Two California health worker unions staged a protest in downtown Los Angeles this friday
to call attention to the cuts that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering in response to last Tuesdays' special election defeats. California now faces a possible $24 billion budget deficit for 2010.
The governor's cutbacks could include ending the state's main welfare program and eliminating health coverage for the 1.5 million poor children
who benefit from the CalWorks and Healthy families programs. Two million people in general would lose their health care coverage.
Programs for the disabled like IHSS ( In Home Supportive Services ) are deeply under fire.
In the context of IHSS the Governor's proposals are ...........
$40.8 million savings - Limit In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Domestic and Related Services to the Most Functionally Impaired. This proposal, which would become effective October 1, 2009, would limit the provision of domestic and related services to individuals with the highest levels of need.
$38.2 million savings - Limit IHSS Share-of-Cost Buyout to the Most Functionally Impaired . This proposal, which would become effective October 1, 2009, would target the state buyout program, which reduces the costs IHSS recipients whose Medi-Cal share of cost is higher than their IHSS share of cost must incur before receiving subsidized services to persons with the most severe needs.
$114.1 million savings- Limit State Participation in IHSS Wages. This proposal, which would become effective October 1, 2009, would reduce state participation in the wages of IHSS workers to the state minimum wage of $8.00 per hour, plus $0.60 per hour for health benefits.
$248.5 million savings - Reduce Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Grants. This proposal would reduce maximum monthly grants to the minimum federally allowed levels for individuals and couples. This proposal, which would become effective September 1, 2009, would reduce the maximum SSI/SSP grant for an aged/disabled individual to $830 per month and the maximum grant for aged/disabled couples to $1,407 per month.
$15.8 million savings -- IHSS Anti-Fraud Initiative. This proposal would significantly increase the prevention and detection of fraud within the IHSS program, thereby ensuring that scarce resources are being used to serve eligible people and to pay for actual services rendered rather than misdirected.
$301.5 million savings - IHSS Cost Containment. This proposal would target services to the most vulnerable beneficiaries. Specifically, effective October 1, 2009, individuals who require minimal physical assistance from another person to perform an activity would no longer receive domestic and related services, and individuals needing only supervision from another person to perform an activity would no longer be eligible for IHSS services.
An April field poll found that a majority of California voters opposes cuts to public transportation, environmental regulations, water storage and quality, mental health programs, child care, public schools, health care, higher education, and programs for the disabled like IHSS.
The poorly attended special election of May 19th is threatening to leave a wide and vicious swath through the Californian safety net.
At this time the Republican contingency in the State legislature still holds to a platform of no new taxes, fee induction or additional borrowing. They often cite the admirable and even Jeffersonion sentiment of not wanting to saddle future generations with our debts.
The question is : What will be the inheritance of future Californians if these reductions go through ?
The rally was organized by AFSCME’s United Domestic Workers of America (UDWA) and SEIU’s United Long Term Care Workers (SEIU-ULTCW)
April Field Poll
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/30/BA1417BHMA.DTL 