Rhode Island’s 208-bed Veterans Home in Bristol, which opened in 2017, has become one more example of the difficulties Gov. Gina Raimondo has had administering the state’s basic functions. It is not a disaster on the scale of the UHIP computer system — not yet, anyway. But for months, people have criticized its cost overruns and financial mismanagement. According to the administration, it is still running a $2-million deficit with a $23-million budget. Notably, it has failed to address glaring problems with staff absenteeism (see “Report recommends new cost-cutting moves at R.I. Veterans Home,” Feb. 27, by Journal Staff Writer Tom Mooney). According to a review team investigating the problems, 5.6 medical staff “call-outs” occur per day, while 21 workers are currently out on long-term leave. That has driven up overtime costs and left supervisors performing roles of the people they are supposed to be supervising. “Lost productivity” has cost the taxpayers a whopping $1.6 million, the team found. Meanwhile, the contract for housekeeping at the home has tripled to $1.4 million. All this adds to a growing perception that the governor — who has been active in national politics, most recently with Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg — is failing to pay sufficient attention to Rhode Island. It also surely makes it more difficult for her to expand the role of state government — as she tries to do in her new budget — if the administration seems overwhelmed by its existing challenges. The most troubling problem with the new home is that its doorways and emergency exits are unable to accommodate residents with large wheelchairs. “This is insanity,” said Patricia Serpa, chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, at a recent hearing, when the administration discussed its sluggish plans for fixing the problem (“Lawmakers rip Raimondo administration over contracts,” March 1, by Journal Political Writer Katherine Gregg). “Six months is baloney,” Ms. Serpa said. “Why is the situation at the Veterans Home … not considered an emergency?” That is a very good question. “If my father or grandfather were there in that nursing home, and there [was] a fire and he couldn’t get out, why is that not an emergency?” Ms. Serpa asked. When Amanda Clarke, the Department of Administration chief of staff, began explaining “there are other ways out of the building,” Chairwoman Serpa would have none of it. “No, no, no, no, no. No,” Ms. Serpa said. “That is unacceptable. “We have six emergency doors that need immediate repair. That’s an emergency. I don’t care if there are 10 other ways out of the building. That is an emergency. It needs to be fixed within a few days.” Days after the public hearing, state officials say they have a plan to help veterans evacuate in the event of an emergency, and that some of the emergency doors will in fact accommodate veterans’ large wheelchairs. Be that as it may, all of the doors need to be fixed, lest someone be hurt. We thank Ms. Serpa for speaking out so passionately. In politics, it is easier to go along and get along. But she’s right. Six months is baloney.