After all these years, HSD should clean up its act

It would appear the state’s Human Services Department still isn’t getting the message from federal courts: Clean up your act and make sure the people who qualify for food and medical assistance get it. And ensure taxpayers their money is going where it should.

U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Gonzales on Tuesday held HSD Secretary Brent Earnest in contempt for failing to follow past court orders to improve how HSD administers the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, and Medicaid benefits.

The judge’s order upheld recommended findings that Earnest didn’t try hard enough to comply with the court directives for handling Medicaid renewals, eligibility for immigrants, employee training and other requirements.

The case was first filed in 1988 by the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty and has spawned years of legal wrangling, court orders and a consent decree.

In June, the state’s entire congressional delegation called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General to investigate several allegations against the department. In August, Gonzales stopped short of placing the agency under an independent overseer, but did order a special master to work with the department to ensure the program is being run properly.

It is a good sign that the department also said it wanted the special master.

The department no doubt faces huge challenges, given the flood of new Medicaid recipients and the high numbers of benefit requests in a state where the economy is anemic at best. And it’s not as if the federal government is any better. Just look across at the VA Hospital system. Judge Gonzales could have a field day over there.

But still, this is not a comforting picture. These problems have been left uncorrected for nearly three decades under governors of both parties. Now, it’s past time for this agency to start following orders and start adequately serving the people it is tasked with helping — instead of making excuses.