|
by Leroy Moore/Illin' and Chillin'/Executive Director of Disability Advocates of Minorities Org.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is used to having a stuntman
when he gives and takes hits and bullets in his
movies. Well Sacramento is not Hollywood and Governor
Schwarzeneggers ink bullets of his Mid-Year budget
proposals will cause real casualties for the poor, the
elderly and people with disabilities in California. In
his recent bomb shell called the Mid-Year Budget Plan,
Arnold will kick out 74,200 elderly, blind and
disabled from their homes by eliminating Residual
In-Home Supportive Services, IHSS, and Program among
other reduction in social services & entitlements.
The Residual Program provides personal assistance that
includes domestic and laundry services, grocery
running certain errands, meal preparation, and travel
to medical appointments etc... by a homecare worker
i.e. family member or someone you hire to keep
individuals with disabilities and the elderly in the
community and with their family and friends not locked
away in institutions and nursing homes. This trend
toward institutionalization would violate the Olmstead
mandate to provide services in the lest restrictive
setting and leave the State open to litigation.
According to Protection & Advocacy Inc (a law firm of
people with disabilities) approximately 23.4% of IHSS
recipients receive services through the residual
program; however, the residual program comprises only
13% of the total IHSS program costs. His Mid-Term
Budget plan has taught me how out of balance state and
city government are to one another. While Governor
Schwarzenegger is slashing IHSS causing
institutionalization or homelessness, San Franciscos
Mayoral race number one issue is homelessness and
number two is housing. You can see why we have grid
lock in the political arena. Schwarzenegger is taking
our food out of our mouth, stripping us naked and
kicking us out in the Christmas air.
This and many other Mid-Term budget proposals were
fired from Governor Schwarzeneggers pen recently that
will affect people with disabilities, our families and
the elderly. For example, his plan to suspend the
Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act of
1977, Eliminating Non-Core Regional Center Services
i.e. respite services. By eliminating respite care,
Schwarzenegger will be once again breaking up families
who have children with disabilities. Respite care
allows families to care for a family member with
disabilities in their home. For more than ten years,
I have provided respite care for a family who has an
autistic son. They needed that service and I grew as
part of the family because of the respite services I
provided through the Regional Center. This is coming
from a man who advocates for youth and their programs.
How can you tell the whole state to stop growing in
the midst of a booming autism epidemic and the
continuing of disability later in life? Well, the
Enrollment caps for programs for disabled immigrants &
spending caps are doing just that. All of this from a
man whose wife says she is an advocate for people
with disability. Her family is touch by disability
and our issues. So why governor Schwarz egger has
stepped on people with disabilities after the largest
demonstration in Sacramentos history of disabled
people, our families and allies in April of this year,
educating both the Senate & the Houses hearings about
the deadly Daviss propose cuts (that looks like
Governor Schwarz eggers Mid-term budget plan) and his
campaign promises? Who knows but Ive a piece of
advice to our new Governor, like Ronald Regan, Arnold
Schwarz egger will learn quick that Hollywood is not
Sacramento and the people will be knocking on his door
after being wounded from his ink bullets. The season
of sharing is not in Sacramento.
|
