The Governor’s 4 crazy ideas (restricting in-home care workers to the state and/or local minimum wage; family members banned from being in-home care workers for relatives; banning convicted felons from being in-home care workers; physical incapacity is okay, being a hoarder/clutterer isn’t enough for in-home care) have been zapped with a restraining order. Peter E. Sheehan, of The Social Justice Law Project (510-16th Street, Suite 201; Oakland, CA 94612), requested the restraining order on behalf of Mark Beckwith and others.
The case will be heard in the Superior Court in Oakland, CA, January 29th, 2010, by Judge of the Superior Court Frank Roesch, at 9a.m., unless a possible move to a friendlier court (Lake County is, in this elder poverty scholar’s opinion, high on the list of anti in-home care worker “friendly” spots for a venue move) happens. Otherwise, get there early to get a good seat!
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors will vote on a resolution to ban finger printing of elders and their in-home care providers, and unannounced visits by “fraud cops”, on December 19th, 2009 at the Public Services Committee meeting. Call the Clerk of the Board of Supes for information on the time of the meeting. Some elders (including cancer patients) have lost their fingerprints due to medication side effects. Age also wears out some folks’ fingerprints.
The most common discovery of in-home care clients’ “fraud” by investigators is in the range of 75 cents to $2 per month due to age-related deterioration of math skills and memory problems. This elder poverty scholar is not aware of any in-home care client with an gazillion dollar off-shore bank account generating giant sucking sounds from the taxpayers of California.
Stayed tuned to the Bad Bruce Channel for more updates.
A note from Thornton Kimes. Governor Schwarzenegger appeared at a Bay Area food bank the week of December 7th- 11th, 2009, to ask everyone to do their part for poor people. I’m amazed my television didn’t turn blue, the words I was saying. The unbelieveable chutzpah and high-order irony factor certainly should have.
Maria Shriver, “the Wifeinator”, who has been challenged by many asking her to confront her husband about his budget cuts hurting the poor (and in-home health care clients) more than anyone else in California, recently hosted another of her annual conferences celebrating women. Women have been threatened and/or hurt more than anyone, yet the Wifeinator said no. I’m hoping people remember this in 2010 when Maria wants folks to be happy campers about yet another of her annual conferences.