Recently, allegations of a diabolical scheme were exposed regarding Oregon Health Authority (OHA) attempted a smear campaign against one of the state’s 16 health care providers.
The allegation is that an attack was engineered against a Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) named FamilyCare Health. Apparently, OHA sought to exploit HIV patients that FamilyCare Health served to aid in the takedown of this non-profit organization.
If these allegations are true, first, it is unconscionable that OHA would systematically target HIV patients to help them with their dirty deed. Second, it is an atrocious violation of OHA’s public trust and responsibility which is to use their resources to diligently provide health and healing to Oregonians. Lastly, OHA abused taxpayer dollars to create their smear campaign against a valid, fully functional and diligent provider who focused on serving Oregon’s most vulnerable.
After the story leaked out, mass outrage ensued from both Democrats and Republicans. Surprisingly, the media erupted with anger, and Democrat Lynne Saxton, OHA’s director was removed from office. Saxton has consistently come under fire for perpetual failure and abuse while at OHA.
When asked for records requests, the Brown administration intentionally blacked out 26 entire pages of emails involving OHA's FamilyCare takedown scheme. It was apparently, a strategic plan developed to attack the CCO health care provider for the sole purpose of growing government.
Well, I guess this tells a us a lot about transparency in this Democrat Party-filled Administration.
My friend and colleague, Senator Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer) said, “It
is chilling how much unchecked power exists within certain powerful
agencies in our state government. When a few people in charge don't like
a person, or a business, or a non-profit, they can use the might of the
800-pound government gorilla to pound them down and ride roughshod over
them.”
OHA’s
malicious plan highlights the decay of Oregon’s governing fabric.
Having long jettisoned its constitutional boundaries, political power is
more willing to overreach. Agencies are constantly seeking more
control, more growth, and more bureaucrats armed with more stringent
regulations. This of course, also leads to their resounding cries for
more and more tax dollars.
Oregonians
deserve to know why the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) maliciously
targeted this private entity and abused taxpayer dollars while seeking
to grow OHA’s portion of the service industry pie.
The
story is, OHA’s injurious public relations (PR) plan was designed,
first, to discredit and defame the health care provider in the eyes of
the public, second, to leak juicy tidbits to “mainstream” media, and
third, to manipulate lawmakers into killing legislation backed by
FamilyCare Health.
The
legislation in question sought to clarify rate-setting transparency so
that CCO’s and service providers would better understand the process for
health care reimbursements.
It
should be noted that these allegations come on top of nearly $200
million in wasted Medicaid funding applied unlawfully to 37,000
individuals. It appears, agency officials are more interested in
wielding their power to protect their monopoly, redistribute taxpayer
money, and pursue falsely perceived enemies.
This is monopoly power in full “pin-ball tilt.”
Yet,
the FamilyCare matter is not the first, nor will it be the last of
these vicious and unprecedented examples of government over-reach and
abuses of power.
Just
last April, a Linn County Circuit Court judge blocked OHA, DEQ, and
Oregon OSHA from implementing a similar PR scheme. In that instance, OHA
sought to discredit and defame Entek International, a Lebanon based
manufacturer, because Entek - though it was following all
existing environmental standards - may have been emitting at levels that
could exceed DEQ proposed standards. In other words, they were
exercising regulatory punishment for violations of rules that didn’t yet
exist. Coincidentally, Entek was strongly opposed to Measure 97, the
gross receipts tax which was aggressively pursued by Democrat
legislators and unions who are the largest beneficiaries of Oregon’s
runaway spending.
What can we learn...
People
often make the mistake of imagining that government workers are more
altruistic or better than the rest of us. This is, quite obviously, not
true. Character counts and the unscrupulous will be unscrupulous whether
they work for private industry or government.
In
government, as in business, your home, school or office environment
there are always those energetic passions and untamed desires that
exceed their limits. Thus any organization or social body without
checks, balances and oversight will eventually squander itself to
corruption.
Rather
than voluntary participation in free and open markets, the statist’s
tool of choice is control through political power. Political power is
monopoly power. It is the power to write the rules, enforce those rules,
and demand compliance. Why would a person walk a block down the street
and shop at another bakery, flower shop, or photography studio when they
could use political power to force a specific business to service their
every want and desire?
Oregonians
deserve a state government that is efficient, effective, and
accountable; not one that wastes taxpayer dollars and uses its
regulatory power to punish competitors or its perceived political
enemies.
Taxpayers
know their pockets have been picked and they know who picked it. This
knowledge will be the coming tidal wave of change which will wash the
current administration’s abject wastefulness and baleful regulations
overboard and out with the flowing tide.
Remember, If we don’t stand for rural Oregon values and common sense - No one Will
Best Regards,
Dennis Linthicum Oregon State Senate 28
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1728 Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-305, Salem, Oregon 97301 Email: sen.DennisLinthicum@oregonlegislature.gov Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/linthicum
|