Complaint Review: Town of Van Buren - Larry Cote - Van Buren Maine

It really frosts my as* to see welfare trash (comment #7, I believe) being able to use the internet (thanks to us taxpayers)!!!!! You, along with every other Welly out there, have absolutely NO RIGHT whatsoever!!!! Let me guess, you're on the web at the library.......DOUBT IT! I guarantee you have Safelink or something similar (free phone with 200 free minutes monthly) thanks to to the government. Oh, I just saw a commercial the other day advertising internet service available to the welly's for $30.00 a month! Wtf?! How is that fair to the PROUD hard working taxpayers that have to PAY for internet service etc.....I'm done because I'm fired up! Ta-Ta for now ~ SCUM BAGS GET A JOB! HAVE SOME PRIDE!!!!!

i don't know who the jerk is that wrote this article blaming less fortunate people and younger people for the town of van buren being sucky but instead of just sitting around and being quick to judge people for having speakers and radios in their vehicles in a place that sounds like it never had much going on anyway u should appreciate that not all of the younger people have moved away yet and u could still find a solution to creating jobs or something. apply for government grant money or something. yes that still is kind of like welfare but it sounds like your town needs the help so there's nothing wrong with getting it if it's needed. roy probably isn't even from van buren and is probably just there for his retirement and if he doesn't like it he should go back to his own state

I would like to say first that I think everyone has made a good point individually and collectively. This is the system and the world that we as people have created and live in. The current system takes from some and gives to others. Though Maine may be a leader in both taking as well as handing out, you can see this going on all across the nation and all over the world. As long as we live under the current system there will always be those in control that take more or less than others and those that give more or less than others. That is the basic nature of man, some are takers and some are givers.

No one benefits when we shift blame. Everyone can benefit if we shift focus. Let's stop shifting the blame of who's doing things wrong and start shifting our focus on how to do things right! This is a great little town full of oppurtunity for those that seek it. Let's work together to find, and create, new oppurtunities ourselves without relying on those "in charge". Let's make this a tight-knit community with virtually no crime and a lot of promise for our children and future generations. We have an amazing oppurtunity to work together and make something great happen here. Let's not squander that chance by wasting time being concerned about what's going wrong and let's start making it go right!!

B.

Good Day

All this talk about Van Buren being a "Welfare Land" ,as Roy so nicely put it, just makes me upset. Yes it true that Van Buren has it rough. Its safe to say that this town has put itself in a hole that is almost impossible to get out of...ALMOST being the keyword. What we need is fresh ideas, motivation and more caring people. Its great to see that people love to bash the very town they live in instead of finding some way to help. Im 23 yrs old and yes i have foodstamps that come in my name every month. But still i think of ways to help. If not myself then maybe my children or maybe even your children. you know........the low-life white trash from all over maine with their boombox blaring while speeding. How over the top is that. We have people in The town office who think that way and think of the future of this town the same. The only thing im asking for is HELP! Help me Help you.If not step aside and let me help you so you can help me, since i care more. Thats right. Let me run for town office and let me have a say. Nomore bashing this town. Its time to Make a change. Presindent Obama said it first, "Its time for a change and Yes we change" and yes i will.

Yours truly   (for office)

maine is and always will be a welfare state. why bust my hump 40 hours a week to make 150 dollars or 10 some weeks when i can just sit on my butt 40 hours a week and go out to the atm to see if ssi and welfare is in and only have to walk a quarter mile or better yet take a cab. lets see. 1000 dollars a month from the state or 100 bucks a week for dirty hands. ill take the state income and btw if more towns had public transportation they could generate some income back instead of people paying 350 for a cab ride. i could ride the bus for 50 cents and we would both win

I don't see why Van Buren should be singled out as a "welfare town". The state of Maine has the most generous welfare in the nation, and also the number one tax burden in the nation. Instead of going after the town, why don't you put the blame where it really lies? The liberal state government we have. No one in the nation pays more taxes than we do in Maine, and that is a fact. Welfare and workers comp laws are among the most generous in the entire nation, and every day, people who live in mass. and other states that are kicked off welfare move here, and stay. It is a fact that here in Maine, you can make more money on food stamps and welfare if you have kids than working $9 an hour. On election day, we had the chance to change that. A wonderful taxpayer bill of rights was on the ballot, that would've limited spending to no more than the rate of inflation, but voters rejected it. The voters of the state also re elected a failing governor who raised taxes sky high after promising not to raise them. A pack of cigarettes is now over six dollars in the state of Maine. You wanted Baldacci, you got what you voted for. If you don't like the welfare towns in Maine, may I suggest then that you look at your ballot more carefully next time you go vote, and vote these liberals out. It's sad that here in Maine there are many generations of families that have lived on welfare all their life, and never worked. Why should they? They would take a loss to go to work. I do not feel bad for the people of this state, who rejected TABOR, and re elected Baldacci. You got what you voted for. Go around and look at the rest of the state, then tell me that just Van Buren is the problem. Been to Lewiston, Auburn, Bangor, Portland? Been to the supermarkets around the state lately? At least half the people use food stamps.

Wow I see nothing has changed since I left Van Buren sometime ago. You are all still putting blame on each other but nothing is being fixed. Growing up in Van Buren I watch as the town went down the drain so to speak so I left to find better elsewhere. I moved back to be close to family 6 years back with my young son at the time. I didn't stay very long as Van Buren offered nothing for my son and the education was not what I wanted for him. Van Buren offered nothing for me as a single mom except handouts which is not what I wanted to instill on my son. You should earn what you have, not have it given to you. As for Foodstamps WIC ect... Most people would not be in such need of them if towns like Van Buren offered more to the people who lived there like more jobs coming in, less taxes and better education. You should look to the youths living there and offer more to them instead of taking from them for ex:Programs that offered something to thier skills or anything like a skatboarding place where they can be watched and hang out to not cause "trouble" in town. I now live near Portland and have yet to be on Welfare and but I also see how angry people get when the town adds divercity but then again it offers my son alot more then Van Buren ever will so there will be no moving back there for me and for the ones holding public office in Van Buren HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT? You want to work with the town that has voted you in the make it a workable enviroment.

Hello Jerry I don,t know who you are but would like to point out that I never said any info written was not true. I think you jumped the gun and asumed I was the same Mike that wrote the other letter. Further more I don't really care what the Gov. says about Van Buren I live here and allthough we have our problems it still is a wonderfull place to live. Maybe you should try living in a place like Phila. awhile then you would appriciate what we have. I know what its like there I grew up in that city full of deceit and murder. Also the point I was making is its about time we stop fighting and start working together to solve our problem, and help each other. Since I have lived here we have been threw at least 5 town managers in about 15 years and there wasn't one better then the other some had different ways of doing things , but none made it because no one would work with them. If the people will not put forth good honest effort without trying to condem someone nothing will inprove

Dear Michael Giangiordano, With all due respect to you. I read the above comments and they are actually true. Of course, I guess you must think that the US Census is providing false information. The newspaper in Bangor even ran an item about Van Buren being the poorest town in Maine and Maine is on the bottom of the list for the United States. Well Michael Giangiordano, doesn't this mean that the Town of Van Buren Maine is one of the poorest locations in the United States? I've driven through there about every week and it gets a little worse all the time. Mr. Michael Giangiordano, I think the reason that the Town of Van Buren, Maine is in the poor shape it is in now is that the political leaders in Van Buren, and in Maine, have allowed the state to become a mess, yet the voters seem to elect the same old idiots every election. So the Town of Van Buren Maine and other places get worse and worse and worse. High taxes, no jobs and poor education equal the state of life in Maine. Mr. Michael Giangiordano, the Town of Van Buren also has one of the higest rates of people on Food Stamps and welfare in the United States. Mr. Michael Giangiordano, I guess ALL of this information is a bunch of lies! Right? As far as the Town of Van Buren Song goes, I think it is funny. You should relax a little bit. As for everything else, isn't there a saying "God helps those who help themselves"? I don't think God was referring to helping those get on Food Stamps and welfare. The Town of Van Buren Maine and other communities in Maine need to kick the rotten leaders out of office on election day. We need some new leaders in Maine to get jobs and reduce taxes. The idiots who are running things now have turned Maine into one of the biggest jokes in the United States. VOTE FOR A CHANGE THIS NOVEMBER!

I don't no who wrote this letter but they better relize the blessings the good Lord has put upon them. they better start being thankfull to God for what they have in this world. the fact that they consider the lest fortunate to be white trash is disheartening. We must remember what the good Lord came to earth died and rose to glory for.We must stop thinking because our worldly blessings amount to more then others that we are better then them. Just reading a letter like this written in such poor taste or concern for the feelings of others is very disturbing. I think the author of this letter better stop and look at there life. He better wonder and think hard what he would do if he became disabled or found himself down and out. Would you like to be looked upon like you do others.Lets learn to stop throughing stones and step up to help the situations in this town. Thank GOD for the blessings in your life and learn to share them with others. "Proverbs 28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse". We in this wonderfull little town better open our eyes to what is inportant in life.Lets start fresh and buid this town back for the glory of GOD and be a blessing for all thanks Pastor Michael Giangiordano