Gov. Paul LePage’s actions speak louder than his words.
The current Republican legislators and Gov. LePage have demonstrated common sense. Maine promised care to the needy who are unable to care for themselves. That funding was increased. Welfare fraud was addressed. Additional nursing home reimbursement was needed but was blocked by Democrats.
States were urged by the Affordable Care Act to enact a wider Medicaid eligibility. According to several reports, deficits in Medicaid expansions in Rhode Island and Arkansas are estimated to be in the millions, and in California, more than a billion. That appears to be only the beginning. Maine Republicans were very wise in resisting the several Democrat attempts to accept the federal program.
LePage should be judged by what he has accomplished. He has made mistakes, but he succeeded in paying the long-term debt owed to hospitals, which previous Democratic legislatures had accrued. His policies have created thousands of private sector jobs. Maine’s unemployment is lower than the national average. Several thousand low-income citizens have been exempted from paying Maine income taxes, previously being taxed unjustifiably at the maximum rate.
Occasional rough talk from LePage has received frequent emphasis by the liberal press. They have ignored his more important comments and have not given him full credit for the improvements he has made. His detractors have front page headlines and the governor’s side of the story is buried in the articles.
LePage’s cleanup of the waste in state government will continue.
Thomas Shields, Auburn
Send questions/comments to the editors.
