MaineCare shortfall poses difficult decisions

To the editor:
    What to do?
    The commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is attempting, with the support of Governor LePage, to address and correct ongoing structural problems within her department. They have come to the Legislature seeking the changes necessary to solve the yearly budget shortfall created by DHHS.
    Members of the Legislature have heard from constituents across our state both in support of the proposed changes and against. Supporters want to see that their tax dollars are not being wasted, while opponents cite challenges created by cuts to the public assistance they receive or to the programs they administer.
    It is not without feeling that my colleagues and I hear of their hardships, but the question still remains, “What to do?”
    The Department of Education is the number-one cost expenditure within state government, followed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Do we seek cuts to education to cover the shortfall created by years of mismanagement and unsustainable expansion within DHHS? Should we raise taxes on hard-working Mainers who are already struggling to keep food on their tables and heat their homes?
    I believe the answer remains in addressing the core problem. We have a MaineCare system that should never have been expanded beyond what the state can afford. By expanding MaineCare, the funds necessary to assist our neediest citizens have been depleted. We can no longer pretend there is nothing wrong, as has been the practice for many years. It is our job as legislators to make the hard decisions to ensure that benefits for those most in need remain in place.
    You can be sure that members of the Appropriations Committee, along with leadership from both chambers, are working together with the commissioner of DHHS and the Governor’s Office to present a balanced budget that will be fair and necessary.
    Thank you for your patience and support.
Rep. Rick Long
(R-Sherman)
District 9