Workers need respect

I can’t believe that of all the programs in Maine, there is not one that will financially help a working person who gets hurt and cannot work for a while. They will give you medical and food stamps, but these don’t pay our bills. If you don’t have children you don’t stand a chance. At least with a child you have access to the welfare system. This isn’t fair and it isn’t right. Working people work all their lives and pay in Social Security. Yet Social Security says unless your injury can keep you out of work for at least a year we can’t help you.

This is the money we have paid in that they are saying we can’t use. The people who run this state forget that the working person pays taxes to the state. These taxes help build roads, bridges and basically run the state. What does this state do for us if we get hurt off the job and can’t work for awhile? Nothing. They sit and watch you lose everything because you are injured and cannot work until you are healed. Most of us working folks have never asked the state for anything. We have worked all our lives. The least they can do is help us. It is time to change a few laws and respect the working person a little bit.

Carol Adams

Caribou