To the editor:

The Journal-World on Tuesday brought clarification regarding the financial crisis in our great state. “Lawmakers identify culprit in massive budget deficits” was the headline, or something like that. It turns out that our financial mess is not the result of flawed policy and then lack of leadership from the governor’s office or a partisan and ineffective legislature. The problem was poor people all along. We should have guessed. The big effort toward efficiency in government can start with them.

Even though our state’s restrictions on welfare programs are about the strictest in the nation, and calls to the Department for Children and Families often go unanswered, there is room for creative government officials to make requirements tougher. There still are desperate impoverished people who are siphoning off state revenues and, presumably, causing the predicted $200 million deficit for next year.

I also learned today that the statewide Health Home project is to be terminated. This commendable program uses nurses and case managers to work with low income KanCare recipients with certain chronic illnesses. The goal is to improve patients’ health and ultimately to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of medical services. But isn’t efficiency what our governor wants? I’m confused. Is there a pattern here?