Governor John E. Baldacci

State House Station 1

Augusta, ME  04333 

Dear Governor Baldacci, 

We are writing to you to express our strong opposition to the cut in funding for the independent living program at Larrabee Village in Westbrook. We fully understand that there is a serious shortfall in revenue that must be addressed, but we contend that this is not an appropriate cut for two reasons, and urge that you reconsider this action. 

The first reason is that it doesn’t make financial sense.  The model used at Larrabee Village provides an absolute minimum of assistance to keep frail seniors living independently.  Without this type of assistance, people in these circumstances tend to deteriorate quickly, and the only real alternative they would have then is nursing home care, which comes with a much higher cost, both financially and socially.  This trading of a short-term saving for a long-term, much higher cost, alternative is the sort of cost cutting we can ill-afford. 

Even if it could be argued that the finances made sense, then the time frames involved are far too short.   The people impacted by this cut are very vulnerable, and they have planned their lives around the continued availability of the independent living services they receive.  They have moved, sold houses and made other arrangements so that they could live as long as possible with a maximum of personal independence and dignity, and now the safety net they have counted on will be pulled out from under them in just a few weeks.  It will take these people months at the very least to rearrange their lives to adjust to this sort of change. Most of the people impacted will not qualify for other programs, and those that do face waiting lists to get into those programs. To implement this sort of change in the timeframe proposed is thoughtless at best, and cruel at worst. 

We sincerely hope that you will not pursue this proposal, at least not in its current form, and that you make this decision soon to prevent any further distress for this fragile population.  We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you, and look forward to hearing from you on this important matter. 

Sincerely, 

Senator Philip Bartlett II                                            Representative Tim Driscoll

Senate District 6                                                       House District 126