Readers Write: Autism services fraud investigations, nonprofit hardships, judicial races, addiction

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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We can all agree that the ongoing discoveries of fraud perpetrated on various Department of Human Services programs is alarming. DHS shared two potential next steps that could bring additional oversight (“Autism service providers probed,” Sept. 19). Conspicuously absent are anti-fraud requirements for program participants, such as having internal risk management/managers, anti-fraud policies and procedures, conducting fraud risk assessments to identify gaps in control processes and close them, and the like. We also need enhanced anti-fraud practices at the Office of Inspector General and state agencies.

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ 2024 Report To The Nations indicates that government and public administration is the No. 3 victim industry by count of cases (296) of occupational fraud, with most cases resulting from corruption, followed by billing schemes. The average loss was $2.3 million that wasn’t discovered for 12 months.

Establishing anti-fraud controls reduces losses and leads to quicker detection. Per the ACFE report, the following practices resulted in 50% loss reduction: fraud training for managers/executives, having an anti-fraud policy and proactive data monitoring/analysis. A 47% loss reduction resulted from fraud training for employees and formal fraud risk assessments.

I hope all state programs, local governments, businesses of all sizes, nonprofits, clubs and religious organizations review the ACFE report and take actions to implement an anti-fraud program and practices with the help of a certified fraud examiner. Ask your lawyer or accountant if they have a CFE on staff to assist you. You can also see the report at tinyurl.com/acfe-fraud-report.

Dan Patton, Minneapolis

The writer is a retired certified fraud examiner.

“Nonprofits’ dwindling reserves” (Sept. 19) was a very good article on some of the problems Minnesota nonprofit organizations are facing in 2024. While the scope and purpose of nonprofit organizations varies widely, most rely on volunteers in one capacity or another and rely on financial donations. According to the article, both are down significantly since 2020. At the same time, the demand for social services and assistance with the basics of food, shelter and clothing are up significantly. So what has changed in the last four to eight years? Well, several things come to mind. One is that the rapid expansion of nonprofits is running into some of the fundamental laws of economics. Simply put, there are too many nonprofits chasing a declining number of donors and volunteers. Another is that the political landscape has changed, and we are in the midst of another contentious presidential election that is sucking all of the energy and money out of the room. Donations that might normally flow to nonprofits are going to candidates, political parties, PACs and super PACs. Finally, the Supreme Court decision in 2010 in the Citizens United case opened the floodgates to virtually unlimited donations and spending in political campaigns, and that’s exactly what we are seeing now. It is a staggering amount of money. While there is no guarantee that money would end up in nonprofit organizations instead, I think it is fair to say that some of it would. I think it also fair to say that a small fraction of what is being raised and spent in the presidential and congressional races this year would go a long way toward meeting the needs of nonprofit organizations struggling to help people with the basics of food, shelter, clothing, health and education. One more thing to ponder this election season.

David Witte, Plymouth

I urge voters living in the 10th Judicial District to vote for Judge Helen R. Brosnahan as a judge. If you live in Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington or Wright County, cast your vote for her.

I have known Brosnahan for over two decades. We met when she practiced law with my former law firm, LeVander, Gillen, and Miller, where she excelled as a lawyer. Brosnahan and her family place a high value on public service. She believed that she could better serve that ethic by joining the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, where she continued to excel.

As an assistant county attorney she served as a “minister of justice.” She not only attempted to be just but also to do the right thing. Doing the latter is a trait needed to be a good judge. When seeking to be just, she always makes sure that she attempts to do the right thing.

Her work with the county brought her to the attention of the governor’s Judicial Selection Committee, which recommend she be appointed to the Washington County District Court. Her service on that court has been excellent. She has a strong work ethic and high ethical standards she always adheres to.

When our civic institutions are under constant attack, it is important that they are populated by good people who do their job well. Judge Helen Brosnahan has proven that she does so. She deserves your vote on Nov. 5.

Paul H. Anderson, Inver Grove Heights

The writer is a retired Minnesota Supreme Court justice.

As we reflect on Jim Ramstad’s passing on Nov. 5, 2020, we should remember his tireless work in mental health and addiction recovery. His leadership, particularly through the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, gave countless people a real chance at a better life. But Ramstad’s work wasn’t the end — it was just the beginning.

Addiction is everywhere — whether it’s alcohol in the suburbs, opioids in rural towns or fentanyl on our city streets. It touches every family, every community. Yet recovery still isn’t the priority in Minnesota that it needs to be. Addiction isn’t a character flaw — it’s a disease. Minnesota, home to some of the best recovery organizations in the world, is uniquely positioned to lead.

Ramstad’s legacy challenges us to stop waiting and start acting. Use your voice and your vote, and after the election, use your time, sweat and tears. Recovery isn’t just about saving lives — it’s about bringing us together in ways we never imagined … or perhaps only Ramstad did.

McLean Donnelly, Lutsen, Minn.

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I was pleased to see the article “One man’s fight to end his opioid addiction” (Sept. 14) and the accompanying article about Dr. David Frenz, an addiction specialist (“Suboxone ends cravings, but has critics”). Both of these men have been especially important contributors to addiction recovery and important allies for me personally and professionally. Although reading William Cope Moyers’ recent book was a surprising journey back to my own son, Aaron’s, lost battle to heroin addiction in 2007, Moyers is also the person who championed my own work as a family recovery coach and advocate since 2012. I did not expect to be sad, mad and finally glad about this particular recovery journey of Moyers’. I was sad and mad because I felt just as betrayed and angry about his deceptive behavior as a practicing opioid addict as I did my own son’s behavior. I thought that because of who he has been in my life, there was nothing he could do to disappoint me. Wrong! Addictive behavior looks the same on anyone, no matter what clothes or title they wear and has the same effect on those who care about them.

I was very glad to see him come to terms with the fact that it was his own notoriety and recovery capital that used to buoy him up that eventually allowed his addiction to pain opioids to slip between the cracks of trusted colleagues, friends and family. It was his honesty and vulnerability about walking the same path as those in Frenz’s waiting room that won me over in the end. This is a must-read for anyone who does not understand how opioid addiction and recovery may need to be different from other addictions and recovery. Moyers finally seems to understand that the most important thing about anyone seeking recovery is that they remain a seeker until they find the right path for them.

Gloria Ann Englund, Richfield

Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled William Cope Moyers’ name.