I think it is important to respond to the letter by Phyllis Caron, printed June 3.

Caron states that the Maine Legislature had a plan to pay the hospitals and the governor failed on his promise to pay Maine’s hospitals. In fact, it is the other way around.

In January, Gov. Paul LePage submitted an innovative plan to the Legislature to pay back what was owed to the state’s hospitals. At first, Democrats in the Legislature opposed the bill and drafted their own proposal. They eventually embraced the governor’s plan.

On the eve of the bill getting a unanimous support out of committee, Democrat leaders injected themselves and tied Medicaid expansion to the bill to pay Maine’s hospitals.

Expansion should be considered on its own merits; it should not have been linked to an unrelated bill to pay Maine’s debt. It was widely reported that linking the two unrelated bills would lead to a governor’s veto.

I have to wonder if that is why Democratic legislative leaders linked the two bills together — to get a veto. They have resisted paying Maine’s hospital debt for years and that is just the latest roadblock.

In the meantime, many hospitals have been forced to lay off employees, institute hiring freezes and delay construction projects.

Paying Maine’s hospital debt will create jobs and put the state on stronger financial footing.

The governor has resubmitted his bill to pay back Maine’s hospitals. I hope the Legislature can get it right this time.

Lois Snowe Mello, Poland