>Everyone deserves the real stuff on their pancakes.

Unpopular opinion: I don't even like the real stuff! It's too watery and absorbs into the pancake. I prefer the thick, fake, corn syrupy stuff.

So someone is welcome to my share of deservedness.

We have Walrus? Walruses? Walri?

Looks like you are about to drive into the Nothing.

Yup. I even always try to do that "special hack" of snowblowing the snowbank about 100 yards before my driveway to keep the driveway from getting plowed in, but it never works.

I'll set the O/U line at 4.5 days

I was too so I had to Google it last week. Guess thats the downside of not watching the news!

Yeah, I like having a lawn that looks nice, where me and my kids can run around and play, and that also isn't infested with snakes and other vermin that can make their way into my house. Horrible.

Wicked good, bub.

The Jay Ballet?

Lol. Ahh the CPS paradox.

Families involved with CPS say we're involved too much, stealing kids for profit, and getting 10k per kid all along.

While the general public claims CPS isn't doing anything and never responds to reports.

Well, which is it?

As a former CPS worker who worked in "The system" I can assure you it is.

This comment is a joke.

I haven't worked for OCFS for almost 10 years, but was a caseworker for 8 years. What people don't understand about making reports and then claiming "nothing is done" is that may be due to an endless amount of factors.

OCFS may already be aware of the situation and involved in some capacity, or don't have enough in the report to open a case.

They may be trying to do something but aren't able to gather enough evidence I order to file protective petitions. CPS workers are trained how to interview in legally sound interviewing that is able to stand up in court. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to get a kid to say their parents abuse/neglect them, because even abused/neglected kids can still love their parents, or be terrified of saying something and getting into trouble.

They may have the evidence they think is necessary but the parents attorneys/Guardian ad Lietem/District Court Judge disagrees and the protection order is denied. OCFS can't make decision unilaterally. Parents get attorneys, children get attorneys, and Judges have opinions.

Number one of which includes how insanely overworked and understaffed the agency is. The job is IMPOSSIBLE. It's emotionally and mentally traumatic to the caseworkers. I had near crippling anxiety every single day at work for 8 years. You're constantly yelled at by parents and families for making up stuff and stealing kids and getting "10k bonuses for each kid we steal!", while simultaneously being scrutinized by the general public for not doing enough and not preventing every single child death in Maine.

On top of that, there aren't even enough Foster homes to put kids in that are removed. Caseworker have had to stay with kids in hotel rooms beciae of the lack of foster care home availability.

The public never hears or acknowledges the good stories of rehabilitation and reunification or adoptions. The latch on the sensational negative stories in the media and everyone's anecdotes of how DHHS never does anything.

Beyond that OCFS has massive employee turnover. They are constantly hiring young Social Workers fresh out of college, as their first job. It's brutal work for a 24/25 year old and they burn out, have breakdowns, and take their first opportunity to leave for another job like I did.

The only way to address every single report as thoroughly as possible, is to basically double the work force, pay caseworkers double what they make to make up for what a shit job it is to attract experienced SWs or retain the ones they have. But the general public would likely never be on board with this.

Thats my two cents

As a former CPS case worker, based on how overworked we all were, I absolutely believe this.

Been planning to head up to the county since 2017.

That being said, it'll probably be cloudy that day.

Yes. They would. Which would suck for fans and kids who like to catch the games as well as sports bars where people go to watch said games. Games that now start at 7 already end around 10pm, while NFL games go to 11pm. Shifting those back an hour would suck!

As I said, it's not a critical, society crumbling issue, but it certainly would make it difficult for folks that have to get up to go to work to follow their teams. That's all I'm pointing out.

Is it not an issue sports fans in Maine would have to deal with in this scenario? You might not care but there are people who do.

I was merely commenting that it woukd be an aspect of this type of change that I wouldn't enjoy.

Yeah, sporting events like baseball/hockey that typically start at 7pm would start at 8pm in that instance, not to mention prime time NFL games starting at 9pm. Not a huge deal in the big scheme of things but a pain in the ass for us sports fans that would make following teams a bit more difficult.

Edit: Yeah, I don't get the down votes for this comment. Is it not literally an issue sports fans in Maine would have to deal with? Why would someone downvoted that?

I've lived here all my life and in my 41 years I've only seen maybe 3-4 bears out and about.

They are hard to spot!

>by firing state workers(2-3,000) and consolidate schools.

Ahhh yes. As a state worker married to a teacher, I can't wait to go back to the days of fearing for our livelyhoods every contract year!

Sc-AWL-up.

This Sc-AL-up nonsense needs to end.