Schwarzenegger Proposes Budget Cuts for Disabled Californians

[Guest guest]

Schwarzenegger Cuts Funding for Elderly, Blind, and Disabled

Californians in Proposed State Budget

$4 billion annual program currently serves 400,000 elderly, blind or

disabled consumers; projected caseloads expected to reach 500,000 by

2012

From the California Progressive Report

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/01/schwarzenegger_64.htm

l

By Jovan Agee

Political and Legislative Director

United Domestic Workers of America

Governor Schwarzenegger today dismissed any possibility of new state

revenues to close a growing budget gap and instead proposed cuts to

a popular state program that allows more than 400,000 California

seniors and people with disabilities to receive home care and avoid

unnecessary, expensive and unwanted institutionalization.

" We understand the magnitude of the budget deficit and that tough

choices must be made, " said Evan LeVang, Co-Chair of the Quality

Homecare Coalition. " However, we do not believe that the health and

welfare of seniors and people with disabilities should be

compromised in order to balance the budget. "

Since elected in 2003, Schwarzenegger has made it an annual practice

to cut funding to the state's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

program, attempting to balance the budget on the backs of the

elderly, blind and people living with disabilities.

" The Legislature would be well-served to automatically dismiss these

cuts as foolish and short-sighted, since the IHSS program ultimately

saves state tax dollars compared to costly alternatives, including

institutional care, " said Herb Meyer, 76, a disabled consumer of

IHSS services in Marin County. " We are forced to remind lawmakers of

this simple fact every year. "

" As the Legislature is forced to demonstrate each year in response

to the Governor's budget, there is ample research and bipartisan

recognition that it is far cheaper to provide in-home services than

to pay for those same services in institutions, " said Deborah Doctor

of Protection & Advocacy Inc. " The Governor has started off 2008

with another hypocritical spending plan; giving lip service to the

most vulnerable Californians while cutting crucial state funding

that allows those same Californians to live independently. "

" We need a fair balancing of this deficit crisis with a combination

approach that includes some revenue raising as well as targeted

program cuts to non-essential services (as opposed to across the

board), " said Frances Gracechild, Co-Chair of the Quality Homecare

Coalition and Executive Director of Resources for Independent

Living. " Some of the tax relief that was prematurely given during

the early Schwarzenegger administration should be returned by the

wealthiest Californians that benefited. "

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut taxes when he first came into office

by what is now nearly $5 billion annually, and he has never made up

the revenue loss. His " car tax " cut now will total over $20 billion

since the governor took office in 2003.

Schwarzenegger's spending plan severely cuts the state's funding for

home care services that provide care for IHSS consumers in their

homes, most of whom are seniors with disabilities. IHSS helps those

seniors and people with disabilities avoid unnecessary, expensive

and unwanted institutional alternatives. The Legislative Analyst

estimates that the annual spending on each IHSS recipient is $9,924,

whereas disabled nursing home patients cost about $60,000 annually.

" Does Governor Schwarzenegger really want his legacy to be that

he'll fly to China to support Olympians with disabilities, while

proposing cuts which would institutionalize people like those

athletes here at home? " said Bill Young, an IHSS consumer in

Sacramento County.

Individuals eligible for IHSS services are disabled, age 65 or

older, or blind, unable to live safely at home without help and have

very low income. The IHSS program uses state, county and federal

funding to enable IHSS consumers to hire a caregiver.

County social workers assess people for IHSS and can authorize up to

283 hours per month of services. Services include housecleaning,

meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, personal care services

(such as bowel and bladder care, bathing, grooming, paramedical

services, accompaniment to medical appointments, and protective

supervision for individuals whose mental status or cognitive

functioning poses a threat to their safety and well-being). IHSS is

the largest publicly funded nonmedical program in the nation

designed to help people with disabilities, the elderly, and blind—

and with limited resources—live safely at home.

Recipients of federal funds—called Supplemental Security Income

(SSI)—and state funds—called State Supplementary Payments (SSP)—are

eligible for IHSS benefits if they demonstrate an assessed need for

IHSS services. SSI is the sole source of income for more than 1.2

million blind, aged and disabled persons, who must rely on the SSI

grant for all their living expenses.

The IHSS program has always received bipartisan support, and is

widely praised as a model state program for helping the elderly and

disabled live independently.

When you have Republicans and Democrats working together to protect

the IHSS program, it's obviously foolish to continue proposing

drastic cuts in state funding to that program. IHSS is fiscally and

morally responsible—the kind of program California taxpayers want to

see more of, rather than dismantled.

" The Governor should remember that this IHSS program touches all

types of Californians—regardless of gender, ethnicity, language or

ability, " said Janie Whiteford, President of the California In-Home

Supportive Services Consumer Alliance. " We cannot stay silent when

he repeatedly proposes cuts that affect so many California families. "

" The Governor has an overly simplified approach to dealing with our

state's budget deficit by only proposing cuts, " said Tyrone Freeman,

President of SEIU United Long-term care Workers Union and Chair of

the California Homecare Council. " The Governor should join lawmakers

in examining new revenue options before pushing cuts to programs

that provide essential, accessible, and affordable health care for

the people with the greatest needs – especially cost-effective

programs like IHSS. "

" The Governor and the legislature surely know that we will flood

their offices with real-life stories spelling out the impact on the

lives of people with disabilities, their families, friends and

caregivers based on the proposed cuts to IHSS, " said Favuzzi,

Executive Director of the California Foundation for Independent

Living Centers. " Hear us loud and clear, we will not be forced into

nursing homes and institutions. "

" The Governor this week made it abundantly clear that he now sees

our state's true budget problem, and now that he cannot fix it with

borrowing, he's resorted to cutting the most successful state

programs, " said Joan Lee, Legislative Liaison of Gray Panthers

California. " He should go to the homes of those who receive care

under IHSS. Perhaps then he would realize the full impact of what

he's doing to nearly one-half million voters in California. "

" We can always rely on Governor Schwarzenegger to chop away at the

budget of the In-Home Supportive Services program, " said IHSS

consumer advocate Wilkins. " He has not learned that his

obsession with cutting these funds is ultimately undermining all of

our attempts to bring California in compliance with the Americans

with Disabilities Act. " The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people

with disabilities have a right to receive care in the most

integrated setting appropriate and that unnecessary

institutionalization is in violation of federal law.

" Ask California taxpayers which programs they want their tax dollars

to fund, and I cannot believe that they'd support cutting IHSS in

favor of the more expensive option of institutional care, " said Ed

s, Chair of the Nevada Sierra Regional IHSS Advisory Committee.

" This Governor is bound and determined to punish the workers who

care for people with disabilities, including seniors, " said Carolynn

Heilig, a provider of IHSS services for 14 years in Marin

County. " He proposes these cuts that mean consumers in the IHSS

program will not be receiving proper service. They will be put at

great risk, and the Governor needs to do his homework before

including these cuts in his spending plan. "

Jovan Agee is the political and legislative director for the United

Domestic Workers of America in Sacramento.

Posted on January 10, 2008

$4 billion annual program currently serves 400,000 elderly, blind or

disabled consumers; projected caseloads expected to reach 500,000 by

2012

By Jovan Agee

Political and Legislative Director

United Domestic Workers of America

Governor Schwarzenegger today dismissed any possibility of new state

revenues to close a growing budget gap and instead proposed cuts to

a popular state program that allows more than 400,000 California

seniors and people with disabilities to receive home care and avoid

unnecessary, expensive and unwanted institutionalization.

" We understand the magnitude of the budget deficit and that tough

choices must be made, " said Evan LeVang, Co-Chair of the Quality

Homecare Coalition. " However, we do not believe that the health and

welfare of seniors and people with disabilities should be

compromised in order to balance the budget. "

Since elected in 2003, Schwarzenegger has made it an annual practice

to cut funding to the state's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)

program, attempting to balance the budget on the backs of the

elderly, blind and people living with disabilities.

" The Legislature would be well-served to automatically dismiss these

cuts as foolish and short-sighted, since the IHSS program ultimately

saves state tax dollars compared to costly alternatives, including

institutional care, " said Herb Meyer, 76, a disabled consumer of

IHSS services in Marin County. " We are forced to remind lawmakers of

this simple fact every year. "

" As the Legislature is forced to demonstrate each year in response

to the Governor's budget, there is ample research and bipartisan

recognition that it is far cheaper to provide in-home services than

to pay for those same services in institutions, " said Deborah Doctor

of Protection & Advocacy Inc. " The Governor has started off 2008

with another hypocritical spending plan; giving lip service to the

most vulnerable Californians while cutting crucial state funding

that allows those same Californians to live independently. "

" We need a fair balancing of this deficit crisis with a combination

approach that includes some revenue raising as well as targeted

program cuts to non-essential services (as opposed to across the

board), " said Frances Gracechild, Co-Chair of the Quality Homecare

Coalition and Executive Director of Resources for Independent

Living. " Some of the tax relief that was prematurely given during

the early Schwarzenegger administration should be returned by the

wealthiest Californians that benefited. "

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut taxes when he first came into office

by what is now nearly $5 billion annually, and he has never made up

the revenue loss. His " car tax " cut now will total over $20 billion

since the governor took office in 2003.

Schwarzenegger's spending plan severely cuts the state's funding for

home care services that provide care for IHSS consumers in their

homes, most of whom are seniors with disabilities. IHSS helps those

seniors and people with disabilities avoid unnecessary, expensive

and unwanted institutional alternatives. The Legislative Analyst

estimates that the annual spending on each IHSS recipient is $9,924,

whereas disabled nursing home patients cost about $60,000 annually.

" Does Governor Schwarzenegger really want his legacy to be that

he'll fly to China to support Olympians with disabilities, while

proposing cuts which would institutionalize people like those

athletes here at home? " said Bill Young, an IHSS consumer in

Sacramento County.

Individuals eligible for IHSS services are disabled, age 65 or

older, or blind, unable to live safely at home without help and have

very low income. The IHSS program uses state, county and federal

funding to enable IHSS consumers to hire a caregiver.

County social workers assess people for IHSS and can authorize up to

283 hours per month of services. Services include housecleaning,

meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, personal care services

(such as bowel and bladder care, bathing, grooming, paramedical

services, accompaniment to medical appointments, and protective

supervision for individuals whose mental status or cognitive

functioning poses a threat to their safety and well-being). IHSS is

the largest publicly funded nonmedical program in the nation

designed to help people with disabilities, the elderly, and blind—

and with limited resources—live safely at home.

Recipients of federal funds—called Supplemental Security Income

(SSI)—and state funds—called State Supplementary Payments (SSP)—are

eligible for IHSS benefits if they demonstrate an assessed need for

IHSS services. SSI is the sole source of income for more than 1.2

million blind, aged and disabled persons, who must rely on the SSI

grant for all their living expenses.

The IHSS program has always received bipartisan support, and is

widely praised as a model state program for helping the elderly and

disabled live independently.

When you have Republicans and Democrats working together to protect

the IHSS program, it's obviously foolish to continue proposing

drastic cuts in state funding to that program. IHSS is fiscally and

morally responsible—the kind of program California taxpayers want to

see more of, rather than dismantled.

" The Governor should remember that this IHSS program touches all

types of Californians—regardless of gender, ethnicity, language or

ability, " said Janie Whiteford, President of the California In-Home

Supportive Services Consumer Alliance. " We cannot stay silent when

he repeatedly proposes cuts that affect so many California families. "

" The Governor has an overly simplified approach to dealing with our

state's budget deficit by only proposing cuts, " said Tyrone Freeman,

President of SEIU United Long-term care Workers Union and Chair of

the California Homecare Council. " The Governor should join lawmakers

in examining new revenue options before pushing cuts to programs

that provide essential, accessible, and affordable health care for

the people with the greatest needs – especially cost-effective

programs like IHSS. "

" The Governor and the legislature surely know that we will flood

their offices with real-life stories spelling out the impact on the

lives of people with disabilities, their families, friends and

caregivers based on the proposed cuts to IHSS, " said Favuzzi,

Executive Director of the California Foundation for Independent

Living Centers. " Hear us loud and clear, we will not be forced into

nursing homes and institutions. "

" The Governor this week made it abundantly clear that he now sees

our state's true budget problem, and now that he cannot fix it with

borrowing, he's resorted to cutting the most successful state

programs, " said Joan Lee, Legislative Liaison of Gray Panthers

California. " He should go to the homes of those who receive care

under IHSS. Perhaps then he would realize the full impact of what

he's doing to nearly one-half million voters in California. "

" We can always rely on Governor Schwarzenegger to chop away at the

budget of the In-Home Supportive Services program, " said IHSS

consumer advocate Wilkins. " He has not learned that his

obsession with cutting these funds is ultimately undermining all of

our attempts to bring California in compliance with the Americans

with Disabilities Act. " The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people

with disabilities have a right to receive care in the most

integrated setting appropriate and that unnecessary

institutionalization is in violation of federal law.

" Ask California taxpayers which programs they want their tax dollars

to fund, and I cannot believe that they'd support cutting IHSS in

favor of the more expensive option of institutional care, " said Ed

s, Chair of the Nevada Sierra Regional IHSS Advisory Committee.

" This Governor is bound and determined to punish the workers who

care for people with disabilities, including seniors, " said Carolynn

Heilig, a provider of IHSS services for 14 years in Marin

County. " He proposes these cuts that mean consumers in the IHSS

program will not be receiving proper service. They will be put at

great risk, and the Governor needs to do his homework before

including these cuts in his spending plan. "

Jovan Agee is the political and legislative director for the United

Domestic Workers of America in Sacramento.

Posted on January 10, 2008