Politics

Your Vote 2014

For MPBN's Your Vote 2014 live election results, click here.MPBN’s elections compendium is brought to you by AARP, MEMIC and Lambert Coffin.Debates:Click here to watch the 1st Congressional District debateClick here to watch the 2nd Congressional District debateClick here to watch the Senate debateClick here to watch the gubernatorial debateResources:Gubernatorial Race: GridPaul LePage (R)Mike Michaud (D): Profile, Maine Calling interviewEliot Cutler (I): Maine Calling interviewSenate Race: GridSusan Collins (R): Profile, Maine Calling interviewShenna Bellows (D): Profile, Maine Calling interview1st District Congressional Race: GridChellie Pingree (D): Profile, Maine Calling interviewIsaac Misiuk (R): Profile, Maine Calling interviewRichard Murphy (I): Profile, Maine Calling interview2nd District Congressional Race: GridEmily Cain (D): Profile, Maine Calling interviewBruce Poliquin (R): Profile, Maine Calling interviewBlaine Richardson (I): Profile, Maine Calling interviewFor a list of referendum questions, click here.

Independent Cutler Outlines Welfare Overhaul Ideas

Maine Public | By Associated Press

Published August 27, 2014 at 1:07 PM EDT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) _ Independent candidate Eliot Cutler's multi-part plan for overhauling Maine's welfare system includes requiring some former recipients with jobs to pay back a part of their income to support early childhood care.

Cutler said that people who received benefits for more than 18 months and make at least three times the poverty level would for a few years have to pay a percentage of their taxable income back to the state.

Among other ideas is creating a tiered system so benefits are lowered over time when someone gets a job, instead of immediately cut off.

Cutler, who's in a race with Republican Gov. Paul LePage and Democrat Mike Michaud, also outlines efforts to root out fraud and abuse, like limiting how much cash recipients can withdraw from ATMs.