A thank you to the Maine Sunday Telegram for breaking the story on the LePage administration’s plan to hire Fedcap Rehabilitation Services of New York City to administer the ASPIRE program for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (”LePage to privatize welfare program,” Sept. 11).

Once again, Gov. Paul LePage and DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew demonstrate incompetence and mismanagement of state money. ASPIRE is a $62 million federally funded program. In the name of “efficiency” DHHS is going to turn public money over to a private, nonprofit business, based out of state. Fedcap will be able to siphon off taxpayer money, meant to help those in need, into the pockets of a nonprofit organization. If current DHHS employees, already understaffed, are not able to do this particular job, then it should be hiring Maine workers who can get this program done. Instead, 53 state employees are now going to be terminated by this contract award.

Fedcap Rehabilitation Services is definitely not a private contractor to be trusted with $62 million of taxpayer money. Numerous accusations and lawsuits only demonstrate their untrustworthiness. The fact that they have repeatedly broken labor standards to cut corners only shows how they are willing to collect public money and put it into themselves rather than returning it to Maine’s state treasury. Hiring this contractor will only serve to fatten the wallets of their corporate executives at the expense of the ASPIRE recipients.

To add further insult, LePage and Mayhew are sending $62 million to a non-Maine business in New York City and eliminating 53 Maine jobs. Just how is this government giveaway going to lower unemployment in our state?

Henry (Hank) Dilts

candidate, Senate District 15

Augusta

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