Showing posts with label IHSS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IHSS. Show all posts
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
New wage to be $10.20 /hr for Alameda Co. July 1st, 2009
[From the Berkeley Disabled Yahoo group]
This statement is supposed to go on every paycheck/timesheet issued to an
Alameda County IHSS provider until July 15. I was in Charles Calavan's
office on June 4 when he put in that request to Rancho Cordova.
Per phone conv this evening, Susannah McDevitt of SEIU-ULTCW (Local 6434)
the union has filed a grievance with the county and will go so far to sue
them for violation of contract which states that the county will use Federal
Stimulus dollars to replace what the State taketh away. Let's not hold our
breath. At best it will be retroactive.
meanwhile, the real threat is looming as of October 1, when the proposal is
to reduce State contribution to IHSS to $8/hr, threatening our health
benefits as well. Oh, and that's just for those of us who still have jobs.
most (81% in Alameda County, probably 90% statewide) of current IHSS
recipients will be rendered ineligible by new criteria. That criteria is the
AVERAGE functional index score, which was never designed to measure
eligibility for services. Hello, California? Are you listening?
Nick Feldman called a last minute meeting in his office this afternoon where
a handful of advocates discussed strategies. We agreed that we need to piggy
back on what other groups are doing and join in. We are waiting for
callbacks for more information. Tonight I heard from Susannah from SEIU. in
addition to the information regarding Ala. Co, she told me that they just
learned today that the Conference Committee will be voting on Monday June 15
on the IHSS wages, benefits, and eligibility criteria. They will have a bus
(probably not w/c accessible) leaving their offices at 440 Grand Ave at 5:00
am, unless they hear of a specific time that they will be voting on our
issue in which case it may be later. Stay tuned for Action for IHSS plans
for Monday in Sacramento.
There may be a direct action event on Thursday but given this latest news of
the hearing being on Monday, there may be no point. I am waiting for
information on that and will post that and other updates on the Action for
IHSS listserve. You can join by sending an email to
act4ihss-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
thanks for asking, gmmper.
hannah jo.
ps: one little thing that really gets me is that for every dollar that the
Terminator chops from our wages, the State only saves a quarter. (someone
told me this - can't explain how that works).
This statement is supposed to go on every paycheck/timesheet issued to an
Alameda County IHSS provider until July 15. I was in Charles Calavan's
office on June 4 when he put in that request to Rancho Cordova.
Per phone conv this evening, Susannah McDevitt of SEIU-ULTCW (Local 6434)
the union has filed a grievance with the county and will go so far to sue
them for violation of contract which states that the county will use Federal
Stimulus dollars to replace what the State taketh away. Let's not hold our
breath. At best it will be retroactive.
meanwhile, the real threat is looming as of October 1, when the proposal is
to reduce State contribution to IHSS to $8/hr, threatening our health
benefits as well. Oh, and that's just for those of us who still have jobs.
most (81% in Alameda County, probably 90% statewide) of current IHSS
recipients will be rendered ineligible by new criteria. That criteria is the
AVERAGE functional index score, which was never designed to measure
eligibility for services. Hello, California? Are you listening?
Nick Feldman called a last minute meeting in his office this afternoon where
a handful of advocates discussed strategies. We agreed that we need to piggy
back on what other groups are doing and join in. We are waiting for
callbacks for more information. Tonight I heard from Susannah from SEIU. in
addition to the information regarding Ala. Co, she told me that they just
learned today that the Conference Committee will be voting on Monday June 15
on the IHSS wages, benefits, and eligibility criteria. They will have a bus
(probably not w/c accessible) leaving their offices at 440 Grand Ave at 5:00
am, unless they hear of a specific time that they will be voting on our
issue in which case it may be later. Stay tuned for Action for IHSS plans
for Monday in Sacramento.
There may be a direct action event on Thursday but given this latest news of
the hearing being on Monday, there may be no point. I am waiting for
information on that and will post that and other updates on the Action for
IHSS listserve. You can join by sending an email to
act4ihss-subscribe@
thanks for asking, gmmper.
hannah jo.
ps: one little thing that really gets me is that for every dollar that the
Terminator chops from our wages, the State only saves a quarter. (someone
told me this - can't explain how that works).
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Decisions
Hi all,
After Marty resigned, I have decided to take next Monday through Thursday with my own funds if I cannot get any donations, and go lobby in Sacramento and make our voices heard. I am very excited to know that on Thursday there will be a direct action. All my clients depend on IHSS and the regional center (another 7% cut across the board for providers). For the first time in my life as an advocate, I need to find hope that people believe in social change, and that we can still make a difference, and stop these cuts. I do not want to see mass graves of deceased disabled people who have died in their own filth and waste because instead of going to a nursing home, they would rather live in their own homes at the sacrifice of their lives.
I hate the feeling of the hundreds of thousands of providers who have spent years fighting for a living wage, and health insurance, only to be set back...when I got involved, Hannah and I went to San Francisco and Sacramento for the wages of IHSS to go up, and to get health insurance. The time has come to get out from behind our computer screens and do what needs to be done. Remember, it took all those people climbing up the stairs to get the ADA to pass. It took thousands of assistants, but we also got Olmstead through the courts. And now we have the biggest fight of our lives-and I really do mean OUR lives-no one is around to call themselves the leader, so we all must join together and be each other's leaders. We must realize that we have been called out on all of our vulnerabilities and this will be the hardest fight we've ever had, but we must prevail, if not for ourselves, then for the voices that cannot fight.
Everyone has their role. We must inform people to keep writing letters, to keep making phone calls, to keep talking to the neighbors, and to keep spreading the word. We have to let the secret out of the bag that we will not take this lackadaisical and apathetic approach as our lives are slowly getting stripped of dignity and respect.
I think the mood right now is scared to death all over. I think we have no choice but to take direct action. Psychologically this has done something weird to all of us. I know I personally could use some phone calls of assurance that other people are willing to demonstrate and advocate. I feel this dark cloud in my stomach of just mere basic survival and losing control. Institutions for some people are not out of the question, and that right there is justice for one, justice for all, and when what I mean to say is that institutions are going to be overcrowded, and understaffed, and some of my own friends can't end up there because the feeling of depression alone will kill them. I worry about the SSI that people use to put food on their tables, and most of all, the children. The children of our future, with and without disabilities will suffer, and so will families. I am really upset and concerned that we are not doing more. I don't mean just going to Sacramento, I mean having meetings with each other, developing phone trees, having guerrilla theater, and most of all, screaming "WE WON'T TAKE THESE CUTS ANYMORE!"
Getting all of the non-profits and ILCs involved is critical as well. I am hoping that Thursday will bring about some real change. I don't like doing this, but I will be very happy to open up my home for meetings all weekend. I just need to know the 5 Ws. Free our people now!
Nick
After Marty resigned, I have decided to take next Monday through Thursday with my own funds if I cannot get any donations, and go lobby in Sacramento and make our voices heard. I am very excited to know that on Thursday there will be a direct action. All my clients depend on IHSS and the regional center (another 7% cut across the board for providers). For the first time in my life as an advocate, I need to find hope that people believe in social change, and that we can still make a difference, and stop these cuts. I do not want to see mass graves of deceased disabled people who have died in their own filth and waste because instead of going to a nursing home, they would rather live in their own homes at the sacrifice of their lives.
I hate the feeling of the hundreds of thousands of providers who have spent years fighting for a living wage, and health insurance, only to be set back...when I got involved, Hannah and I went to San Francisco and Sacramento for the wages of IHSS to go up, and to get health insurance. The time has come to get out from behind our computer screens and do what needs to be done. Remember, it took all those people climbing up the stairs to get the ADA to pass. It took thousands of assistants, but we also got Olmstead through the courts. And now we have the biggest fight of our lives-and I really do mean OUR lives-no one is around to call themselves the leader, so we all must join together and be each other's leaders. We must realize that we have been called out on all of our vulnerabilities and this will be the hardest fight we've ever had, but we must prevail, if not for ourselves, then for the voices that cannot fight.
Everyone has their role. We must inform people to keep writing letters, to keep making phone calls, to keep talking to the neighbors, and to keep spreading the word. We have to let the secret out of the bag that we will not take this lackadaisical and apathetic approach as our lives are slowly getting stripped of dignity and respect.
I think the mood right now is scared to death all over. I think we have no choice but to take direct action. Psychologically this has done something weird to all of us. I know I personally could use some phone calls of assurance that other people are willing to demonstrate and advocate. I feel this dark cloud in my stomach of just mere basic survival and losing control. Institutions for some people are not out of the question, and that right there is justice for one, justice for all, and when what I mean to say is that institutions are going to be overcrowded, and understaffed, and some of my own friends can't end up there because the feeling of depression alone will kill them. I worry about the SSI that people use to put food on their tables, and most of all, the children. The children of our future, with and without disabilities will suffer, and so will families. I am really upset and concerned that we are not doing more. I don't mean just going to Sacramento, I mean having meetings with each other, developing phone trees, having guerrilla theater, and most of all, screaming "WE WON'T TAKE THESE CUTS ANYMORE!"
Getting all of the non-profits and ILCs involved is critical as well. I am hoping that Thursday will bring about some real change. I don't like doing this, but I will be very happy to open up my home for meetings all weekend. I just need to know the 5 Ws. Free our people now!
Nick
Monday, June 8, 2009
Budget Cuts and My Participation
Dear Friends,
As I sit here at my computer, I am pondering the new budget cuts and how they will affect people with disabilities and the people who provide personal care for them. As a person who has a disability myself, I have cerebral palsy and I am both a client of In Home Supportive Services (I.H.S.S.) as well as the regional centers that care for people with developmental disabilities.
The governor has proposed a two dollar an hour cut to IHSS and a reduction in hours to clients who do not make the functional scale will lose hours. Right now the cuts for IHSS depend on the county you live in.
The department of developmental disability (DDS) who control the 21 regional centers that provides services to clients who have cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation, autism, deaf and hard of hearing, have already undergone a 3% cut in March of this year. The governor is proposing another 7% cut effective July 1st. This is to all providers and service providers for all regional centers.
Ultimately, I am under the impression that these cuts are not legal under the Olmstead Act as well as other disability rights. But more importantly I believe that the quality of life of people with disabilities will suffer and it will move us back in time to a place where institutions were the norm and people with disabilities were never integrated into society.
Today people with disabilities get educated, work, have relationships, and most importantly be an everyday part of society. The governor is putting this all at risk.
In lieu of the resignation of several major disability advocates, I would like to ask for donations and your involvement of allowing me the financial ability to go to Sacramento. I will also need all of you to demonstrate alongside of me and try one last time to maintain what we have now. I want to let you all know that I am a working man and feel its necessary to assert all of my time and energy to this critical cause. I hope all of you share my compassion and that you will act to make a better quality of life for all people because if we are not successful in getting these cuts removed, we can only blame the people who do nothing. In advance I thank you for your support but more importantly, I urge you to contact me, come to Sacramento, and help me convince governor Schwarzenegger that these cuts violate civil rights and the well beings of people lives.
Donations can be taken through Paypal.com, and the email address is daretodream94704@yahoo.com
Thank you all for your support,
Nicholas Feldman
As I sit here at my computer, I am pondering the new budget cuts and how they will affect people with disabilities and the people who provide personal care for them. As a person who has a disability myself, I have cerebral palsy and I am both a client of In Home Supportive Services (I.H.S.S.) as well as the regional centers that care for people with developmental disabilities.
The governor has proposed a two dollar an hour cut to IHSS and a reduction in hours to clients who do not make the functional scale will lose hours. Right now the cuts for IHSS depend on the county you live in.
The department of developmental disability (DDS) who control the 21 regional centers that provides services to clients who have cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation, autism, deaf and hard of hearing, have already undergone a 3% cut in March of this year. The governor is proposing another 7% cut effective July 1st. This is to all providers and service providers for all regional centers.
Ultimately, I am under the impression that these cuts are not legal under the Olmstead Act as well as other disability rights. But more importantly I believe that the quality of life of people with disabilities will suffer and it will move us back in time to a place where institutions were the norm and people with disabilities were never integrated into society.
Today people with disabilities get educated, work, have relationships, and most importantly be an everyday part of society. The governor is putting this all at risk.
In lieu of the resignation of several major disability advocates, I would like to ask for donations and your involvement of allowing me the financial ability to go to Sacramento. I will also need all of you to demonstrate alongside of me and try one last time to maintain what we have now. I want to let you all know that I am a working man and feel its necessary to assert all of my time and energy to this critical cause. I hope all of you share my compassion and that you will act to make a better quality of life for all people because if we are not successful in getting these cuts removed, we can only blame the people who do nothing. In advance I thank you for your support but more importantly, I urge you to contact me, come to Sacramento, and help me convince governor Schwarzenegger that these cuts violate civil rights and the well beings of people lives.
Donations can be taken through Paypal.com, and the email address is daretodream94704@yahoo.com
Thank you all for your support,
Nicholas Feldman
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
IHSS and the California Budget
These people deserve a very high wage. People with all sorts of disabilities require all sorts of assistance, and people on IHSS always seem to pay really low. In 1994 the wage for an IHSS worker was $7/hr, and I, and many other people, have fought very hard to get it to $10.50/hr. This includes many trips to Sacramento to be with legislators. We have sat through hours, and hours of rallies, and it's come back to this.
(Found on the Bay Area Special Needs Yahoo Group:)
I just wanted to share what is written in the most recent SEIU newsletter with regards to proposed budget cuts:
Return to minimum wage: decrease from 11.50 per hour to 8.00, a significant difference in pay.
Loss of hours: domestic-related services would be eliminated for functional index 1-3 (preparing food, feeding, cleaning, shopping) This could mean up to 20% reductions for consumers.
Changes to functional index scores: These determine level of need: a Functional Index Score of 1 means "can perform task independently" and a score of 5 means "cannot function without assistance". The proposal is to eliminate those with an average 1-3 score.
There are rallies coming up and we as parents to the consumers can have a strong voice in this area. It should not be surprising to most of us that the majority of support workers are underemployed, less educated, often of immigrant worker status and may not have the same privileges that many of us enjoy, so their need for a voice is very important and we can fulfill that role. While the workers have union representation through SEIU, they may not be aware of their rights.
(Found on the Bay Area Special Needs Yahoo Group:)
I just wanted to share what is written in the most recent SEIU newsletter with regards to proposed budget cuts:
Return to minimum wage: decrease from 11.50 per hour to 8.00, a significant difference in pay.
Loss of hours: domestic-related services would be eliminated for functional index 1-3 (preparing food, feeding, cleaning, shopping) This could mean up to 20% reductions for consumers.
Changes to functional index scores: These determine level of need: a Functional Index Score of 1 means "can perform task independently" and a score of 5 means "cannot function without assistance". The proposal is to eliminate those with an average 1-3 score.
There are rallies coming up and we as parents to the consumers can have a strong voice in this area. It should not be surprising to most of us that the majority of support workers are underemployed, less educated, often of immigrant worker status and may not have the same privileges that many of us enjoy, so their need for a voice is very important and we can fulfill that role. While the workers have union representation through SEIU, they may not be aware of their rights.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Meeting New People
Today I met five people. I hired a few of them to work for me on a personal care base program. I hope that these people will work out.
I had lunch at the Vietnamese restaurant, and ordered shrimp rolls. I had a few drinks when I came home. I had a good dinner.
------------------------
Many people have problems with getting IHSS in Alameda county. Unfortunately, I am now one of those people. Despite being cleared by Medi-Cal, IHSS is refusing to pay. I have been using my personal income to pay for IHSS, and it's not fair. Let me know your input,
Nick
I had lunch at the Vietnamese restaurant, and ordered shrimp rolls. I had a few drinks when I came home. I had a good dinner.
------------------------
Many people have problems with getting IHSS in Alameda county. Unfortunately, I am now one of those people. Despite being cleared by Medi-Cal, IHSS is refusing to pay. I have been using my personal income to pay for IHSS, and it's not fair. Let me know your input,
Nick
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