Saturday, March 29, 2008

MSEA-SEIU's President Bruce Hodson places Letter to the Editor

Bruce Hodson, MSEA-SEIU's president had a Letter to the Editor published in Thursday's (3/27) Kennebec Journal. Click on the link below to read it. http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/view/letters/4908052.html

Parties split over budget recommendations

Late last week the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee wrapped up their work on a supplemental budget proposal to fill the current budget hole of nearly $200 million. Despite an effort to craft a bipartisan plan, Republicans and Democrats will present separate budget proposals to the full Legislature. Republicans and Democrats agreed to many of the measures presented by the Governor to cover the $190 million budget shortfall in the state’s $6.3 billion biennial budget. These measures include savings from reorganization within the Department of Health and Human Services, cuts to MaineCare services provided to childless adults and a reduction in state aid to local schools. The two parties also agreed to partially restore the Governor’s cuts to higher education, foster parent reimbursements, as well as domestic violence and sexual assault services. The majority Democrat plan includes the sweeping of multiple state accounts and the elimination of the Legislature’s Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA). Their plan also includes a move to allow the state treasurer to accelerate the sale of stocks that are being held by the state as unclaimed property, which would bring in approximately $9 million. Republicans rejected the idea as a risky one-time scheme along the lines of the failed unused gift card recapture from last year’s budget, a move that contributed to the current shortfall. The Republicans on the committee presented their own plan that called for legislators and legislative employees to contribute 10 percent to their own health insurance premiums, which are currently fully covered by the state. Their plan would also have accepted the Governor’s proposal to limit Medicaid spending on non-disabled, childless adults and mandate three unpaid government holidays. They also proposed a 10 percent reduction for payments to candidates who apply to run as publicly-funded candidates during the 2008 election cycle. Both committee reports are expected to be presented to the full Legislature this week. email from Representative Cotta 3/26/08

Democrat Budget Plan would Eliminate OPEGA

Democrats on the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee included a controversial measure in their majority budget plan to close the Legislature’s Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA). The maneuver will book nearly $1.2 million in savings in the current biennium. Republicans on the committee issued a separate budget document that does not include the OPEGA cut. OPEGA is a nonpartisan office that conducts reviews and audits of programs and agencies within state government that use public funds. The agency is overseen by a committee that is comprised of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. OPEGA has issued nearly a dozen reports and is currently undertaking a review of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. OPEGA uncovered $167,806 of misused funds and possible fraud during one of its reviews. The case is now pending in front of the Attorney General’s office. Another report reviewed the state’s economic development programs which cost taxpayers over $200 million. Their report showed that these programs lack oversight and are oftentimes duplicative. They estimate that their reports have suggested over $2.1 million in annual savings. email from Representative Cotta 3/26/08

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

LD1687 Voted Down in IFS

Today in the working session of the Insurance and Financial Services Committee of the Maine State Legislature, LD1687 was voted down. Many committee members voiced their concern for direct care workers having no health insurance, direct line care givers having no care for themselves. Without funding for Dirigo, they could not support LD1687. It does seem odd that with LD2247 levying a 50-cent per pack tax hike on cigarettes and a 1.8 percent surcharge on hospital bills that the funding for LD1687 wouldn't be there if LD2247 passes. Perhaps these tax increases are to support Dirigo at the current level and not increase it to let another group in. Although LD1687 got shot down today, there is a ray of hope and a chance to work on this again with the next Legislature. IFS Co-Chair Senator Nancy Sullivan asked that the Superintendent of Insurance look into the rules pertaining to groups of workers buying a group policy, pooling direct care workers or the agencies they work for together to buy group insurance. This is something I've been asking about for some time now. Maybe I've finally found the right door to knock on! It was good to hear something positive about pooling workers together. I usually got the response of direct care workers are a high risk to insure; our work classification keeps us from doing this, ie we are per diem workers; we're too old; wages are more important than health care coverage; something about community rating (I'm still not sure on that one); all this is what I've heard as to why direct care workers can't pool together to buy group health insurance. So, even though LD1687 is dead, the issues it raises are not. LD1687, or something like it, will be back next session. Who knows? We may be successful the next time around. We'll have a new Legislature to work with. There's always room for hope!

New Dirigo Bill Proposes Cigarette Tax Increase

The Legislature’s Insurance and Financial Services Committee held a public hearing on a new bill that hopes to change the way the controversial DirigoChoice health insurance program is funded. The bill, LD2247, carries the innocuous title, “An Act to Continue Maine’s Leadership in Covering the Uninsured.” The legislation proposes repealing the contentious savings offset payment, or SOP tax on insurance premiums and instead, raise revenues for the program by increasing the cigarette tax by 50-cents per pack and levying a 1.8 percent surcharge on every hospital bill. The DirigoChoice health insurance program currently covers about 14,000 Maine residents, far short of its originally stated goals. The SOP tax has been the target of lawsuits by the business community and opponents have argued since its inception that taxing those with health insurance only adds to the overall costs of policies in Maine. Legislative Republicans and Governor Baldacci have voiced their concerns over the bill because of the tax increases it contains.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Dirigo Health Care Funding . . . LD 2247 & LD1687

This is an article published in the Kennebec Journal on Friday, March 14th. http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/4866109.html It is about Dirigo Health Care and the ways to fund it. If this LD2247 passes, maybe it will open the door for LD1687, the bill to change Dirigo to let agencies employing more than 50 direct care workers gain health insurance. LD1687 also allows direct care workers without health care coverage who work an average of 10 hours or more per week to participate in the DirigoChoice health insurance plan. LD1687 will allow multiple long-term care employers to contribute monthly premium assistance to their direct care employees that are eligible to enroll in Dirigo as an individual. Currently, LD1687 seems to be dead, because of the budget problems. The Direct Care Worker Coalition is meeting again on Monday, March 17th, to draw up a strategy as to their next move on LD1687. There is a work session in the Insurance and Financial Services Committee pertaining to LD1687 and LD2247 on Tuesday, March 18th at 1pm in Room 427 of the State House.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Something to think about. . .

As you may have heard the Bush Administration said each and every one of us would now get a nice rebate. If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline it will all go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it will all go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will all go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, if we purchase a good car it will all go to Japan, if we purchase useless crap it will all go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy. this came from an email I received

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Letter to the Editor gets Published

Here's the link to my letter. http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/view/letters/4861663.html Got to get the word out and getting "free" press is a great way to do it.

Maine Can Do Better Rally


The rally at the State House yesterday was a sight to behold! The State House was packed to capacity. Security told people to leave because that many people in the building posed a safety problem.

There were people on all floors of the State House, not just the second floor where the Hall of Flags is and where the rally was held. There were people in the lobbies, people on the stairs, people in the hallways!

I hope the Governor and every member of the Legislature heard the ruckus and took notice. . .
MAINE CAN DO BETTER!
Here's the article in the Kennebec Journal.
picture thanks to KJ website

Response from Representative David Cotta & Senator Libby Mitchell

This is the letter I received from Senator Mitchell in response to an email I sent to her and Representative Cotta opposing the cuts to the Homemaker Program. To view it, simply click on the image.











This is the response I got from Representative Cotta:

"I will oppose any cuts to the Homemaker program and view this attempt as politics at it's worst."

Rep. H David Cotta
Proudly Representing Citizens of
China, Albion, Benton, Unity TWP
(207) 215-8525


Here's the email:

Hello Senator Mitchell and Representative Cotta,
I'm sending you this email to let you know that I am opposed to the proposed cuts in DHHS's Homemaker Program.
I am a Direct Care Worker with Home Care for Maine. I help people in

this program.
These are elderly folk living in their homes. I help them with grocery shopping, taking them to medical appointments, the to bank, getting errands done. I also help them keep their homes clean and tidy.
They look forward to my visits every week. I look forward to seeing them too. I enjoy their company and I enjoy this job.
The two homemaking consumers that I have do not drive. They have family, but their children are working and not always able to help when help is needed.
This program helps keep these elders independent. That is something that is very important to them. They'd rather be in their own homes than in an assisted living facility or a nursing home or living with their children, feeling like they are a burden to them.
Both consumers I have need this help. There are many more like them on waiting lists for help. Both of these consumers are not able to push a vacuum around or clean out their tubs, they are not physically able to do this anymore.
I strongly disagree with Governor Baldacci's and Commissioner Brenda Harvey's saying that these cuts won't hurt some of Maine's "most vulnerable citizens." Elderly people are vulnerable.
Elderly people deserve to have help. Many of them have led long, productive lives and now need a little assistance in their "golden years."
Please think of your parents and grandparents and what the cuts would mean to them if they were on a waiting list to receive these kind of services and then told that they would not be getting them because there's no money.
After a lifetime of paying taxes, there's no money to help them, our "most vulnerable citizens."
As a Direct Care Worker, I do not make tons of money, I am not getting rich at it. There's no paid sick time, paid vacations, paid holidays and most important, no health insurance.
When I took this job, I had health care coverage through my husband. Circumstances changed and we now buy our own catastrophic coverage. It doesn't pay much and is very expensive, but the way I see it, we won't loose our home if one of us should become very sick. We won't have to file bankruptcy to pay our medical bills. That's just not right, you spend a lifetime working, paying your bills, making your own way just to lose what you've worked for if you should become very sick.
If I was in the position I'm in now, back when I took this job, I would not have been able to take it. I've been doing this for almost five years. What keeps me at it is the fact that I'm helping someone in need. There's a lot to be said for that. I enjoy what I do a lot. It is more than cleaning for someone, it is the satisfaction of knowing I'm making a difference for someone.
Thank you for your time and consideration on this very important matter.
Sincerely, Helen Hanson






Monday, March 10, 2008

Governor Releases Plan to Close Growing Budget Gap

On Wednesday (3/5), Governor Baldacci released his most recent plan to address the growing budget gap. Late last month the state’s Revenue Forecasting Committee met and reduced their projection of state revenues by an additional $95 million. That action brought the state budget shortfall to nearly $200 million. The governor has proposed to eliminate over 70 state jobs, 20 of which will be administrative and management positions within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). He is also proposing to further cap enrollment in a MaineCare program which gives free health care to non-disabled, childless adults. The program is not federally mandated. The revisions to the budget target DHHS for nearly $27.5 million more in reductions. The governor has also proposed reducing General Purpose Aid to schools by $34.1 million. Part of the savings will be realized by extending the ramp-up to 55 percent state funding for K-12 education from four years to five years. The governor’s plan did not raise broad-based taxes and did not draw from the state’s rainy day fund reserves. The proposal does raise $117,000 in new revenue through fee increases and relies upon $8.2 million in one-time money to fill the budget gap.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Maine Can Do Better!!

Rally to Stop the Harm to Maine People! DAY: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 TIME: 11:30 AM PLACE: State House Hall of Flags The Legislature is considering drastic budget cuts eliminating services Maine people need now more than ever. The Governor’s budget proposals would eliminate jobs, threaten the social safety net, erode our educational system and infrastructure, and weaken government at all levels. Rather than share the burden of a worsening economy, these cuts target public workers and Maine’s most vulnerable citizens. As MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, we urge our members to join with other allied groups who belong to MaineCanDoBetter.org to oppose these harmful cuts.

Local 771 and KVO

The Kennebec Valley Organization had its monthly Long-Term Care Team meeting yesterday evening. I attended as president of MSEA's Local 771. KVO is developing a strategy for a broader campaign in support of universal health care coverage. Health care coverage for everyone. Part of this strategy is gathering information and viewpoints from KVO's member groups. MSEA/SEIU Local 1989 Local 771 is one of KVO's members. KVO wants to know how folks think and feel about health care coverage. Do folks think it is a right? What are members' stories pertaining to their health care coverage? I bet there are some scary ones as well as some successful ones. Sometime in April, I'll plan a meeting of 771 to do just that. Have members talk about their health care and issues they are facing. Then, in late spring or early summer, KVO and its members will host a Health Care Forum. This will be a place to get information on how the insurance system works, what doesn't work and coming up with solutions. In late summer to early fall, KVO will plan a meeting with candidates to glean their thoughts on health care coverage for everyone. As this campaign moves along, I hope that many 771 members will get involved. There's a link to the Kennebec Valley Organization's website in the column to the right. Check it out. KVO is a great community based organization.