If you a Maine worker, teacher, childcare provider, retired, disabled, unemployed, underemployed, chronically ill, or otherwise limited, review the following legislation passed by the 125th Maine legislature before choosing your candidate in the upcoming 2014 Gubernatorial election. The details are in the R’s:

• LD 1913 sponsored by Rep. Andre Cushing (R-Hampden) Workers Compensation legislation to reduce access and benefits to severely injured Maine workers. This bill passed.

• LD 1725 sponsored by Rep. Chris Rector (R-Thomaston) designed to weaken the unemployment system and penalize laid-off workers. Passed in amended form.

• LD 1894 sponsored by Sen. Earl McCormick (R-West Gardiner) repealed bargaining rights of home-based childcare providers caring for children in the state-paid childcare program. This bill passed.

• LD 1207 sponsored by Rep. Dale Crafts (R-Lisbon) sought to eliminate overtime and minimum wage requirements, and eliminate the ability to organize for workers in egg processing sweatshops in Maine like the DeCoster egg farm. This bill passed amended.

I’m writing today to encourage support for Governor LePage’s proposal to use revenues from the state’s liquor sales to pay off the debt Maine owes its hospitals.  

Most of the hospitals in Maine are small, rural facilities that not only provide most of the health care in their region but are frequently the largest employers in their counties. Lincoln County Healthcare includes two hospitals, St. Andrews in Boothbay Harbor, and Miles Memorial in Damariscotta. These are very challenging times for small health care providers. Over the last two years, our organization has reduced is services and laid off employees in order to remain financially sustainable. Service reductions and layoffs have happened in many, if not most, of the hospitals in Maine. Meanwhile, the state owes these organizations a total of approximately $450 million for services rendered. 

Maine’s hospitals are committed to providing the highest level of care for all patients, regardless of ability to pay. The State’s debt to hospitals reflects services that were provided to MaineCare enrollees between 2009-2012, but were never paid by MaineCare. Just as it would in any business, this debt has placed a tremendous strain on hospital budgets that are already burdened by the challenging economy.

“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine, Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” – II Timothy 4:3.

The media tells us that America’s #1 problem is the Economy.

But I happen to believe, with my limited wisdom, that our #1 problem is the Moral Problem.

I also believe that if, as a Nation, we continue to ignore the real issue of morality we are in deeper trouble than what appears on the outside. This problem is so evident all around us...it seems that we have deliberately thrown the “moral compass” under the bus.

Americans, this is a terrible mistake!