By Sen. Troy Jackson
(D-Allagash)
Legislators have a responsibility to ensure that tax dollars are being spent wisely and that they are used for the good of the hard working people of Maine, especially in tough times when we have to stretch every dollar.
Unfortunately, Governor LePage has decided to let ideology and politics get in the way of making good decisions. In November, we learned the Governor had awarded a no-bid, one million dollar contract to review Maine’s Medicaid system to the Alexander Group, a consulting firm run by Gary Alexander. While working for the state of Pennsylvania, Alexander was best known for spending $20,000 of taxpayer money on a new flagpole outside his office and eliminating healthcare coverage for nearly 90,000 children.
He is a vocal opponent of increasing access to healthcare, and yet the Governor hired him to conduct a study on the benefits of healthcare expansion in Maine. Even more galling, Mr. Alexander was supposed to turn in his first report on December 1, and missed this deadline by more than two weeks.
To me, the question is simple: why should taxpayers foot the bill for a study that will only reinforce what the Governor already believes? Is this really the best way to spend $1 million?
We could spend $1 million to provide property tax relief for Maine homeowners. While the Legislature was able to restore most of the Governor’s proposed cuts to towns and cities, many homeowners are still struggling.
Temperatures have been in the single digits across Maine, and we’re not even half way through the winter. We could spend $1 million on fuel assistance for needy families to help them keep their homes warm during these cold winter months.
On Dec. 28, 3,500 Mainers lost their unemployment benefits. We could spend $1 million providing job training programs to them and the thousands of other Mainers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
Instead, the Governor believed the best use for $1 million was to pay one of his friends to tell him what he already believes.
That may be the most disappointing part of the Alexander contract: it is yet another ploy for the Governor to deny and delay health care for 70,000 Maine people.
Accepting the federal government’s deal to expand access to health care would ensure health coverage for nearly 70,000 of our friends and neighbors – including 3,000 veterans. In the last legislative session, the Legislature twice passed a bill to accept this deal and both times the Governor vetoed it.
Later this month, we will have another opportunity for the governor to join us and accept the federal government’s deal. No matter what Gary Alexander says, I hope the Governor will join us and ensure 70,000 of our neighbors have access to the care they need.
