The governor really doesn’t need to worry about funding for MaineCare

I knew when I was writing my last post in support of MaineCare expansion that Governor LePage would get up in arms if Question 2 passed. Which it did. And he did.

The best way to address such predictability, along with the equally predictable, larger issue of our broken people’s referendum process is to turn to verse. Love the referendum process or hate it or both, it’s the law, and I think it’s high time — no pun intended — that our elected officials respected that fact while simultaneously working to make the process work better.

Many thanks to Clement Clark Moore for the inspiration — a little silliness is good for the soul:

A few nights before Christmas

And Thanksgiving too

Kwanza, Hanukah, the whole

Hullaballoo

The holiday stuff

Still tucked in totes with care

In hopes that healthcare and buds

Soon would be there.

And Mainers in fall garb

Not thinking about totes

Had just settled our brains

On how to cast our votes.

When out of the Blaine

There arose such a clatter

The governor said

Mainers’ votes just don’t matter.

Away from the voters

He flew like a flash.

There were hopes of healthcare

Needing to be dashed.

More rapid than eagles

His backers they came.

They’ve been so devoted we

Don’t need to name names.

As dry leaves that before

The wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle,

Mount to the sky,

So to the media

The rhetoric flew —

Foot dragging, not helping

When there’s a job to do.

In a twinkling the gov

Brought state money up.

When it comes to the poor,

It’s an empty cup.

But thoughts swirled in my head

Of money in excess

If weed legalization

Wasn’t a mess.

Maine could be dressed in green

From York to Aroostock

With ample state revenues

From the buds we pick.

Bundles of cash

Could be in our coffers—

Just think of the benefits

Our state could offer!

We’d have broad faces,

Happy, with nice full bellies

Laughing as the munchies

Have us reaching for jelly.

Then LePage could become

A right jolly old elf

Handing out healthcare access

In spite of himself.

In the wink of our eyes

And a twist of our heads

Caring for others

Would be nothing to dread.

If only our gov

Had gone straight to his work

With the legislature

No going berserk,

He could spring to his

Retirement secure knowing

That Maine’s healthcare report

Card soon would be glowing

The the gov could exclaim

Retiring out of sight,

“Good Healthcare to all

Revenues are alright!”

Stock image

Patricia Callahan

About Patricia Callahan

Trish is a writer who lives in Augusta. She has worked professionally in education and social services.