 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| tony@thearcca.org |
 |
|
News
New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests New York Times January 19, 2012 Proposed changes in the definition of autism would sharply reduce the skyrocketing rate at which the disorder is diagnosed and might make it harder for many people who would no longer meet the criteria to get health, educational and social services, a new analysis suggests… The psychiatrists’ association is wrestling with one of the most agonizing questions in mental health — where to draw the line between unusual and abnormal — and its decisions are sure to be wrenching for some families. At a time when school budgets for special education are stretched, the new diagnosis could herald more pitched battles. Tens of thousands of people receive state-backed services to help offset the disorders’ disabling effects, which include sometimes severe learning and social problems, and the diagnosis is in many ways central to their lives. Close networks of parents have bonded over common experiences with children; and the children, too, may grow to find a sense of their own identity in their struggle with the disorder. The proposed changes would probably exclude people with a diagnosis who were higher functioning. “I’m very concerned about the change in diagnosis, because I wonder if my daughter would even qualify,” said Mary Meyer of Ramsey, N.J. A diagnosis of Asperger syndrome was crucial to helping her daughter, who is 37, gain access to services that have helped tremendously. “She’s on disability, which is partly based on the Asperger’s; and I’m hoping to get her into supportive housing, which also depends on her diagnosis.”
The new analysis, presented Thursday at a meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association, opens a debate about just how many people the proposed diagnosis would affect. The changes would narrow the diagnosis so much that it could effectively end the autism surge, said Dr. Fred R. Volkmar, director of the Child Study Center at the Yale School of Medicine and an author of the new analysis of the proposal. “We would nip it in the bud.” Experts working for the Psychiatric Association on the manual’s new definition — a group from which Dr. Volkmar resigned early on — strongly disagree about the proposed changes’ impact. “I don’t know how they’re getting those numbers,” Catherine Lord, a member of the task force working on the diagnosis, said about Dr. Volkmar’s report. Previous projections have concluded that far fewer people would be excluded under the change, said Dr. Lord, director of the Institute for Brain Development, a joint project of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Columbia University Medical Center and the New York Center for Autism. Disagreement about the effect of the new definition will almost certainly increase scrutiny of the finer points of the psychiatric association’s changes to the manual. The revisions are about 90 percent complete and will be final by December, according to Dr. David J. Kupfer, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh and chairman of the task force making the revisions.
Brown's budget proposal gives voters stark choice By Wyatt Buchanan, Sacramento Bureau San Francisco Chronicle Sunday, January 8, 2012 Gov. Jerry Brown's budget plan released last week poses a stark choice for Californians: approve a five-year $35 billion tax increase in November or watch the hatchet drop on public school funding - with cuts so deep the school year could be shortened by almost a month. Under the proposal, schools would face the bulk of midyear cuts if voters reject the taxes. Of the $5.3 billion Brown wants to slice from the budget if his plan is turned down, $4.8 billion would be taken from public schools. In releasing his budget, the governor rejected the notion that choosing schools to face the largest proposed cut was a political move to motivate voters to approve his tax plan. Numerous polls show Californians rank public school funding as their top priority. When asked why he is aiming the possible cuts at schools, Brown replied, "That's where the money is!" Shortening the year The governor's proposal - if the taxes are approved - would provide $52.5 billion to schools, an increase over the $47.6 billion in this year's budget. But if that does not happen, schools face dark prospects that may include a significantly shortened school year. Administration officials said they have yet to decide whether that will be the route to achieve those savings, and doing so would require approval by the Legislature along with negotiations with teachers unions across the state. Getting both to sign on, which would mean teachers agreeing to cut their pay by more than three weeks, would be a difficult task. ... The California Teachers Association, the largest teachers union in the state, issued a statement saying the organization has "grave concerns" about the class size reduction proposal. Eric Heins, vice president of the union, said the organization has not yet endorsed Brown's tax proposal or any other of the ballot measures that would increase taxes. He said none of them will return California's schools to an appropriate level of funding. "Even if a funding initiative and (Brown's) funding proposal goes through as it is, it really keeps us at 'awful' because we're already bare bones," Heins said. He said even if education funding does return to high levels in the future, it won't matter to kids in California schools now. "Those are the ones who are really getting cheated, and those are the ones we can't pay back for what they have lost," he said. But some leaders in the state say that even if Brown's plan passes, it will do little for schools and say he is using students politically. "The governor's tax proposal is just a politically motivated ploy to trick voters into supporting taxes that will not ultimately help our students," said Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway of Tulare. "California voters will see through the governor's smoke and mirrors." Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/07/BAOC1MM0FM.DTL#ixzz1ivKodF1u January 06, 2012 - Topic: State Budget Health Programs Face Significant Cuts Under Brown's Budget Plan On Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released his budget proposal for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The $92.6 billion spending proposal includes deep cuts to health and human services programs (Buchanan/Lagos, San Francisco Chronicle, 1/6). The administration's Department of Finance estimated that California will face a $9.2 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year. The Legislative Analyst's Office had projected the state would face a nearly $13 billion deficit (Miller, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 1/5). Brown initially planned to release the proposal next week. However, the plan accidentally was posted online by a member of Brown's staff, leading the governor to present it early. Details of Health-Related Cuts The budget plan proposes cutting: · $946.2 million from CalWORKs -- the state's welfare-to-work program -- by limiting the amount of time most adults could be on the program from four years to two years (San Francisco Chronicle, 1/6); · $842.3 million from Medi-Cal -- California's Medicaid program -- by merging services for beneficiaries eligible for both Medi-Cal and Medicare; · $163.8 million from In-Home Supportive Services -- which provides services for the elderly and people who are blind or have disabilities -- by eliminating domestic assistance for beneficiaries in shared living environments (AP/Palm Springs Desert Sun, 1/5); and · $64 million from moving children out of Healthy Families, California's Children's Health Insurance Program (York/Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 1/6). Healthy Families beneficiaries would be moved to Medi-Cal, according to the budget proposal and a California Medical Association analysis (Riccardi, "PolitiCal," Los Angeles Times, 1/5). In addition to shifting dual eligibles into managed care plans, the governor's plan calls for reducing Medi-Cal spending by cutting payment rates to laboratories and other medical service providers by $75 million and trimming payments to community clinics by $28.8 million (San Francisco Chronicle, 1/6). Brown wants state lawmakers to approve the major budget cuts by March 1 (San Francisco Chronicle, 1/6). Possible Trigger Cuts Brown also aims to address the state's projected budget gap by seeking voter approval for a temporary half-cent sales tax increase and higher taxes on the wealthy (Los Angeles Times, 1/6). If voters do not approve the governor's November ballot measure to raise taxes, the state would impose $5.4 billion in automatic cuts to schools, courts and public safety programs (AP/Palm Springs Desert Sun, 1/5). Reaction Democratic lawmakers already have said they do not want to approve significant cuts before May, when they expect to have a clearer picture of state revenue levels. Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said, "We have done significant damage to the services for those in most need in California in the past several years, and we are not going to do any more unless it's absolutely necessary" (Los Angeles Times, 1/6). Assembly Speaker John Perez (D-Los Angeles) said Brown's proposal "underscores the need for new revenues to avoid cuts that will be a major drag on the [economic] recovery" (Vara, Wall Street Journal, 1/6). Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers said Brown purposefully targeted popular state programs as a way to alarm voters to approve higher tax rates (Los Angeles Times, 1/6). Assembly member Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber), vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, criticized Brown for failing to impose spending limits, adding, "The last thing we want to do is stomp on California's recovering economy by raising taxes" (Lin, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 1/6). Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access, said the cuts to health and human services programs would negatively affect access to care for Californians who have disabilities (Yamamura, Sacramento Bee, 1/6). In a statement, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer (D) said the governor's budget proposal is "an honest, balanced and prudent plan" (Shaw, Sacramento Business Journal, 1/5). Temporary Restraining Order Issued To Stop 20% Reduction in In-Home Supportive Services The California Progress report December 2, 2011 By Marty Omoto, California Disability Community Action Network http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/comment/reply/9622
US
District Court Judge Claudia Wilken issued a temporary restraining order
yesterday that requires the Brown Administration to halt all actions to
implement the 20% across-the-board cut in service hours for hundreds of
thousands of people with disabilities, mental health needs, and seniors in the
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. The judge's order also requires the
State to rescind any information, instructions and notices of action to
the counties and any IHSS recipients that it has sent out. The order comes two
weeks after the Legislative Analyst Office - the non-partisan office that
reviews budget issues for the Legislature - projected that the State will face
a still massive $13 billion budget deficit by June 30, 2012 unless action is
taken by the Governor and Legislature to address it. The judge's order
comes just 14 days before the Governor's Department of Finance will issue its
own forecast of revenues and spending in the remaining 6 months of the
2011-2012 State Budget year - a forecast that most believe will mean that one
or both of the State Budget "trigger cuts" will be pulled
implementing up to $2.5 billion in additional new cuts in State general fund
spending - including the cut to IHSS.
What the Judge's Order Means * The
court order issued today means that - at least until December 15th - the Brown
Administration cannot proceed further on the 20% reduction in service hours to
those persons receiving IHSS and not eligible for an exemption from that cut. *
The 20% reduction is part of hundreds of millions of dollars of additional
automatic State budget cuts that will be effective on or sometime after January
1, 2012 if it is determine by the Governor's Department of Finance (by December
15th) that the State's revenues will fall below what was projected in the 2011-2012
State Budget enacted last June. Little-known state board overturns employee terminations A nurse's aide accused of stealing money from an elderly patient and a hospital staffer who allegedly beat a disabled patient with a shoe were among those ordered rehired by the Personnel Board. Los Angeles Times November 13, 2011 By Jack Dolan …The
board also ordered psychiatric technician Gregory Powell back to work at the
Sonoma Developmental Center after he had been fired for hitting a profoundly
disturbed patient so hard with a shoe that police found welts matching the
pattern of the sole three hours later.
After the patient refused Powell's repeated order to put his shoes on, a
psychologist said she saw Powell smacking the patient with a shoe as he cowered
on a couch. Powell said the seated
patient had attacked him. He denied hitting the man with the shoe. More than
three years later, in October 2009, the board sided with Powell, discounting
the police report and arguing the psychologist had been new at the time and
wasn't familiar with the patient's "aggressive proclivities." http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-discipline-reversed-20111114,0,458922,full.story
Fire kills 5 in Monterey County disabled facility San Francisco Chronicle November 11, 2011 By Casey Newton, Chronicle Staff Writer Five residents of a facility for developmentally disabled adults in Monterey County were killed late Saturday when a fire broke out as they slept. A sixth resident was in critical condition. The fire broke out just before midnight at Mount Carmel Adult Residential Facility in Marina, a small town near Monterey about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco. Flames damaged almost half of the facility, a single-family residence with six licensed beds. The roof was partially destroyed. Authorities were still working to notify the victims' relatives Sunday and would not release any names. Four of the dead were found immediately after the fire was extinguished; the fifth person's body was discovered later Sunday morning at the house on the 3200 block of Seaside Court…
Opinion: Jerry Brown's unkindest cut of all Capitol Weekly November 3, 2011 By John Kalb We hear a lot of heartbreaking stories about vulnerable people harmed by budget cuts in California. And we hear a lot of examples of impractical budget choices made by government. My son Jaryd’s story is both. Jaryd, 22, has cerebral palsy and lives in one of California’s small live-in homes for the developmentally disabled. State budget cuts might force his home to close its doors, a reality that would shatter Jaryd’s and our family’s way of life. But here’s the mind-boggling part. If these reductions continue and homes close, the budget cuts will cost taxpayers more than simply leaving the funding in place. Jaryd lives in a wheelchair and needs 24-hour-a-day assistance with each and every one of life’s tasks. He is an avid Giants fan, with a passion for conducting music and playing baseball on his Playstation. He has a girlfriend and loves movies. His home, run by the nonprofit organization Lifehouse, is one of several across California that may be forced to shut their doors imminently because of a 2009 freeze in Medi-Cal funding that now is making their way through the court system. Reaping Millions in Nonprofit Care for Disabled: Medicaid money created quite a nice life for the Levy brothers from Flatbush, Brooklyn. New York Times August 2, 2011
The brothers, Philip and Joel, earned close to $1 million a year each as the two top executives running a Medicaid-financed nonprofit organization serving the developmentally disabled. They each had luxury cars paid for with public money. And when their children went to college, they could pass on the tuition bills to their nonprofit group. Philip H. Levy went as far as charging the organization $50,400 for his daughter’s living expenses one year when she attended graduate school at New York University. That money paid not for a dorm room, but rather it helped her buy a co-op apartment in Greenwich Village. The rise of the Levy brothers, from scruffy bearded social workers in the 1970s to millionaires with homes in the Hamptons, Sutton Place and Palm Beach Gardens, reveals much about New York’s system for caring for the developmentally disabled — those with conditions like cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism.
The state spends, by far, more than any other caring for this population: $10 billion this year, and roughly 20 cents of every dollar spent nationally. More than half of that money goes to private providers like the Levys, with little oversight of their spending. And the providers have become so big and powerful that they shape much about how the system operates, from what kinds of care are emphasized to how much they will be paid for it. “They’re bigger than government in some ways,” said Thomas A. Maul, former commissioner of the state’s Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. “That isn’t what our system was supposed to be.” The organization run by the Levys, the Young Adult Institute Network, has been among the most aggressive, and is now the largest operator of group homes for the state, collecting more than $1 billion from Medicaid over the past decade and running homes with a total of 700 beds, along with day programs, a school, dental care and transportation for the developmentally disabled.
…‘Medicaid Moguls’ Mr. Castellani, the former Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities official, calls them “Medicaid moguls” — the nonprofit executives who have prospered while providing services to 135,000 developmentally disabled people in New York. At the top of the class are the executives at the Young Adult Institute. No organization in the field in New York has paid its executives as well. Four of its executives received compensation in excess of $500,000 in 2009; none of its competitors had more than one executive at that level, according to a review by The Times of tax returns of the 100 largest providers. That year, the last for which tax filings are available, Joel Levy collected more than $1 million and Philip was close behind, with $916,647. The chief operating officers, Thomas Dern and Stephen Freeman, earned $551,682 and $578,938. Similar-sized nonprofit groups in New York pay an average salary to chief executives of $493,000, according to the Economic Research Institute, an executive compensation consulting company that advises companies, nonprofit groups and the Internal Revenue Service. The Young Adult Institute also pays for its top executives to lease vehicles for personal and professional use. Accounting obtained by the state showed leases for two Lexuses and a Volvo. A spokesman declined to provide details about the cars, except to say the executives are allowed to select their own vehicles within certain price ranges.
…The Levys appear to be financially well prepared for the next phase of their lives. Each received deferred compensation totaling about $1.8 million in 2008 and 2009. Courtney Burke, commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, last week took a step toward reining in high executive salaries at the nonprofit groups. She sent a one-page letter to them on Tuesday seeking their assistance to develop “a consistent and rational model of compensation.” “Given the heightened concerns about the growth of Medicaid and Medicare, this compensation guidance should be established sooner rather than later,” she wrote. A spokesman for Ms. Burke said that if the providers were unable to agree on an approach, her office had the authority to write compensation standards into state regulations and contracts with providers.
Whatever concerns exist about executive compensation, the Young Adult Institute clearly has fans among families of developmentally disabled people. Margaret Puddington said her 30-year-old son, Mark, had been participating in its programs for several years before he moved into a Young Adult Institute group home four years ago. Ms. Puddington said the organization excelled at hiring caring people, investing in training and supervising programs. “Mark loves his life,” she said. “I don’t know what higher compliment there could be. He loves his staff. He loves his housemates. He loves his activities. They watch over him very, very carefully all the time.” During an interview at his office in May, Philip Levy declined to discuss his compensation or that of his brother. He repeatedly said how much he loved his work and said the public money had been well spent on services. There was no indication during the interview that he would depart weeks later. “I think one of the things New York has to do is puff out its chest a bit and say, ‘We are incredibly proud that we created the best system of care for people with developmental disabilities anywhere in this country,’ ” he said.
Mount Helix Patch August 8, 2011 By Christopher Earley
Because of a new program initiated by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, families and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities can breathe a small sigh of relief. Announced by the Sheriff’s Department in June 2010, the "Take Me Home” program is a regional special-needs registry implemented to help families of those with disabilities such as Alzheimer’s and autism. Because many people with these disabilities have difficulty identifying themselves and communicating their needs, the registry provides law enforcement officers with information necessary to assist them and to bring them home. Take Me Home was envisioned by Palomar College Police Officer Brian Herritt. Herritt, the father of an autistic child, had also responded to incidents involving people with special needs, and approached the Sheriff’s Department with his idea.
Caregivers must volunteer the person's information through one of the supporting organizations, which include the Alzheimer’s Association, The ARC of San Diego, the Autism Society of America, the Epilepsy Foundation, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Developmental Services, the Aging and Independence Service of the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and the Office of the State Council On Developmental Disabilities. They must submit a photograph and also complete an application which includes information about the affected person’s disabilities. “It’s a great concept as far as law enforcement when they come into contact with someone with special needs,” said John Hannon, director of operations and compliance at The ARC of San Diego. ARC works primarily with those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The registry is accessible by all policing agencies in the San Diego region, allowing them to identify someone who is developmentally disabled. Officers who contact people in the registry can also access information about his or her disability, and where to take them if they are lost. According to the Sheriff’s Department, the number of missing adults rose by 11 percent in 2010. Those at risk rose by 13 percent. One of the more recent and notable incidents of a missing adult occurred in April of this year. According to Oceanside Police, 79-year-old Robert Worden disappeared from his Oceanside home April 26 and was later found dead. Worden suffered from Alzheimer’s disease…
Substance Abuse: A Prenatal-to-Grave Public Health Issue By Elizabeth Auppl; guest author for Joseph J. Sweere, DC, DABCO, DACBOH, FICC Deaths from substance use and abuse exceed in number deaths caused by all other diseases. Doctors of chiropractic nationwide have added substance testing (and education) as a service promoting healthful living or the restoration of health and wellness for patients. Half of all people living in America are affected by substance abuse or by abuse by a loved one. A leading contributor to deaths caused by cancer, stroke and heart disease, substance abuse is no respecter of age, gender, race, social or economic status, level of education, station in life, geographic location, or faith system. The crisis of substance use and abuse cannot be ignored; to do so enables America's prenatal-to-grave, major public health problem to flourish. As clinicians, business owners, educators, parents and caring people, we can make a big difference…
Alcoholism is a serious disease leading to life-threatening health conditions as heart disease, a suppressed immune system, mental disorders, cirrhosis and other diseases. But problems begin even before birth for too many. Alcohol use subjects 40,000 newborns to alcohol damage each year in America. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) cause physical, mental, behavioral and/or learning disabilities resultant of gestational exposure. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) causes facial abnormalities, low birth weight, small skull at birth, poor eye-hand coordination, tremors, impaired motor skills and structural defects, affecting up to two in every 1,000 newborns. FAS outranks autism and Down syndrome in terms of prevalence.2 Addicted mothers often use many different drugs. Every year 320,000 babies born in the U.S. are exposed to illicit drugs, alcohol, nicotine and sedatives before birth, all precursors to childhood developmental disorders. Respiratory problems, resuscitation, neonatal stroke, and drug withdrawal are the first challenges for newborns. A legal age limit law affords zero protection to these innocent babes.
How
should Virginia care for people with developmental disabilities?
Los Angeles Times July 15, 2011 By Duke Helfand and Alan Zarembo, Two of California's largest health insurers have agreed
to pay for costly behavioral therapy for thousands of autistic children — services the companies have long resisted
covering. Under pressure from
regulators, Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross said they would
pick up the initial cost of a treatment known as applied behavior analysis. Insurers, worried about rising demand for
expensive services as the number of autism cases grows, have argued that the
therapy is not a medical treatment but an educational or social service exempt
from coverage. Again? Tracy Morgan under fire for 'retarded' jokes Entertainment Weekly Tracy Morgan has landed in hot water yet again, this time for a stand-up show during which he mocked “retarded” kids and “cripples.” Performing at a New York comedy club on Saturday, Morgan told his audience not to “mess with women who have retarded kids” because “them young retarded males is strong … they’re strong like chimps.” Morgan also talked about hooking up with a “cripple” with a prosthetic arm. The crowd reportedly responded with groans and “uh-oh.” The Arc, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, is calling on Morgan to apologize. “Tracy Morgan should apologize immediately,” The Arc CEO Peter Berns told EW in a statement. “This quote is far too offensive to be excused as comedy, and it is very hurtful to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.” Berns added: “Mr. Morgan has an incredibly powerful platform from which to fix this, and if he’s learned anything in the last few weeks, he can’t bomb this apology.” The dust-up hit just as the media firestorm surrounding the 30 Rock star’s anti-gay routine earlier this month in Nashville had started to die down. It should be pointed out that jokes like Morgan’s latest are not hugely unusual on the stand-up comedy circuit, and one wonders if this routine mocking people with disabilities would have made headlines if not for the media keeping such a close eye on Morgan following his previous controversy. In fact, Morgan’s been hitting this territory for awhile — a New York Post review of his show back in November said he mocked “cripples” and dubbed that section of his show “flat-out hilarious.” (NSFW video of a previous show below.) On the other hand, going back into comedy clubs and telling offensive jokes so soon after digging himself out of the anti-gay blow-up probably wasn’t the smartest course of action either. NBC’s top entertainment executive and Rock star and executive producer Tina Fey both issued statements expressing disappointment at Morgan over his anti-gay rant (which included him saying “I would stab my son if he acted gay”). Morgan’s apology tour included meeting with gay teens, making peace with GLAAD, and revisiting Nashville. NBC had no comment on Morgan’s latest headlines…
California won't be the same under new budget San Francisco Chronicle Thursday, June 30, 2011 By Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Sacramento -- Poor people will receive less medical care and welfare, disabled people will see fewer services, state parks will close and public university students will pay more in California under the budget that takes effect Friday. But also Friday, the state sales tax will decrease from 8.25 percent to 7.25 percent and vehicle licensing fees will drop by almost half. Combined with the taxes that expired in January, an average California family will pocket about $1,000 this year. Those are just some of the impacts of the new budget, which Gov. Jerry Brown finished signing today to close the state's $26.6 billion deficit. Before he finished signing, Brown used his line-item veto authority to cut millions more dollars in spending for courts, transportation and educational oversight programs. Among the health care cuts are limiting doctor visits to seven per year for people on Medi-Cal unless a physician certifies they need more, implementing co-pays on hospital and emergency room visits and eliminating the adult day health program that is intended to prevent people from having to be placed in nursing homes. The adult day program serves 37,000 people at 310 centers. The program is to be replaced, though it will serve fewer people. Some centers have already closed in response to the cut. In-home support slashed. The In-Home Supportive Services program, which serves the elderly, disabled and blind, also will be cut, with about 436,000 recipients getting a reduction of 16.5 hours per month of home assistance for things like meal preparation and bathing, according to a Democratic analysis of the cuts' impact. Additionally, welfare will be limited for adults, cutting benefits from a five-year maximum to four years. Lawmakers, however, rejected the governor's proposal to reduce public assistance for children.… A different state … Many of the cuts could go deeper if projected revenues for the new fiscal year don't match reality. The governor and Democrats in the Legislature said this week that they expect an additional $4 billion next year, which was a major piece of closing the remaining deficit. If that money does not materialize, there would be additional cuts. Those cuts would be tiered, meaning that, depending on how much actual revenues are short, some cuts would happen while others would not. Endangered services. Among those is the department that oversees and funds services for people with developmental disabilities. That department was already cut $577 million this year, on top of $700 million in cuts two years ago. In the new fiscal year, those cuts will result in suspending new admissions and limiting the population at regional service centers. Community-based organizations also are getting hit, like the Arc of San Francisco, which provides assistance to 550 people with developmental disabilities in San Francisco and San Mateo County. Alan Fox, chief operating officer of the Arc, expects state cuts to result in the loss of $350,000 for the organization. He said pressure has been building for about a decade and that the system for people with such disabilities is at the breaking point. "We turn a lot of people away who have very intense needs and not a lot of places to go," Fox said. If an additional trigger cut of $100 million to developmental services happens, Fox predicts many smaller organizations will close. Big Journalism Defends Glenn Beck’s Retard Minstrel Show - video Mediaite June 29th, 2011 By Tommy Christopher Earlier this week, outgoing Fox News host Glenn Beck illustrated David Carr’s criticism of Midwesterners as “neanderthals” by doing an offensive caricature of a mentally disabled person. Mediaite’s Frances Martel wrote a relatively mild critique of Beck’s performance, given the level of offense, and for her trouble, conservative website Big Journalism has accused Martel of anti-disabled bigotry, and defended Beck’s vile minstrelsy by (I’m not kidding) asserting that those offended are mentally deficient. New York Times media reporter David Carr started the fun with a remark, on a web-only segment of HBO’s Real Time,about people in the “middle places” with “the low-sloping foreheads.” (Carr later apologized for the remark on Twitter.) Beck then reacted on his radio show by flashing his laminated Godwin’s Law Platinum card on his radio show, then followed up by sarcastically enacting Carr’s vision of mid-westerners as cavemen… by doing the kind of spitting retard character you’d see at a bad open mic night. In fact, it’s the kind of impression you might have seen in former Wonkette editor Jack Stuef’s stand-up act, before he saw the light about mocking the mentally disabled. Maybe I’m just being sensitive, though. You tell me if you’ve ever seen a caveman impression like this. When I saw the clip here on Mediaite, I saw red, and to be completely honest, I was a little pissed off that Frances had let Beck off so easily. … There are probably very few of us who have never made a “retard” joke, even those of us who were later touched by those same disabilities. That includes me. About fifteen years ago, I was at a playground with my kids, and I was gratified to see that my oldest, who has Asperger Syndrome, had found another child to play with. At the time, he wasn’t able to communicate verbally, only echoing some of what people said to him. As I was getting ready to leave, I walked over to them, but they didn’t see me. I watched them for a minute, my son smiling down at his playmate from atop the jungle gym. Then, I noticed that the kid was staring intently at my son, smirking, and whispering “Asshole,” obviously amused that my son couldn’t understand him. The episode made me angry and sad at first (and glad, for that moment, that my son didn’t understand), but it also made me realize that such behavior isn’t the result of evil (the child was younger than my son, maybe six years old), but of a weakness in human nature, one that extends well beyond treatment of the disabled. Yes, people like Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olbermann, and Jack Stuef are free to make whatever jokes they like, and we’re all free to laugh at them, but we’re also free to stop and think about what that says about us. Wounding with words: Campaign afoot to eradicate ‘R-word’ The Star Phoenix AZ May 27, 2011 By Frank Appleyard Activists calling for the eradication of a word that they call “hurtful” and “dehumanizing” may have little love for it — but they would prefer if you refrain from calling it “retarded.” “Retard” — an epithet common to schoolyards and workplaces across North America — is being targeted for eradication by the Special Olympics in a campaign called Spread the Word to End the Word. The campaign seeks to remove the R-word from English vernacular, calling it offensive and derogatory to people with intellectual disabilities. Some describe “retard” as a lazy but innocent substitute for “stupid” or “dumb” but advocates for the disabled say that the word is as hurtful as any racial slur. “There’s so much negative meaning and stereotyping attached to the word, that we basically need to eradicate its use,” said Michael Bach, the executive vice-president of the Canadian Association for Community Living. …Peter Burns, the CEO of The Arc, said that the word has an emotional impact similar to a racial epithet. “It’s understandable, because if you look at the people with intellectual disabilities, there’s a history of how this group of individuals has been oppressed,” he said. “They’ve been taunted with these words through their childhood and adulthood. It evokes a strong, visceral reaction when they hear it.” Some celebrities have landed in hot water over their use of the R-word. Lady Gaga and Miami Heat star LeBron James have both faced criticism for publicly dropping the word in recent weeks. In an interview, Lady Gaga described comparisons made between her song Born This Way and Madonna’s Express Yourself as retarded. James uttered the line “that’s retarded” in response to a question during a news conference following a Heat playoff win over the Boston Celtics on May 7. Both later apologized for using the word. Insurers Told to Justify Rate Increases Over 10 Percent New York Times May 19, 2011 By ROBERT PEAR Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, issued a final rule establishing procedures for federal and state insurance experts to scrutinize premiums. Insurers, she said, will have to justify rate increases in an environment in which they are doing well financially, with profits exceeding the expectations of many Wall Street analysts. “Health insurance companies have recently reported some of their highest profits in years and are holding record reserves,” Ms. Sebelius said. “Insurers are seeing lower medical costs as people put off care and treatment in a recovering economy, but many insurance companies continue to raise their rates. Often, these increases come without any explanation or justification.” Federal health officials proposed the 10 percent threshold in December. The insurance industry criticized it as an arbitrary test that could brand a majority of rate increases as presumptively unreasonable. But the administration rejected the criticism and insisted on the 10 percent standard in the final rule, issued Thursday. Starting in September 2012, the federal government will set a separate threshold for each state, reflecting trends in insurance and health care costs. In some states like New Hampshire, groups of more than 20 workers have experienced premium increases of around 20 percent this year, while smaller groups have seen increases of 40 percent or more. At the same time, insurance agents say, coverage is shrinking as deductibles have increased and insurers limit the choice of hospitals… Couple ordered to stand trial in disabled woman’s death The Salt Lake Tribune Jun 03 2011 By Aaron falk A judge on Friday ordered a Kearns couple charged with abusing a disabled woman before her death to stand trial following testimony from neighbors who said they were long worried about her well-being. Dale Robert Beckering, 52, and Sherrie Lynn Beckering, 50, each face one count of aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, a first-degree felony, in connection with the death of Christina Harms. Third District Court Judge Lee A. Dever ordered the pair to stand trial after hearing testimony from neighbors, police and a medical examiner. Sherrie Beckering’s daughter, Cassandra Marie Shepard, also lived in the Kearns home and was Harms’ legal guardian. While Shepard has been charged with murder in the case, prosecutors said Shepard and the Beckerings "took shifts" watching over Harms and all contributed to her demise in some way. "Without that constant supervision, it would have never gotten to this point," prosecutor Chad Platt said.… Bautista also said Beckering worked 12-hour days and spent most of his free time in the home’s basement, away from Harms. Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Edward Leis testified Harms died as a result of physical abuse and neglect. Leis said he had to use scissors to cut through the bandages wrapped tightly around her hands. Underneath the bandages were a number of wounds. In an interview with police, Shepard’s young children said Harms scratched herself. But the children also told police that Harms lived in a closet. Unified Police Detective Ben Pender said that closet had an alarm system and a knife stuck in the door to prevent Harms from getting out. Inside the closet was a piece of cardboard with remnants of feces and urine and some air fresheners, Pender said. Also inside the closet was a bar to which police say Harms was strapped, crucifixion-style, and a sketch of Jesus Christ. Leis said Harms was dehydrated and had potentially fatal levels of sedatives, likely from Benadryl or a similar drug, in her system. Investigators found marks on Harms’ ankles where plastic zip ties had been used to bind her. She had bruising on her thighs and head and a pepper seed in her lower eyelid. Bandaging material completely covered Harms’ hands, preventing her from pulling the pepper seed from her eye, police said. The 20-year-old Shepard faces charges of first-degree felony murder, first-degree felony aggravated abuse of a disabled adult and second-degree felony obstructing justice. She is scheduled to next appear in court in July. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51938869-78/harms-police-beckering-death.html.csp No Plea Change For Man Who Raped Woman; Gets 20 Years In Prison WBNS-10TV Thursday, June 2, 2011 MARYSVILLE, Ohio — A man who attacked and raped a woman with developmental disabilities was not allowed to change his guilty plea on Thursday, and a judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison. A lawyer for Geoffrey Ford argued that his client suffered from a mental illness and was not taking his medication when he pleaded guilty to charges, 10TV's Shayla Reaves reported. The attorney wanted Ford's guilty plea thrown out. A judge denied the request, and handed down a pair of 10-year sentences which must be served consecutively, Reaves reported. Ford admitted to breaking into an apartment in January 2010 and attacking the 50-year-old woman, investigators said. The woman called police after Ford left and they were able to track him down using footprints in the snow. Legislation helping disabled heads to governor Chicago Tribune May 31, 2011 By Sam Roe Tribune reporter The Illinois Senate today joined the state House in passing sweeping reforms to safeguard thousands of children and adults with severe developmental disabilities. The proposed new laws, sparked by a Tribune investigation, include stiffer fines for poor care, a ban on new admissions at troubled homes, stricter rules on the use of psychotropic medications and fewer roadblocks to closing facilities. Facilities for people with disabilities also would be required to report all deaths to state authorities and to local coroners and medical examiners. In October, a Tribune series documented a 10-year pattern of death and neglect at a North Side nursing facility now called Alden Village North. The newspaper found that 13 children and young adults had died in cases that resulted in state citations for neglect or failure to investigate. State officials announced they would close the home, and Gov. Pat Quinn asked his senior health policy adviser, Michael Gelder, to draft legislation to protect residents at the other roughly 300 facilities in Illinois that care for the developmentally disabled. Similar reforms were adopted last year for nursing homes that serve the elderly and people with mental disabilities. Advocates hailed the legislation helping the disabled but said it did not go far enough. The bill, passed by the House Monday, needs only a signature from Gov. Pat Quinn to become law. Raises for State Employees? Posted by Barbara Maizie, Executive Director, Contra Costa ARC CalDD List Serv May 10, 2011 In all the years I have subscribed to the CAL-DD list serve I can't remember ever making a post. But Maureen Fitzgerald’s messages about the planned 2% - 5% salary increases for state employees in 21 bargaining units, especially the 5% increase for Psych Techs at State Development Centers scheduled for January 1, 2012, compel me to write. I had an experience in 2005 that opened my eyes to the impact some public employee unions can have on public services. It happened at the county level, here in Contra Costa County. But I see the same thing happening right now at the state level - in California's developmental disabilities system. What I learned is this: When elected officials are faced with a conflict between maintaining essential services for the most vulnerable people in our communities, and meeting the demands of public employee unions, the services are in jeopardy. In these situations, the pressure on elected officials is intense as they are challenged to choose between priorities that should never be in conflict. This is what happened in 2005: Contra Costa County announced that it had to discontinue operation of its programs for people with developmental disabilities due to budget shortfalls. For decades the County had been vendorized by the Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB) for services including infant development, day care, and adult development. Several hundred children, teens, adults and their families were receiving these services. The rates RCEB paid to the County were the same as the rates paid to any other service provider, but the County was operating the programs with unionized public employees. To cover the costs, County funds were subsidizing the low RCEB rates. The annual subsidy had grown over the years to more than $1.5 million annually. To save $1.5 million per year, the County had to stop operating the services. When the closures were announced there was an immediate public outcry - families and consumers were devastated. So how does this apply to what’s happening to community services for people with developmental disabilities in California today? It comes down to the question Maureen asked in her post about SB 151: How can the state afford to increase pay to state employees while so many state funded health and human service programs in our communities are in danger of collapse? I have talked about the DDS budget with many consumers and family members and there is one statistic that concerns them more than any other. How can it be that the average cost per individual served at the State Developmental Centers has been allowed to reach $346,000 per person per year? It’s true that as population declines, the cost per person rises, but at some point it becomes ridiculous, and we are long past that point. And it never stops. Of all the destructive things included in the Governor’s 2011-2012 budget, there is one item that few people have noticed. In August, 2010, the Legislature approved a new contract for the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians (CAPT). That contract raises the TOP of the wage scale for Psych Techs at the Developmental Centers by 5% - effective January 1, 2012. This means that the direct service staff in the Developmental Centers, who are already at their highest level of earnings, will get an even bigger share of the funds available for the developmental disabilities system. Meanwhile, community-based services are starving. When the rate cuts began in 2009, the staff at Contra Costa ARC agreed to across-the-board salary cuts so that all the agency's programs could survive and no consumer or family would lose their services. To put these cuts into perspective it is important to know that staff had not received raises since July, 2006. Entry level staff positions started anywhere from $11.00 to $15.00 per hour. Employees were already contributing 28% ($139) of the monthly cost of their medical insurance and paying 100% of dependent coverage. We all live in the high-cost San Francisco Bay Area. But after looking at all the ways we could absorb the 2009 rate cut, we agreed that a salary/benefit cut would do the least harm to consumers and families. The result was that staff members making $11.00 per hour (our lowest entry level rate) accepted a 4.5% cut, as did all other hourly staff. Managers took a 6% reduction. I took a 10% reduction. We all agreed to increase our share of medical coverage to 33% (now $194 per month) and to pay 40% of our dental coverage. These cuts were on top of the additional "holidays" mandated in 2009 which are actually forced furlough days. What is important about this is that staff members accepted these actions to save Contra Costa ARC's services and prevent harm from coming to the people we serve and their families. None of these staff members has had a raise since the cuts took effect. They are public servants in the truest sense. Here is a link to pages from the new CAPT contract: http://psychtechs.net/dl.cgi/1289608942_10499.f_idx_pdf.pdf/20101112162654933.pdf
Gov. Rick Scott reverses developmental disabilities cuts St . Petersberg Times, April 14, 2011 By Michael C. Bender and Marc Caputo, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau After talks with the House and Senate, Gov. Rick Scott said he'll reverse his deep rate cuts to the Agency for Persons with Disabilities because legislators said they'll fill the deficit. Scott issued an emergency order earlier this month to cut rates by at least 15 percent because APD was scheduled to go into deficit in mid May. Projected budget hole: $174 million. Because the state forbids deficits, Scott said he had little choice but to cut rates. The House planned to deal with the situation by plugging this year's budget deficit in next year's proposed budget. The Senate had no such language. But Senate President Mike Haridopolos said last week that his chamber wanted to fill the hole. Senate budget chief JD Alexander said earlier today that the Legislature would fill the deficit, but APD is on notice: "No agency will ever over-spend its budget authority. It will not happen again." April Is Alcohol Awareness Month FoodConsumer April 14, 2011 By the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …April marks Alcohol Awareness Month, a nationwide campaign intended to raise awareness of the health and social problems that excessive alcohol consumption can cause for individuals, their families, and their communities. Excessive drinking is a dangerous behavior for both men and women. This year, CDC is drawing attention to the risks to women's health from binge drinking, the most common type of excessive alcohol consumption by adults. Binge Drinking and the Risks to Women's Health. Binge drinking is defined as consuming 4 or more drinks per occasion for women and 5 or more drinks per occasion for men. It is a common and dangerous behavior that contributes to more than 11,500 deaths among women in the U.S. each year—approximately 32 deaths per day. In 2009, more than 1 out of every 10 women reported binge drinking during the past 30 days. On average, women who binge drink said they engaged in this risky behavior at least three times per month… Alcohol Consumption and Pregnancy No amount of alcohol is safe to drink while pregnant. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink, and no safe kind of alcohol. Women who drink alcohol while pregnant increase their risk of having a baby with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). This group of conditions includes physical and intellectual disabilities, as well as problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person has a mix of these problems. FASDs are a leading known cause of intellectual disability and birth defects. FASDs are completely preventable if a woman does not drink while she is pregnant or may become pregnant. Women should not drink alcohol if they are planning to become pregnant or are sexually active and do not use effective birth control because they could become pregnant and not know for several weeks. In 2001, about one-half of all pregnancies in the United States were unplanned. Budget proposal strips kid-services funding in San Mateo County San Francisco Examiner April 13, 2011 By: Shaun Bishop 04/13/11 10:09 PM Programs for children who have mental illnesses, developmental disabilities or abusive families are some of the hardest hit among more than $50 million in proposed budget cuts. The deep cuts to children’s services were unveiled as part of initial plans to close an $82 million budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1. County Manager David Boesch asked departments to reduce spending by 10 to 24 percent, depending on the size of their budget and how much general-fund money they use, as he prepares to formally reveal his recommended budget in May. The county would also use about $30 million in reserves to bridge the gap in its $1.7 billion budget if supervisors approve the plans this summer. For the health system, the county’s largest department with a $320 million budget, that meant $15 million in proposed cuts, many of which target children’s programs. … Slicing and dicing Other cuts and savings in the county’s initial budget proposal: $1.9 million Closing a 3-year-old, 12-bed receiving home for neglected or abused children ages 12 to 18 $1.5 million Victim programs run by the District Attorney’s Office $1.4 million Sheriff’s Office relief staffing unit $205,000 Closing Flood Park in Menlo Park $306,000 Eliminating sheriff’s captain position $452,000 Alcohol and drug treatment for 140 nonviolent offenders $383,000 Six locked psychiatric beds in San Mateo Medical Center Source: San Mateo County http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/04/budget-proposal-strips-kid-services-funding#ixzz1JtD4IxFz
Would disabled receive better care in prison? San Francisco Chroncile April 1, 2011 By Laura Repke I'm beginning to hope my son will be sent to prison - perhaps Death Row. Rob stands accused of no crime. And I am not an unloving mother. Let me explain: Rob has a developmental disability, and California is balancing its budget by gutting the services that keep him alive. The situation is dire enough that I must wonder: Once Rob's services are cut, will Death Row be a safer place for him? I know that every program is getting cut. But the single largest budget cut just signed into law by the governor - $568.6 million - is for services for people with developmental disabilities. For Rob, and 246,000 other Californians like him, that money went to get him to medical appointments, to manage his finances and - hopefully - to have someone look out for his safety after his father and I are no longer alive. It is shameful that the most vulnerable citizens are receiving the largest share of the pain. Rob was born 31 years ago, legally blind, with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities. Today he is healthy, employed, living with a roommate and paying his taxes. The essential programs that made this possible are supposedly guaranteed by legislation signed by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1969, the Lanterman Act. The law directs the state to provide people with disabilities like autism and Down syndrome with access to housing, health care and employment. For people with developmental disabilities, the Lanterman Act was equivalent to the Bill of Rights, except more important. Without its practical support, many could not survive outside of grim old-fashioned state institutions (which were vastly more expensive - and now mostly have closed). It's a particularly bitter irony that I could even consider prison - a far worse institution - as a potential safe haven. But the math is simple. That $568.6 million cut is approximately 20 percent of state funding for services for people with developmental disabilities. This comes after years of smaller cuts - plus cuts to other services they depend on, like Medi-Cal. The safety net was dismantled years ago. Now we are taking down the tightrope itself. Meanwhile, prisons - protected by a court order - face only a 1 percent cut. Rob's services are protected only by the Legislature and governor. What have our state's leaders done for him lately? In recent years, Rob lost his dental coverage, his physical therapy and his vision care - despite his difficulty walking and seeing. Now the state sees room for another half billion dollars in cuts. That's why Death Row - with its steady funding and a decade of room and board - is looking better and better. (San Quentin State Prison even offers views of San Francisco Bay and is set to receive a new $356 million facility.) So, how can you help? Contact the governor and protest the cuts to services for people with developmental disabilities. If that fails, then consider framing one of them for a capital offense. You'll be guaranteeing them health care and three meals a day for 10 years or more - and possibly a room with a view.
Consejo Demands Criminal and Regulatory Probes of New Day and Regional Centers March 22, 2011 PRNewswire By Consejo de Latinos Unidos EL MONTE, Calif., March 22, 2011 — /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of a news conference outlining years of alleged abuse and neglect of the mentally disabled and the filing of a lawsuit by families, Consejo de Latinos Unidos, a national not-for-profit organization and public charity which educates and assists Latinos and others, demanded that owners and officers of state-funded organizations and vendors face regulatory and criminal review. "The system that was designed to protect the most vulnerable in our society, the mentally disabled, appears to be rife with cronyism, negligence, lack of concern, and at times, utter disregard for the well-being of the individuals who they are supposedly here to serve," declared K.B. Forbes, Executive Director of the Consejo de Latinos Unidos. "We demand that federal and state authorities launch criminal and regulatory probes of New Day and the Pomona and East L.A. Regional Centers. We demand that authorities investigate the officers and owners of these facilities who at times appear to have arrogantly scoffed at parents about the alleged abuse." Parents and families of the mentally disabled want the New Day facility (formerly named Healthy Start) shut down and corporate owners and officers Artak Hadjinian, Armen Guloyan, and Anait Krgatbashyan be subjected to regulatory and possible criminal review for alleged negligence, failure to report abuse, and wage labor violations of staff. Yesterday, attorneys for eight victims of the abuse filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against New Day and two Regional Centers that supervise New Day for alleged negligence, violations of the Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, and deceptive business practices. Last month, Juan Fernando Flores, who worked at the New Day facility when it was named Healthy Start, was sentenced to eight years in prison for the rape and molestation of three mentally disabled women. Families had complained about Flores to the facility and the supervising Regional Centers, and they allegedly did nothing. Flores was arrested 11 months after the first incident was reported for raping a woman in the bathroom. The Consejo, which has published ten investigative reports on hospital price gouging, religious fraud, police abuse, and pharmaceutical deception, has helped spur three U.S. Congressional hearings and over a dozen local and state probes, including two Civil Rights inquiries.
Cuts to department of developmental disabilities concerns local Imperial Valley Press March 1, 2011 By ROMAN FLORES Imperial Valley Press Staff Writer Seventy-one-year-old mother of five Maria Elena Miranda doesn’t know what will happen to her youngest daughter, Cynthia, if the state cuts deeper into funding for programs that help her family. Cynthia, a 31-year-old Brawley resident, is developmentally disabled, blind, has epileptic seizures, osteoporosis and is immobile due to cerebral palsy contracted at just 3 months old. She was born barely alive, her mother said. Miranda said the free services her daughter receives from Imperial Valley Respite and other in-home services has helped her daughter live longer. “I’m 71 years old. What am I going to do if they take these services away from us?” the concerned parent said in Spanish. The Miranda family is just one of many Valley residents who are concerned with the proposed $750 million cuts by Gov. Jerry Brown to the general fund of the state Department of Developmental Disabilities. This includes an extension of the 4.25 percent reduction by the state to regional centers like I.V. Respite and payments to those employed by the centers, according to information provided by Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez’s El Centro office. California Republican convention scorns Brown's tax plan Sacramento Bee March 20, 2011 By Torey Van Oot tvanoot@sacbee.com Taxes and primary endorsements were the talk of the California Republican Party convention in Sacramento on Saturday, as party officials and delegates wrestled with ways to boost their share of the statewide electorate. Some party officials and activists rallied around opposition to Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to put tax extensions on the ballot. "If Republicans vote to raise taxes, hell hath no fury like a taxpayer scorned," conservative commentator and pollster Frank Luntz told several hundred delegates attending a Saturday luncheon. "Don't you dare vote for those taxes." Sacramento delegate Karen Klinger said the party needs more Republicans who will stand for the voters who elected them by opposing any taxes. "We're going to vote them out. That's what we're going to do," she said of Republicans who don't listen to their constituents' demands. Pressure against a deal to win Republican votes for the plan included a resolution to condemn any Republican who supported taxes or Brown's proposal as "traitorous." The resolution, which was ultimately withdrawn, captured a lot of attention – and perhaps deterred four of five Republican senators who had been negotiating with Brown from attending the weekend's events. But it didn't seem to reflect the prevailing view of all delegates. Hank Lawrence of San Mateo said he would support legislators putting taxes on the ballot as long as major changes to health care, pensions and salaries of state employees were part of the deal. "If they vote for it without getting concessions, it's a big mistake," he said. Sen. Sam Blakeslee, who sought to negotiate a deal with Brown, said he felt most delegates he had spoken to supported his actions. "I've had people come up and thank me for challenging the governor with real reform ideas," he said. That group included outgoing party Chairman Ron Nehring, who praised the group for calling "Jerry Brown's bluff" by standing in opposition to Brown's plan after their proposals for a spending cap and pension and other reforms were rejected. Some attendees said sticking to an anti-tax message is the right step for the party because it resonates far beyond the 31 percent of California voters registered as Republicans. "The Republican Party needs to stand on the side of taxpayers," said San Diego Republican Party Chairman Tony Krvaric, a CRP vice chair. "That's a lot more than 30 percent who are registered Republicans. You are basically talking to the entire electorate." Others, like GOP consultant Julie Soderlund, said Republicans must be willing to negotiate, not just say no, to appeal to a broader spectrum of voters. "We need to become a party of solutions," she said. "People vote for people who put forward solutions, who have an idea about how to solve problems." The convention received some unexpected visitors, as a group of protesters blocked a swath of the Hyatt Regency Sacramento lobby to protest cuts to disabled services. Some of the protesters lay on the lobby carpet with signs bearing slogans such as "Close corporate tax loopholes" and "Our lives are precious." In the hotel committee rooms, delegates focused on an internal fight over how candidate endorsements could shape the party's viability in future elections. One camp, led by Nehring, is pushing to endorse candidates ahead of the primary, which will now send the top two vote-getters – regardless of party – to a runoff election. He says the party needs to retain control over its nominees in order to survive under the new system. At least two alternative plans had been introduced as of late Saturday, leading to long and heated exchanges at party committee meetings. One plan would limit the situations in which the party makes endorsements, while another proposes asking all registered Republicans to vote on party nominees using pre-primary ballots. Opponents of the endorsement system proposed by Nehring said putting endorsement decisions in the hands of small groups of party officials threatens the party's ability to rebuild in the wake of widespread losses in November. CRP Finance Chairman Jeff Miller said donors are already "frustrated" because "they think the party is at the edge of irrelevance." http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/20/3489333/california-republican-convention.html Arc Walk matriarch leads by example Downey Patriot March 17, 2011 By Christian Brown, Staff WriterThe Downey Patriot slideshowDOWNEY – Raising money for the Arc of Southeast Los Angeles County is nothing new for Wanda Reyes. In fact, if the 79-year-old mother and grandmother could find a way to raise more, she would. “Some people say, ‘I wouldn’t think about asking my family and neighbors for money,’ but you’ve got to,” said Reyes. “I don’t know what I’d do without Arc. Between Robin and the Arc – I’m alive.” It was nearly 30 years ago when Reyes first brought her daughter Robin Terry to Arc, the 55-year-old organization, which provides vital services and training for over 400 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. http://thedowneypatriot.com/bookmark/12393781-Arc-Walk-matriarch-leads-by-example 'Glee's' Lauren Potter has had enough of the 'R word' March 10, 2011 5:52 PM ET "Glee" actress Lauren Potter, who plays cheerleader Becky Jackson (and Sue Sylvester's right-hand girl) on the show, is standing up against people who use the word "retard." "Enough is enough," she tells ET. "You've got to stop the R-word." The actress, who has Downs Syndrome, encourages fans to go to http://www.r-word.org/. "They have tons of tools," she says. "They'll probably help you." "Glee" is wrapping up filming its season finale, and off-screen, Potter has some romance in her life. "His name is Sean. I don't know if you guys heard the news about him," she says. "He and I are boyfriend and girlfriend. We're dating." http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/03/glees-lauren-potter-has-had-enough-of-the-r-word.html After Six Decades, Disability Group Shakes Things Up Disability Scoup March 1, 2011 It’s the nation’s largest developmental disability advocacy organization and after 60 years The Arc is getting a new look and feel. The group debuted a new orange and yellow logo and the tagline “achieve with us” as part of a national branding campaign launched Tuesday in tandem with many local chapters of the organization. The identity shift is intended to further the organization’s efforts to promote inclusion and independence for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to officials at The Arc. “There is tremendous energy and buzz as we begin to implement The Arc’s new brand identity,” said Mohan Mehra, president of The Arc. “This will help raise public awareness of The Arc and translate to greater support at both the local and national levels.” The group has more than 140,000 members and 700 chapters across the country. http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/03/01/after-six-decades-the-arc/12437/ The Arc of San Diego's annual gala, The Jewels of San Diego, is back this spring Ah Ha Rancho Santa Fe News March 6, 2011 The Arc of San Diego’s annual gala, The Jewels of San Diego, is back this spring... The Arc of San Diego is the largest, most comprehensive service provider for people with disabilities in San Diego County. It serves over 2,500 children and adults with disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome each year. For the past 60 years The Arc has been offering a wide range of services including early instruction for infants and toddlers, adult day programs, residential care, independent living skills training, vocational training and employment placement programs. The Arc of San Diego’s annual gala, The Jewels of San Diego, is back this spring with a fresh, new twist. The Carrousel du Louvre Fashion Runway Extravaganza will take place on April 9 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. Event Chairs Phyllis and John Parrish are long-time supporters of The Arc of San Diego and have put together an incredible lineup of Honorary Jewels Chairs that includes Joye Blount and Sandra Redman among many others. Phyllis Parrish is known for being a passionate and caring lady. As a proud wife and mother of three she has always had an extraordinary sense of duty and responsibility to help those less fortunate. She has chaired numerous galas for the City of San Diego and has been honored in San Diego as a Women of Dedication by the Salvation Army and numerous proclamations by the City Council and Office of the Mayor for her passion, dedication and volunteer work. She has chaired numerous galas including San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Old Globe Theatre, Salk Institute, Vista Hill Foundation, Country Friends, University of San Diego, KPBS San Diego and Multiple Sclerosis Society to name a few. Phyllis and her husband John live in La Jolla and have three children. ++ As a Wealth Management Advisor with the Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank, Joye Blount has built long-term relationships by offering insight and advice touching on all aspects of her client's financial affairs. Joye has more than 17 years of experience and has earned numerous national business and community awards as well as serving as a United Nations Official Observer for the Mexican presidential election in 2001 and 2006. She is also a graduate of the FBI Citizen's Academy and earned a B.S. Degree in Education from Winthrop University and a Master's Degree in Leadership from The University of North Carolina. Active in the San Diego community, Joye serves on many prestigious boards and is an active volunteer with The San Diego Symphony, The San Diego Futures Foundation and The Zoological Society of San Diego. Joye resides in San Diego with her husband, Jessie J. Knight, Jr. ++ Sandra Redman, known as Sandy, is a Banker and a Philanthropist. A resident of Rancho Santa Fe, she devotes much of her time to various charities throughout San Diego. Her passion is supporting programs for the arts, children and the disabled and has served on boards and committees for organizations such as The Old Globe Theater and the American Heart Association's "Heart Walk". Sandy not only contributes personally to these organizations, she is also able to support them on a corporate level as Director of Private Banking for California Bank & Trust, the county's largest community bank. Sandy's personal philosophy is: "Live every day as though it is your last; surround yourself with good people and remove the things from your life that are not positive." Sandy has three grown children and five grandchildren Tickets are also available online at www.arc-sd.com. Nearly 30 years ago, Jason Mclean was labelled a bad kid. Most adults didn't want to deal with him. Winnepeg Free Press March 19, 2011 By Carol Sanders "In Grade 6, I was kicked out of school more than I was in school," said the man who grew up in Charleswood. "From early childhood I was very different from most kids. I had a lot of behavioural issues. I was out of control and had a temper from a young age." He was showing symptoms of fetal alcohol effects that weren't diagnosed until he was a teen. "There was no filter -- I'd explode and get upset. I would get violent or swear or yell -- at the same time, I felt like I never wanted to do that." Today, he works with troubled inner-city youths, and can honestly say he knows where many of the kids he helps are coming from. "A lot of kids relate to me -- I've been there, done that," said Mclean. "People have said they're going to go nowhere... When you show a little tough love and guidance and be there for them, it's amazing to see how fast they can get somewhere." Sharing the fact that he has fetal alcohol effects with a young person who's also been diagnosed encourages many of them. "I've told them I have FAE and I understand where they're at... 'If I can do it, they can do it'." Mclean remembers the adult who saw the good in him and offered encouragement -- a teacher at Beaver Lodge elementary school. "He was an incredibly patient man... He knew I had a lot of bad stuff at home (and) other elements making my problems worse," Mclean said. "He really believed in me, liked me and wouldn't give up on me... When I started to get bored or frustrated -- that's when I'd get myself into trouble. He always encouraged my artwork and creativity." "A lot of other people at that time wanted to write me off as a bad kid: 'we want him out of here.' I can't blame them. I was pretty bad. I disrupted things," said Mclean. "I was stealing stuff. I didn't have control of myself whatsoever. At the same time, I wasn't a bad, bad kid. I didn't have a rotten heart." Guidance counsellors and social workers started to wonder if his behaviour was linked to fetal alcohol effects, which a diagnosis later confirmed. It didn't solve all his problems, though. "In junior high, I was removed from schools. It made it worse. I got a little deeper into the spiral of self-destruction and guilt. Nobody believed in me or wanted me around." He attended three different high schools, drank a lot and got into serious trouble with the law. His best friend's murder was the turning point, he said. "I made the decision to focus all my energy to help people... From the time I was a teenager who went through a number of problems, a lot of people worked with me. I wanted to be like them." "I got involved with volunteering with different organizations to help youth and I fell in love with youth-care work. "I'm turning those mistakes into lessons to help those kids." A body-building enthusiast, Mclean is covered in tattoos. "They are representations of different parts of my life... They're as colourful as my background and my life." They attract attention. Especially from the young people he works with. "They all love them. They love making fun of me, they draw tattoos on themselves, and they're my tattoo buddy. It's fun. It sets me apart from a lot of people." The fetal alcohol effects that used to set him apart from people, that he's learned to cope with. "I still do have impulses but I've learned what works for me and what doesn't. I've got to keep myself as busy as possible and be in the gym as often as I can or kick-boxing or running," he said. "Working with the kids is some of the best therapy I've had. Those kids keep me on my toes like you wouldn't believe." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/bad-boy-became-good-man-118288389.html Protect our kids from toxic mercury By Mary Anne Hitt, Special to CNN March 17, 2011 6:06 a.m. EDT STORY HIGHLIGHTS Mercury is very dangerous for kids, nursing moms, young women Mercury exposure affects a child's ability to walk, talk, read, write and learn, she says Coal-fired plants emit mercury; it rains down and poisons the fish we eat, Hitt says Hitt: EPA's air toxins safeguard for power plants will save thousands of lives a year Editor's note: Mary Anne Hitt is the director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign. Read more at Sierra Club's mercury information page. (CNN) -- As the mother of a 10-month-old daughter, I love watching her figure out new things, be it crawling or giving a high-five. I often wonder which of my personality traits little Hazel will have, and I hope that just like her father and me, she will be a lover and a defender of our environment. A real threat to Hazel and the millions of children around the United States -- as well as to our environment -- is mercury. A potent neurotoxin especially dangerous to young children, nursing mothers and women of childbearing age, mercury exposure affects a developing child's ability to walk, talk, read, write and learn. Mercury comes from coal-fired power plants, where it rains down into rivers and streams and then contaminates our fish and enters the food chain. We are exposed to mercury when we eat fish that have high levels of it -- large predator fish like tuna, swordfish and king mackerel, which store up the mercury eaten by the smaller fish that are their prey. Like millions of women, I was careful not to eat these mercury-laden fish when I was pregnant with Hazel. This statistic scared me when I was pregnant and still shocks me: The mercury problem in the United States is so widespread that one in six women has mercury levels in her blood high enough to put her baby at risk of development problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. One in six women has mercury levels in her blood high enough to put her baby at risk. --Mary Anne Hitt Our communities are paying for the costs of toxic air pollution with these dangerous health problems. Most states have warnings in place, telling residents not to eat fish they catch in rivers, streams and lakes, because of mercury contamination. Study after study shows that to protect public health, polluters must significantly reduce the amount of toxic air pollution coming out of their smokestacks, and that means cleaning up pollution from dirty coal plants, which are the No. 1 source of mercury pollution in the United States. The good news is that there's something we can do about this critical problem. The Environmental Protection Agency is releasing a new rule to protect families from mercury pollution. If these proposed air toxics safeguards are strong, they will answer the demand of mothers around the country who are standing up and urging the EPA to protect our kids -- and future generations of kids -- from mercury pollution. Fortunately, the EPA exists to develop and enforce much-needed safeguards to keep polluters from making us sick. In the 40 years since Americans demanded its creation, the EPA has saved millions of lives by enforcing clean air and water standards. More than 1.7 million asthma attacks and $110 billion in health care costs were avoided in 2010 alone thanks to the agency's efforts. The agency's forthcoming long-overdue air toxics safeguard for power plants will not only save thousands of lives per year, it also will help prevent disease, avoid hospitalizations and create high-paying new jobs installing and operating the much-needed pollution control equipment. But Big Coal and other polluters continue fighting any limits on their emissions, even when the pollution is shown to have adverse health effects on people. For decades, polluters have fought Clean Air Act requirements to reduce the toxic air emissions from their facilities, even though coal plants are among the largest sources of toxic air pollution. They are putting profits over children's health. While I know I can't raise Hazel in a completely pollution-free world, I can protect her from the worst of it by encouraging EPA to stand up for kids. I hope other parents will join me in calling for stronger protections, so our children can grow up in a cleaner, safer world. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mary Anne Hitt. http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/03/15/hitt.mercury.threat/index.html |
 |
Non-Profit Web Hosting provided by myhosting.com
The Arc of California, 1225 8th Street, Suite 350, Sacramento, CA 95814. Office (916) 552-6619, Fax (916) 441-3494 |
|
 |
|
