What Are Our “Human” Priorities?

It makes you wonder what the human priorities are.

We share the public concern about the recent vetoes of funds for human service and health related programs. But we are more concerned about the quality of financial information placed in front of the Legislature as they propose and pass on these expenditures for approval.

Last week, Gov. John P. deJongh, Jr. vetoed additional funds for a number of programs, citing a lack of money in both the General Fund and the Internal Revenue Matching fund.

The social consequences of financially restricting these programs are obvious. But perhaps the larger question is what information is being provided to the Legislature leading them to believe that these funds are available at the time the requests are made. 

Of the General Fund items vetoed, we are highlighting $450,000 in “human priority” programs. For the Department of Human Services: $100,000 for the medical alert bracelets program; $50,000 for Meals on Wheels; and $150,000 for the Homemaker’s program were denied.  The Health Department was denied $150,000 for the Home Health Program. And while these denials do not shut down the programs at the present time, the concern is that without the additional funds, services will be greatly reduced at some point in this fiscal year. 

Another $3.46 million from the Internal Revenue Matching Fund, targeted for health care initiatives, was also denied. The Matching Fund collects the rum excise tax rebates (cover over) returned to the Territories on the rum produced here that is sold in the US. Those amounts included $3 million to Juan Luis Hospital to renovate and upgrade its emergency room and $300,000 to the hospital to purchase a mammogram machine; another $80,000 each to Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute and Luis Hospital’s Cardiac Center for marketing and associated travel costs were also denied. 

It is our understanding that both the Department of Finance and the IRB provide the legislature figures on how much money was available in both the general fund and the matching fund when these measures are being discussed. Now it is said that no funds are available. So is the Legislature knowingly putting forth measures that cannot be funded or are they being deceived about what funds are available? 

For example, on October 5, 2009, documentation was provided to the Legislature by Angel Dawson, Commissioner of Finance, showing a September 30 available balance of  $4.8 million in the IRB matching fund, more than enough to fund the requested appropriations.   CIF has been told that this was the basis on which the requests against the matching fund were made? What happened to that money? And if this did not represent available funds, why was it presented as such? ( page 2, attached)

Further review of that document raises another question concerning outstanding obligations to the matching fund. In explaining his vetoes, the governor said that the matching fund was already facing $111 million in obligations against the receipt of only $90 million from the federal government. However, written testimony submitted on October 6 by Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Debra Gottleib, details $107.3 million in current outstanding liabilities – some $3.7 million less than the Governor stated. (pages 3-5 attached)

So which is true? Is the governor overstating the obligations against the matching fund or have we added nearly $4 million in additional obligations since October?

We were unable to get similar data for the General Fund and have little assurance that there will be any better accountability for FY 2010, as agencies have been given lump sum budgets to manage. 

So once again we are left with more questions than answers. 

We will explore these issues in more detail in the upcoming weeks. While all of these issues are troubling, the denial of funds for the mammography equipment bears further scrutiny. Breast cancer is an issue with worldwide focus and it is astounding that in 2009 that it is not a piece of standard equipment in any medical facility serving a population of this size. What is the cost of lost life and human suffering with the absence of this service in the primary medical facility on St. Croix? 

We are told repeatedly that the borrowing of hundreds of millions of funds for projects promoted as bringing future revenues to the Territories is top priorities. Those benefits, and their actual cost to the community, remain to be seen. 

And we wonder – in a time when the financial situation is so dire, how was it possible to find nearly half a million in funds for “security enhancements” but no money to support programs that assist in basic human needs. 

It is said that a society can be judged by how it treats the children, the sick and the elderly. What do these actions say about us? 

What are our human priorities?

IRB Matching Funds Breakdown

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