Former President Hubert Humphrey famously said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.
As when Maine was founded in 1820, we still wrestle today in government to balance the competing and conflicting values upon which we were formed. On the one hand is the rugged independence of our citizens, who populate the northern frontier of our nation. On the other is the value of tight-knit communities, of neighbors helping neighbors, and of the collective taking care of those who cannot care for themselves.
The purposes of our government have remained steady since 1820 – to ensure equal opportunity, justice, and dignity for all Mainers, including those in the twilight of their lives and the shadows of society. In the many years since our founding, however, our State has not always served those disadvantaged groups well. Over time, we reformed our model to better serve our citizens and today government partners with community-based organizations to deliver services. At the center of our state’s most recent reformation were two Aroostook County citizens — Steve Richard and Steve Farnham.
When Steve Richard began his work as executive director of the Central Aroostook Association for Retarded Citizens 32 years ago, Pineland (a state-run facility for individuals with developmental disabilities) was still operating. The living conditions were abysmal – residents living in squalor, being hosed down like animals each day to prevent infection, stench, and disease. As the late David Gregory described it, we actually took better care of farm animals than we did these citizens.
In the years since the Pineland consent decrees, much has changed, and Steve Richard has been at the center of it all. Pineland was closed and Steve became an original member of the Consumer Advisory Board, which oversaw the implementation of the consent decrees. He chaired the C.A.B. for many years and remains a member today.
In an effort to allow those with developmental disabilities to live with more independence and dignity, organizations such as the CAARC took on more responsibility and made it possible for these citizens to live in their own communities and often in their own homes. Steve was a pioneer for child development centers, residential homes, and providing personal support services to clients at their homes. In an effort to give those with developmental disabilities equal employment opportunities, Steve developed innovative programs that provided jobs to many of his clients. Today, the CAARC oversees a pallet business, a shredding business, and a recycling business, employing dozens of individuals with disabilities in meaningful work.
Steve Farnham has been a leading advocate for the interests of senior citizens on a local, statewide, and national level. When Steve began his work as executive director of the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging over 32 years ago, most seniors lived their last days in discomfort and loneliness at facilities out of public view and away from the companionship of loved ones. The AAAA’s goal at that time was cutting edge – to maximize the independence and the dignity of seniors – and it remains unchanged today. Through the years, due in large part to Steve’s advocacy, the AAAA’s role and responsibilities have dramatically expanded.
On the state level, Steve has been instrumental in the development of many successful programs including Legal Services for the Elderly, the Elderly Homeowner’s Property Tax and Rent Refund Program, the Low Cost Drug Program, the Home Based Care Program, and the Assisted Living Program. Due to Steve’s leadership, the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging showed the need for, and piloted the development of, some of these critical services that have enabled tens of thousands of Mainers’ to maintain their dignity and independence in their later years.
On a national level, Steve Farnham has also played a prominent role. He has served as a representative to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and on the Federal Council on Aging. Further, Steve has served as an advisor to three different Presidents, in three different decades, on issues confronting senior citizens through his service to the White House Conference on Aging.
The Maine State Bar Association recently honored both Steve Richard and Steve Farnham for their long and continued service to the people of Maine by presenting them with the Ballou Lifetime Service Award. As Maine citizens, we too must thank them for helping to bring those in the twilight of their lives and the shadows of our society into the bright light of equal opportunity, justice, and dignity under which all in our great state should live.
If you have comments or concerns, please feel free to contact me by phone (551-3097), by mail (6C Third St., Presque Isle, 04769), or by e-mail (RepJeremy.Fischer@legislature.maine.gov).
