't really help anything. In this case, it sounds like "the bill doesn't go far enough" in much the same way.

But if you feel this is proof that Republicans are only against Democrats and not any reform, consistency mandates you agree that Democrats would rather have lavish hotel rooms than help cure childhood cancer.

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I have no idea what you are saying here. Where have you heard that there was funding in the NIH's annual budget which has gone to pay for political conventions?

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

Somerville said:

Yes the Governor and the Republican minority in the state legislature have tried that also but the specific bill passed by the Dems was almost word for word the same as one proposed previously by the Repubs.

It began with a report from the Governor's office that too much of the cash being withdrawn using the state-issued welfare debit cards was coming out of ATMs found in liquor stores and smoke shops. Without any proof that the cash withdrawn was being used to purchase items on the No Buy list - likely but not proven.

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Well, this is an election year and it would not serve to have the Democrats be tough on welfare now would it?

In regards to the evidence cited in regards to the ATM use in liquor stores, has anyone looked at the ATM availability in those areas? Perhaps the people in those communities lacked access to other ATM locations? Just asking.

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

tlmorg02 said:

Well, this is an election year and it would not serve to have the Democrats be tough on welfare now would it?

In regards to the evidence cited in regards to the ATM use in liquor stores, has anyone looked at the ATM availability in those areas? Perhaps the people in those communities lacked access to other ATM locations? Just asking.

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Yeah, it actually was a problem in some of the smaller communities. If you haven't been to Maine, it is difficult to understand how a state that has seen European settlement for nearly 400 years can have so much wilderness remaining. In fact there are areas away from the coast that are less populated today than they were a 100 years ago.

The island where we have a summer cottage now has only 300 people living there in the winter. A 100 years ago, the population was large enough to support two high schools and four elementary schools. Probably 90% of today's population have a family connection going back more than 100 years. When we bought the cottage in 2010, we were the first owners not descended from the man who built the place in 1865. One of the carpenters who worked on the restoration is named for his ancestor who arrived on the island in 1765.

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

Somerville said:

A fine example of Republican hypocrisy OR "if you guys are for it, we're against it - no matter how much we used to say we were for it"

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Maine's senate. Geez, here I thought it was something important. Maine is in a world of their own anyway. The Republicans up there are of the old type Rockefeller Republicans. Still, it makes no sense to me to oppose something something like this.

Then what's with all the blue block outs of the article after the third sentence? Does one have to apply to the freedom of information act to read more than three sentences of the story.

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

Somerville said:

I have no idea what you are saying here. Where have you heard that there was funding in the NIH's annual budget which has gone to pay for political conventions?

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The Gabriella Miller bill. 102 House Dems voted against it, citing it didn't go far enough, only spending money more wisely as opposed to spending, well, more.

Their argument is that the Republicans gutted NIH funding with the sequester... which was bipartisan. So, does this mean Democrats would rather languish in luxury at the expense of kids with cancer? They did vote against the provision, after all...

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

Gonzo Rodeo said:

The Gabriella Miller bill. 102 House Dems voted against it, citing it didn't go far enough, only spending money more wisely as opposed to spending, well, more.

Their argument is that the Republicans gutted NIH funding with the sequester... which was bipartisan. So, does this mean Democrats would rather languish in luxury at the expense of kids with cancer? They did vote against the provision, after all...

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Sorry but you misunderstand the situation. The money was not taken from the NIH. The funding for the national political conventions came directly from taxpayers who had ticked a box on their tax returns for that specific purpose. Republicans had gutted NIH funding thru the sequester. This was an attempt, which has succeeded by the way, to restore some of the funding to the NIH by changing the convention funding to pediatric care research.

Yes, 102 Dems voted against the bill for the reason you stated which was as various blogs wrote, for political reasons. One Republican also voted against the bill. It was signed into law by the President last week

Re: GOP reverses course after Senate Democrats advance bill banning welfare spending

Somerville said:

Sorry but you misunderstand the situation. The money was not taken from the NIH. The funding for the national political conventions came directly from taxpayers who had ticked a box on their tax returns for that specific purpose. Republicans had gutted NIH funding thru the sequester. This was an attempt, which has succeeded by the way, to restore some of the funding to the NIH by changing the convention funding to pediatric care research.

Yes, 102 Dems voted against the bill for the reason you stated which was as various blogs wrote, for political reasons. One Republican also voted against the bill. It was signed into law by the President last week

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I understand the situation completely. Dems vote against redirecting money to kids with cancer, and this is understood as politicking with no real impact. I understand that, and I agree.

I also understand that Republicans voting against proposed Dem reforms to welfare amounts to the same thing. However, partisan Dems seem to think this just means Republicans must necessarily be against any kind of progress if it comes from a Democrat.

Therein lies the double standard.

I should probably explain that the "other" in my political affiliation box should really say "they all suck pretty equally".