No fraud or theft. That’s good news, we guess.

From 1999 to 2002, $31 million went missing from the books of the Department of Human Services. An auditing firm, hired at a cost of more than $200,000, was brought in to find out what happened. The auditors discovered that there were no indications of criminal activity or misappropriation.

Instead, they found sloppy training procedures, communication errors and a break down in oversight. Over the course of three years, the missing federal money was taken from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program and spent on other programs. Human services received $4 billion from the federal government during the same time period. The discrepancy was discovered earlier this year.

The money was spent “for the right purposes, but from the wrong account,” said Becky Wyke, commissioner of administration and financial services for DHS.

While there was no malicious intent at work in the department, there’s clearly a problem. The number of programs and the amount of money administered by the Department of Human Services continues to grow, but staffing levels have not kept pace. Gov. John Baldacci says the state will hire five new financial managers to oversee accounting.

That’s a start. The state also should evaluate its training and procedures for oversight and accountability to ensure employees have the skills and support they need and are held responsible when they fail.

Lawmakers should heed this lesson. Every budgetary problem cannot be solved by reducing administrative staff or failing to allow necessary growth.

It’s easy to target nameless and faceless “bureaucrats” when it comes time to trim a tight budget, especially when cuts in popular programs are the alternative. This fiasco illustrates how important those positions can be to proper oversight and operation of government.

No crime was committed, but big mistakes were made. Let’s make sure they don’t happen again.


The berry blues


Once we got over our initial skepticism of franken-burgers made with fruit, the idea started to grow on us. We think it’s a pretty sweet idea.

Researchers at the University of Maine are combining blueberries with hamburger and chicken meat. The blueberries add antioxidants and help make lean meat more juicy. The antioxidants may help fight cancer and provide other health benefits. As long as scientists keep the level of blueberries at 3 percent, the burger’s color and taste aren’t affected.

Adding fruit to meat isn’t new. Cherries and cranberries have a head start on blueberries. But the market is still open.

Maine is the largest producer of wild blueberries in the country, with more than 60,000 acres dedicated to the crop, and accounts for 25 percent of North America’s blueberry production.

In 2000, Maine produced 110 million pounds of blueberries. At the same time, there was a glut, driving prices down. The market has stabilized as production has fallen, to an expected 70 million pounds this year. Producers learned a valuable lesson and are looking for ways to expand the demand for blueberries.

Per capita blueberry consumption in the United States is just four cups a year. The research at the University of Maine is helping develop a new market for the industry and could help grow those consumption numbers. That’s good for health-conscious consumers and berry growers.
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