Dear Editor:

LePage's proposal (rule change 17-P) would eliminate eligibility for general assistance (GA). It denies our newest Mainers the only temporary financial support available. Hundreds of people living in our ME communities deserve this for food, shelter (rent) medical and other basic living needs.

LePage's response to this desperate situation: "We have billions of people in the world. We cannot afford to feed them all out of Maine. I am going to concentrate on Maine people before I start paying people from away." Mr. LePage, we are all in this together. We are all immigrants.

A public hearing is scheduled for January 31,2014, DHHS office, Augusta. For more information: alainemainepeoplesalliance.org.

Two strong young new Mainers living in Portland, Edna Thecla Akimana and Claudette Ndayininahaze were forced to flee their homeland in Burundi, a small, very poor African country. They had endured serious abuse and injustice, constant threats of kidnapping, torture and imprisonment.

Later a few family members scraped up enough money to come to America, join these women and settle in Portland where they were welcomed and given temporary assistance (GA), support and hope.

Now they face a new threat: Drastic cuts to their livelihood.

LePage's priority and proposal is not only inhumane, it also negatively impacts Maine's future economy. We need the immigrant infusion of foreign professional skills (e.g., those of doctors, lawyers, engineers) we need the immigrant sound sense of community spirit and their strong cultural identity.

Rather than negatively focus on eliminating support and temporary relief for immigrants, Gov. LePage might more wisely and humanely focus on welcoming and supporting new Mainers as best we can. Mr. LePage, we are all in this together. We are all immigrants.

Rather than relentlessly ferreting out fraud and abuse in our system, Mr. LePage might take stock and adjust his cops and robber mentality. He might ask: Now really, who is the abuser? Who is really the robber?

Rev. Bobsy Dudley-Thompson
Edgecomb