LePage continues to play politics with nursing home funding

Governor sat on $4.6 million in state funding to play politics with nursing homes

AUGUSTA  — Top Democratic leaders called Governor Paul LePage’s announcement of funding for nursing homes “smoke and mirrors” and slammed his administration for playing politics with money that could help struggling nursing homes across the state.

LePage announced today that for weeks his administration has been working on a plan to provide $4.6 million in state funding to nursing homes, in addition to the $12 million already provided by the Legislature as part of LD 1776. After weeks of inaccurately blaming Democrats for failing to fund nursing homes, the Governor bizarrely claimed credit for the bill, which he didn’t sign, at today’s press conference.

“The Governor’s announcement is more proof that he’s been playing politics with nursing homes. Why would he sit on $4.6 million in savings when nursing homes were struggling? And why would he call on lawmakers to return to Augusta when he already had the funding?” said Speaker of the House Mark Eves of North Berwick. “The timing of this announcement is clearly meant to distract from his poor track record for Maine seniors and his latest out-of-touch comment labeling Social Security as Welfare. It’s smoke and mirrors.”

The new funds will augment $12 million in state and federal funds the Legislature allocated for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. The administration has delayed the release of those dollars for more than two weeks. Lawmakers also approved $26 million in new state and federal funding for nursing homes as part of the bipartisan budget which the Legislature passed despite Governor LePage’s veto.

“Either Governor LePage is playing politics and hiding money, or the mismanagement at the Department of Health and Human Services is so extreme they don’t know how much money they have,” said Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland. “Maine people – including nursing home residents – are the victims of the chronic mismanagement at DHHS, and now Governor LePage is using the elderly as a campaign tool for his reelection.”

For the past three and half years, Governor LePage has proposed harmful policies that  would have hurt seniors, from slashing funding for assisted living facilities and cutting Meals on Wheels and prescription drug assistance programs  for seniors to slashing critical property tax relief programs. Most recently, LePage has come under fire for calling Social Security “welfare.”  

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