You would think after years of inaction, ineptitude and abuse by the Department of Health and Human Services that Gov. John Baldacci would establish an independent civilian review board to investigate improprieties, mismanagement and illegal activities.

For an agency where employees have abused and killed children in their care and mismanaged hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars, the lack of corrective action and responsiveness continues to this day.

If you try to point out wrongful acts by DHHS workers you are routinely ignored, told nothing can be done, they use confidentiality to protect themselves (not the children), that is handled by a different office, etc. There is no accountability or policing of DHHS since they consider themselves above the law or immune to it.

Having worked with children from abusive homes or who have had trouble with the law, I have personally witnessed DHHS’ inaction, inappropriate action, abuse of people the department is supposedly helping, rudeness and unprofessional behavior. When you try to get corrective action the stonewalling begins. When you get frustrated or give up DHHS wins again.

It is time the governor takes action to correct an agency which is running amok. If he had to deal with DHHS personnel as an average citizen he’d quickly see it is hell. The cover-ups, bailouts and abuse by an agency supposedly there to protect the needy must come to an end.

This agency can’t police itself since they think they are above the law. An independent civilian review board with enforcement powers might be a start.

Richard G. Peer

Hampden