News

Governor LePage Looks to Expand Trade and Business Opportunities in Western Canada 

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage will visit Calgary, Alberta from Sept. 22-25 to see how Maine can improve its economy by connecting with one of the fastest growing economies in the world. At the invitation from Alberta Premier Alison Redford, Governor LePage, in conjunction with the Maine International Trade Center, will have discussions with government officials and business leaders to identify opportunities to increase trade and business development between Maine and Alberta.

“The Alberta economy is one of the most robust in the world today,” said Governor LePage. “I appreciate Premier Redford’s personal invitation to explore how Alberta and Maine can develop relationships and networks that will be mutually beneficial.”

In addition to meeting with Premier Redford and members of her Cabinet, the Governor will introduce Maine development opportunities to business leaders at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Calgary.

Janine Bisaillon-Cary, President of the Maine International Trade Center, indicates that while Maine already has significant trade with Western Canada, the time is right to look for more.

“Maine’s development of trade with Western Canada experienced a 16 percent increase in 2012 with exports averaging more than $35 million last year,” said Cary, “it’s imperative that Maine get plugged-in as the Alberta economy continues to surge.”

Honoring Maine’s Veteran’s on POW/MIA Recognition Day 

Governor and First Lady to highlight special ceremony in Old Orchard Beach

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage and First Lady Ann M. LePage will welcome hundreds of military family members of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action (POW/MIA) veterans at Old Orchard Beach Baseball Park as part of the Maine Heroes Fund recognition weekend. The event begins Friday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. at Old Orchard Beach Baseball Park, Old Orchard Beach.

On Saturday at 10 a.m., Governor Paul LePage will open the remembrance ceremony with remarks to the POW/MIA families and guests, followed by a reading of a proclamation he signed declaring September 20, 2013 as POW/MIA Recognition Day throughout the State of Maine.

“Maine is proud that 140,000 veterans call this State home,” the Governor said. “They served us well and many sacrificed a great deal to protect our country. This weekend we take time to recognize our veterans who were Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action and their families whose lives have been forever changed.”

Founded by Russell Warriner and the POW/MIA Recognition Weekend Committee, The Maine Heroes Fund hosts the POW/MIA Recognition Weekend to honor veterans and their families for their sacrifices to their country. The weekend will also serve as a fundraiser to help veterans in need. In previous years, funds raised went to help the Wounded Heroes of Maine Fund.

First Lady Ann M. LePage has chosen to support Maine’s military service members and hopes Mainers will consider attending this weekend’s event.

“It is important to honor the men and women in uniform who defend our freedom,” said Mrs. LePage. “This weekend’s event gives us an opportunity to remember the more than 500 Maine citizens who honorably served their country and remain unaccounted for as a POW or MIA. These heroes deserve our respect, and we continue to strive to learn the truth about every missing American.”

The Maine Heroes Fund recognition weekend is a collaborative effort of several veterans’ and local groups, including Veterans of Foreign Wars Maine Post 7997, AMVETS and OOB365.

Gates open Friday, 8 a.m. with a Vietnam Cobra helicopter being escorted by Patriot Riders at approximately 3:45 p.m. On Saturday, 8 a.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m., events will start with a memorial service led by Patriot Rider and Chaplin Donnie Collica.

For a complete list of events, please contact Wounded Heroes Chairman and event organizer Russell Warriner at 207-937-2329.

Governor LePage and First Lady LePage Welcome Mainers, Donations at Third Annual Blaine House Food Drive

AUGUSTA – Maine’s First Family invites Mainers to visit the Blaine House once again this year in an effort to help fellow citizens who are less fortunate. In October, Governor Paul R. LePage and First Lady Ann M. LePage will open their doors for the annual Blaine House Food Drive. The Governor and First Lady started the food drive three years ago, and have collected thousands of pounds of food for pantries and homeless shelters across Maine.

The food drives will take place on three consecutive Saturday’s during the month of October, which are Oct. 12, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26. Mainers will have an opportunity to bring a food donation, receive a tour of the Blaine House led by Governor LePage and enjoy light refreshments.

“As our holiday season approaches, it is very important that we remember those who are less fortunate and are trying to get on their feet,” said Governor LePage. “The First Lady and I recognize how meaningful these food donations can be to those individuals in trying circumstances. Mainers are generous people, and it is heartwarming to see to see so many who are willing to help their neighbors in need. The First Lady and I are happy to open the Blaine House for another food drive this year.”

All donations collected at the Blaine House will be given to Good Shepherd Food-Bank. Good Shepherd Food-Bank will determine the communities that need the food most and distribute the donations.

“Governor and First Lady LePage are setting a great example for Mainers to get involved in the fight against hunger,” said Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “Hunger is a significant problem in Maine with 15 percent of households not able to access enough nutritious food. We thank the First Family for making a different in the lives of families struggling with hunger and encouraging others to do the same.”

Doors will be open at the Blaine House for the food drive between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on October 12, October 19 and October 26.

Welfare Debt Paid, Maine is Now in Better Financial Standing  

Governor LePage committed to strengthening communities and Maine economy

AUGUSTA – Delivering on a promise to the people of Maine, Governor Paul R. LePage announced Wednesday a half-billion dollars of welfare debt has been paid to Maine’s hospitals. Thirty-nine hospitals from Aroostook County to York received on Wednesday a total of $490,200,000 for MaineCare services dating back to 2009. MaineCare is the state’s name for its Medicaid program.

“These payments to Maine hospitals are not a windfall. It is welfare debt owed for over a decade that the State of Maine is finally making good on,” said Governor LePage. “Collectively, our hospitals are the state’s largest employer, providing good jobs and investment in communities throughout Maine.”

Maine hospitals received electronic payments totaling $490,200,000. Governor LePage made the announcement official in Waterville Wednesday morning at Inland Hospital, which is a member of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS), where he delivered remarks and presented payment to Inland chief executive officer John Dalton. Inland received $9,460,493.

“On behalf of Inland and all our EMHS hospitals across the state, I’d like to thank Governor LePage for his leadership in addressing the MaineCare debt owed to hospitals,” said Dalton. “The Governor has been focused on this issue since the early days of his campaign, and we appreciate his diligence and collaboration with the legislature to make this happen today.”

“It has been a challenge to carry the debt, and it has made an economic impact beyond the walls of our hospital - into the Waterville community - and all communities across Maine,” Dalton said.

The mounting welfare debt burden on EMHS, has affected the hospitals and communities in significant ways, including forcing hospitals to deplete savings and rely on lines of credit to pay bills; the inability to invest in the care, services, and technology needed to improve the health of patients; deferred payment to local vendors impacting the financial status of small businesses in local communities; and delayed construction projects.

Wednesday afternoon, Governor LePage visited Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston as well – the same location where in 2010, he promised Mainers he would call attention to this welfare debt and pay it back. Central Maine Medical Center received $38,188,674. Other Central Maine Medical Family providers, Bridgton Hospital and Rumford Hospital, received $1,850,004 and $3,444,998 respectively. For a complete list of payments, click here.

This overdue, massive welfare debt of $490 million is now off the books, placing Maine in an improved fiscal condition. Recently, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) and Moody’s Investors Service, leading providers of global credit benchmarks, affirmed their credit ratings on the State of Maine’s general obligation debt while noting Maine’s rising welfare costs.

“As evidenced in the Moody’s report, failure to pay the hospital debt has hindered Maine’s financial status and harmed the economy as a whole,” Governor LePage said. “With this payment made, now we must continue to move Maine forward to further strengthen the economy by making thoughtful, common-sense reforms.”

Welfare Debt Paid: Governor LePage to Visit Lewiston and Waterville Hospitals 

Payment of debt places Maine in better financial standing

AUGUSTA – This week, the State of Maine will pay 39 Maine hospitals nearly $500 million for MaineCare services dating back to 2009. To mark the occasion, Governor Paul R. LePage will visit two Central Maine hospitals, Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and Inland Hospital in Waterville. The Governor will deliver remarks before presenting payment to each hospital.

In 2010, Governor Paul R. LePage promised Mainers he would call attention to this welfare debt and pay it back. On Wednesday, hospitals will receive electronic payments totaling $490,200,000. Central Maine Medical Center is receiving 38,188,674, and Inland Hospital is receiving $9,460,493.

This overdue, massive welfare debt of $490 million will be off the books, placing Maine in an improved fiscal condition. Recently, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) and Moody’s Investors Service, leading providers of global credit benchmarks, affirmed their credit ratings on the State of Maine’s general obligation debt while noting Maine’s rising welfare costs.

“These payments to Maine hospitals are not a windfall. It is welfare debt owed for over a decade that the State of Maine is finally making good on,” said Governor LePage. “Collectively, our hospitals are the state’s largest employer, providing good jobs and investment in communities throughout Maine.”

“As evidenced in the Moody’s report, failure to pay the hospital debt has hindered Maine’s financial status and harmed the economy as a whole. With this payment made, now we must continue to move Maine forward to further strengthen the economy by making thoughtful, common-sense reforms.”

WHERE: Inland Hospital (Main Lobby), 200 Kennedy Memorial Dr., Waterville

WHEN: 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Central Maine Medical Center (Main Lobby), 300 Main St., Lewiston

WHEN: 2 p.m.

Flags to Half-Staff until Friday, Sept. 20 in Honor of Washington, D.C. Navy Yard Shooting Victims

AUGUSTA – In honor of the victims, and in coordination with President Obama's proclamation, Governor Paul R. LePage has ordered the lowering of flags on all public buildings and grounds to half-staff effective immediately until sunset Friday, September 20, as a mark of respect for the victims of the shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.

Governor Paul R. LePage has issued the following statement:

"On behalf of all Mainers, our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to those victims, their families and everyone affected by this senseless tragedy. We grieve with fellow Americans and recognize those who dedicate themselves to protecting America and the very freedoms we all share, which are safeguarded by men and women like those at the Navy Yard.”

AUGUSTA – Today, Governor Paul R. LePage joined students, parents, counselors, and friends to walk across the Memorial Bridge in Augusta to the State House to raise awareness and support for Seeds of Peace and its work in Maine and around the world.

The old Cony High School in Augusta marked the start of the walk where more than 100 people gathered as Governor LePage shared his thoughts about Seeds of Peace and the students involved with the program.

“It is amazing to see so many of you here today promoting peace and participating in a program that is shaping our future generation,” he said. “Leadership is learned. Seeds of Peace is a remarkable organization with great mentors who teach the skills required to become a future leader.”

Bridges to Peace started in London in 2011 and has since spread to 15 cities around the world, including Cairo, Jerusalem, Kabul, Lahore, Mumbai, New York, Madrid, Tokyo, and Vancouver. The event has raised $250,000 for Seeds of Peace programs, which have brought over 5,000 young leaders from conflict regions together in Otisfield, Maine during  the last  two decades.

Today’s Bridges to Peace walk ended at the State House, but it also begins a series of similar walks throughout the world, including in London and New York. For more information about Seeds of Peace, contact Seeds of Peace Director of Maine Seed Programs Tim Wilson at tim@seedsofpeace.org

Medicaid Expansion will Mainly Benefit Younger Men, Smokers and Drinkers 

Governor LePage says elderly and disabled must come first

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage released a statement today about a new study that shows Medicaid expansion would add younger men, smokers and heavy drinkers to the welfare program across the country.

Published in the latest edition of the Annals of Family Medicine, the findings from the University of Michigan study were accompanied by an infographic, which is at the end of this release. The study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Analyzing the health status and habits of those likely to be added to welfare, the study shows that expansion will result in a sharp increase in smokers and heavy drinkers added to the program.

“This study illustrates why we oppose a very costly Medicaid expansion,” said Governor LePage. “This expansion of welfare would provide services to a younger population, while depleting scarce resources that are critical to care for those who desperately need assistance. We must ensure our neediest Mainers, the elderly and disabled, are put at the front of the line.

“It is critical for the public to know that this is a debate about Medicaid welfare expansion, not Medicare,” the Governor added. “Those are two different programs.”

An analysis by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has shown the expansion of welfare would cost Maine millions of taxpayer dollars in the short term and $150 million each budget in just a few years.

The Governor also expressed concern about other priorities in the program that must be addressed before expansion can be considered, such as nursing home rates of reimbursement and primary care rates that are set to decrease after a temporary bump from the ACA ends.

“Our number-one priority is to make sure our aging and disadvantaged population, like the elderly, can receive the critical care they need,” the Governor said. “We have thousands of our elderly, our parents and grandparents, on waiting lists for care that can keep them at home and out of nursing homes. How can we consider adding thousands of adults, who are not disabled and don’t have children, to Medicaid while these folks continue to wait?”

The Congressional Budget Office projects that 13 million people will become newly eligible for Medicaid in the states that choose to expand by 2022. The non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation calculates this would cost states $8 billion more between now and 2022.

“We have to make sure our safety net is protected,” the Governor said. “The rates we pay providers need to be sufficient to ensure that individuals on the program can get access to care. We have to address the challenges with the system to take care of those on the program now, before we can consider expanding to new members.

“Expanding Medicaid to younger adults, who are not disabled and don’t have children, isn’t appropriate until we take care of our disabled and elderly,” the Governor said. “Our elderly parents and grandparents deserve nothing less than our full commitment to their well-being.”

Prosecution of Welfare Fraud is Increasing

Last week, we announced that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families has dropped by over 40 percent since 2011.

This week, we are pleased to report that the number of welfare fraud cases being prosecuted has increased dramatically. Our welfare reforms are working.

Hello, this is Governor Paul LePage.

When I took office in January 2011, there were more than 39,000 individuals on TANF (39,171). Today, there are almost 16,000 fewer people on the program (23,498).

In addition, the number of prosecutions for welfare fraud and abuse is on the rise. The Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit investigated 711 complaints of fraud through January 2013.

Including criminal cases and other investigations, the unit was pursuing almost 1,100 complaints as of January (1,092). To further reduce fraud and abuse, our administration hired eight more investigators in May.

Only 10 cases of fraud were referred to the unit in 2010 under the previous administration. Under our administration, that number tripled to 32 in 2011 and then jumped to 45 in 2012.

Seventy-one percent of the referrals came from our new public reporting system, which consists of a form on the DHHS website and a new fraud hotline. Our administration established the hotline in 2011, and our efforts are paying off.

We did this to protect Maine taxpayers and to care for our most needy. While some disabled Mainers sat on waiting lists for services, others who were capable of working collected benefits through fraud. That is wrong.

We need to help struggling Mainers to earn success, not to learn dependency.

And we must be careful of politicians who encourage more welfare by promising free health care. The last time they promised free health care, we ended up with 750-million-dollars of welfare debt to Maine’s hospitals. Under a plan proposed by our administration, we are finally paying our hospitals next week.

No matter what the politicians tell you, all forms of welfare must be paid for by hard-working taxpayers who are trying to feed their own families, provide their kids with necessities for school and pay for heating in the winter. That’s why we must make sure every single tax dollar is spent appropriately.

We are pleased with the results of our efforts to reduce welfare and prosecute fraud. But we know there is much more work to be done. That is why we will continue to push for more welfare reforms in the next legislative session.

* If you suspect a

Blaine House Will be Illuminated in Gold to Promote Awareness of Children with Cancer 

Governor Proclaims September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

AUGUSTA – In recognition of September being proclaimed Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Governor Paul R. LePage and First Lady Ann M. LePage will light the Blaine House goldundefinedthe color of childhood cancer awarenessundefinedon Friday evening, September 13.

“Each day the equivalent of two classrooms full of children are diagnosed with some form of pediatric cancer. Lighting the Blaine House will help raise awareness for the needs of these children and their families,” said the Governor and First Lady. “Dealing with cancer is emotionally draining, and the cost of treatment is financially draining too. We need to do everything we can to help make a very difficult time easier for the children and their families.”

According to the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids Cancer Connection, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. Cancer is detected in nearly 15,000 of our nation’s young people each year.

The text of the Governor’s proclamation is:

WHEREAS, the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids Cancer Connection report cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States - this tragic disease is detected in nearly 15,000 of our nation's young people each and every year; and

 WHEREAS, founded nearly twenty years ago by Steven Firestein, a member of the philanthropic Max Factor family, the American Cancer Fund for Children, Inc. and sister organization, Kids Cancer Connection, Inc. are dedicated to helping these children and their families; and

WHEREAS, the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids Cancer Connection provide a variety of vital patient psychosocial services to children undergoing cancer treatment at The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center: Department of Pediatrics; Division of Hematology/Oncology in Portland, as well as participating hospitals throughout the country, thereby enhancing the quality of life for these children and their families; and

WHEREAS, through its uniquely sensitive and comforting Magical Caps for Kids program, the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids Cancer Connection distributes thousands of beautifully handmade caps and decorated baseball caps to children who want to protect their heads following the trauma of chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation treatments; and

WHEREAS, the American Cancer Fund for Children and Kids Cancer Connection also sponsor nationwide Courageous Kid recognition award ceremonies and hospital celebrations in honor of a child's determination and bravery to fight the battle against childhood cancer.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAUL R. LEPAGE, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby proclaim September, 2013 as

CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

throughout the State of Maine, and urge all citizens to recognize this observance.