This is in response to the blatant ignorance spewing from the governor’s mouth about immigrants bringing certain diseases to Maine. Aside from the overtly racist tone of his comments at his recent Augusta town meeting, the governor fails to take responsibility for his role in the increase of diseases in Maine. His refusal to increase MaineCare leaves thousands of drug addicts without access to care. Hepatitis B and C are spread by IV drug use and unprotected sex.

People who use drugs intravenously also can contract HIV which will weaken the immune system so that it cannot fight off bacterial infections like tuberculosis. And finally, the Zika virus is spread by mosquito bites, not usually by people. (Perhaps the governor thinks Maine should prevent any Olympic athletes from stepping foot in Maine after the Summer Olympics in Brazil?)

And if there are indicators that immigrants are sick with these diseases at a higher than average rate than the general Maine population (I couldn’t find anything on the Maine CDC website to back up this claim), then providing them with basic medical care would resolve the problem.

So, governor, if you truly care about the spread of diseases in Maine, then move ahead with MaineCare expansion and stop blaming immigrants for a problem you have created.

Julie Hopkins

Augusta