By Mario Moretto
In a lively media release, independent candidate for governor Eliot Cutler urged Republican Gov. Paul LePage to fire high-level officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, saying the department is wracked by “a culture of irresponsibility and an embarrassing epidemic of mismanagement.”
Cutler referenced several controversies around DHHS this year, including a document shredding scandal at the CDC; a failed contract for MaineCare transportation services, a federal decertification at the Riverview Psychiatric Center that triggered a $20 million reduction in funding; and a controversial $925,000 contract for an out-of-state consultant to study the state’s welfare system — the results of which have come under fire by Democrats and advocates in and out of Maine.
Cutler said LePage was blaming Democrats for “politicizing” issues at DHHS rather than dealing with those issues. He said if he were governor, mismanagement at DHHS would not be tolerated,
“I wouldn’t wait around for a legislative oversight committee; I wouldn’t try to sweep it all under the rug; and I certainly wouldn’t blame it on someone else,” Cutler wrote. “DHHS is Maine’s largest and most complex department. It’s may be a tough place to run, but it also is a department that is responsible for the health, safety and well-being of tens of thousands of Maine children and families. Maine’s most vulnerable citizens depend on DHHS services.”
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