In the news

In response to the growth in food stamp dependence, Maine’s governor, Paul LePage, recently established work requirements on recipients who are without dependents and able-bodied. In Maine, all able-bodied adults without dependents in the food stamp program are now required to take a job, participate in training, or perform community service.
Job openings for lower-skill workers are abundant in Maine, and for those ABAWD recipients who cannot find immediate employment, Maine offers both training and community service slots. But despite vigorous outreach efforts by the government to encourage participation, most childless adult recipients in Maine refused to participate in training or even to perform community service for six hours per week. When ABAWD recipients refused to participate, their food stamp benefits ceased.
In the first three months after Maine’s work policy went into effect, its caseload of able-bodied adults without dependents plummeted by 80 percent, falling from 13,332 recipients in Dec. 2014 to 2,678 in March 2015.

Might be on to something in Maine.


ZALEC, Slovenia, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- A town in Slovenia announced it is moving forward with plans to build a nearly $400,000 fountain that dispenses drinkable local beers.
The Zalec town council voted with a two-thirds majority to move ahead with plans for the tourist attraction, which is being heralded as Europe's first beer fountain.

Obviously a socialist idea as they are not charging for the drink.