To the editor:

Gov. Paul LePage and the majority party in Augusta claim that bringing in businesses and creating jobs are their top priorities for improving our economy here in Maine.

Instead, they passed bills that attack workers and cut the benefits of those of us who live and work here.

The recent workers compensation bill specifically targets workers who have been injured on the job by placing a cap of 10 years on their benefits. The most severely injured workers would have nowhere to turn to replace what they lost financially through no fault of their own.

The next attack was waged against laid-off workers here in Maine. These workers, who have been laid off due to the recession, instead of being helped, will find their benefits dwindling. Our Republicanled Legislature wanted laid-off workers to wait until their unused vacation time had lapsed before being able to collect benefits, thus eliminating any safety net that workers may have tried to establish.

LePage also tried to shorten the time that a laid-off worker had to find employment in his or her specialty from 12 weeks to six weeks. After that, a worker would have to apply for any job, regardless of any education, experience or training that they may possess.

Finally, we have the budget cuts resulting in the layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Who now is going to care for the elderly, indigent and homeless people of Maine?

The budget cuts ordered by the LePage administration place our most vulnerable citizens at risk.

Gov. LePage talks out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand, he speaks of building jobs and our economy. On the other side, he seeks to punish those workers who have built and begun to restore the very same economy and everything that the state has worked so hard to accomplish.

Rebecca Belanger,
Bath

letters@timesrecord.com