In a New Hampshire Union Leader editorial today Hassan is questioned for her handling of New Hampshire Hospital’s Dartmouth Hitchcock contract, the Developmental Disabilities waitlist, and staffing needs at the Division of Children, Youth and Families.
For each of these issues the editorial asks simply, “Which would be worse: a governor who ignores rampant mismanagement at state agencies, or a governor oblivious to what’s going on?”
In case you missed it…
New Hampshire Union Leader: The misadministration of Maggie Hassan
By Grant Bosse
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NH Hospital contract
Dartmouth College wanted to drop its contract to provide psychiatric services at New Hampshire Hospital. The legally separate Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center wanted to pick it up.
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Did Hassan know that her administration was giving Dartmouth College so much input on a $36.5 million staffing contract? Was she asleep at the switch?
Did Hassan keep Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s staffing problems from the Executive Council before the September vote on the contract, or was she in the dark herself?
Which would be worse?
DD waitlist
During the 2015 debate over the state budget, one of the rare areas of bipartisan agreement was a commitment to fully fund the developmental disabilities waitlist, so that clients aging out of services provided by local school districts would not have to wait weeks or months before receiving state-funded services through local agencies.
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Did Maggie Hassan know that DHHS was sitting on money that was supposed to eliminate the waitlist, or was she asleep at the switch while the state’s largest agency failed to follow through on funding provided by the Legislature?
Which would be worse?
DCYF staffing
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Over the past two years, several children have died while their cases were under DCYF review, prompting lawsuits from relatives and an independent investigation of DCYF from Gov. Hassan. That report relied on data already in the agency’s hands showing a huge increase in caseloads. That data was never shared with the Legislature, or the public.
Did Hassan know that DCYF caseworkers were being overwhelmed, yet did nothing to address it? Or was she oblivious to the threat facing children across New Hampshire?
Which would be worse?
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