Sir, Madam, the train is here. Please step on to the track.

Click on the cartoon for full size.

I hate to be right. In this post last year, I posed what the budget could look like by now. Attacks on DHHS services by DHHS management. DHHS has proposed cutting services for the poorest Mainers, breaking contracts with Foster and adoptive parents. DHHS has gone beyond that, they have told blatant lies labeling employees to be cut as administrators when those positions are the face to face providers of services to the homeless and the mentally ill.

On Friday night Bruce Hodsdon sent an email to all members and here is an excerpt

"A minority of the Legislature’s Health & Human Services Committee has just issued a report demanding that the state shift 10 percent of the cost of individual health insurance premiums onto state workers. The Legislature could act on this proposal today or anytime this weekend, so please:

-- Call your legislators immediately! Tell them that we negotiated our most recent contracts in good faith, and that unilaterally shifting costs of the individual health insurance premiums onto state workers undermines the collective bargaining process. Tell them that the State Employee Health Commission, through efficiencies, has saved $20 million that will now be used to help close the budget gap. Tell them enough is enough!

My concern is that no matter what seems to be coming down the tunnel State Employees don't act as if they are the Union and expect their elected members to do all the work. If you saw the papers this past weekend with the pictures of an overflowing Hall of Flags where hundreds of protesters showed up to let the legislature know they were watching and they would hold them accountable.

We need to fill those halls with purple. If we are not willing to show our concern over broken promises and lies then no one will be willing to stand up for us. I hope the papers can print those pictures.

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