2018-05-04-Update

2018-05-01

I never thought that I would see

I never thought that I would see

...when protecting the state’s treasury was more important than protecting the people.

We have a surplus income and we have an enormous rainy day fund yet 70,000 people are without health insurance. The money for that health insurance comes largely from the federal government which means that we have already paid in those funds to develop such programs. And yet for the cost of administering the program we have decided it is far more important to sacrifice the health and well being of 70,000 residents. That is more people then currently live in the state's largest city but they appear to be  expendable

I never thought that I would see

...when reducing the size of the state government was more important than the education of the state’s children.

The current administration feels the size of state government is too large. So the current administration has begun or continued to consistently reduce the size of government, effectively rendering it almost useless. When member of the Republican Party informs me that the reduction in staff in the Department of Education has led to the creation of a set of outside consultants who inherently cannot carry out the mission of the department, then then we have sacrificed the children of the state for a belief in small government.

I never thought that I would see

....when our extensive natural resources would become a mere pawn in the game of big industrial development.

The state is huge and has natural resources and natural beauty beyond most states, and yet we are willing to sacrifice this enormous coastline to explore for oil and gas, And at what cost? And at whose benefit?  To continue such exploration of oil off the coast of Maine is anathema to what we believe as Mainers.

I never thought that I would see

...when saving money was more important than preventing mental illness in youngsters

If our youth represent our futures, then we have not done our due diligence in providing them with a secure future.  We know that adolescents face mental illness challenges which are exacerbated by their very adolescence - it’s hard for an adolescent to ask for help.  But we have chosen to make them liable for the conditions they can not understand or control.

I never thought that I would see

…when it was more important to save a dollar than save a life.

Direct Care Providers will face a decrease in their wages on July 1 when the funding runs out.  The legislative actions of last week mean no legislation was passed to carry on that funding.  These are the people who care for senior citizens and the disabled - but perhaps they are all not worth saving. And all of those people who are victims of substance abuse disorder - well, the administration has pretty flatly stated that they are not worth the trouble to save.


And ironically, I don’t have good eyesight.  Such is life.  It doesn’t take good eyesight to have vision though, and the vision of the current administration is based on the stewardship of the few, the privileged, and not the stewardship of the people.  This administration has failed to care for the people.

In so many ways, I thought I was elected to do the people's work. It's difficult to do that when so many others work against the people.