This is in response to the Jan. 19 editorial, “Medicaid expansion will save us money.”

I read that headline and said to myself, this doesn’t make sense. If expanding welfare to an additional 70,000 able-bodied young adults, for whom Medicaid was never intended, will save us money, just think of all the money we could save if everyone was on Medicaid welfare.

I then realized that is the exact goal of the socialist/Democrat Party. They prefer a single-payer system, even though that system has proven to be a failure and is bankrupting every country on Earth that has tried it (even Canada).

Maine’s generous welfare benefits have given this state the reputation of a welcoming welfare state that has attracted layabouts from other parts of the country. We must change that image, not add to it.

Mainers are starting to see through the proposed welfare increase. Medicaid was designed as a safety net for the neediest — the elderly, disabled and needy children. It was not designed as another entitlement program, open to able-bodied workers who can and should be a productive part of our communities.

Currently there are 3,100 of the neediest on a waiting list for Medicaid. They should be provided for before we start thinking about adding an additional 70,000 to the Medicaid welfare system.

The editorial asks the question “Who will foot the bill? Will we do it ourselves, or will we accept federal money to help.”

We Mainers are also the taxpayers and workers who pay into all those federal welfare systems. This country is broke. It is $17 trillion in debt, and to increase any spending without addressing how to reduce that debt is ridiculous. Does the spending increase make sense?

Somewhere, sometime, someone has to say, “Enough is enough.” Let’s stop spending money we don’t have.

We, each, need to take personal responsibility to help the truly needy in each community by volunteering time and money to worthwhile charities. But many people are tired of seeing the abuses of a government welfare system that doesn’t seem to care about how taxpayers’ money is spent. Until all those abuses are addressed, why should people give more money to any of those programs?

Let’s use common sense when taking that “free” money from the federal government for a program that is going to be unfunded after three years, or sooner.

I hope that the Maine Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage can think long term. Three years will go by quickly, and then Maine will be stuck with the bill for 70,000 additional welfare recipients on a state budget that is strained every year.

George Mathews, Auburn