Vague Wisdom

It's difficult for me to know what to say about the economy and specifically Gov. Brown's proposed budget. There seems to be little or no patience for even discussing enhancing revenue (increasing taxes), even when the "increase" is just going back to tax levels that were easily coped with by the upper 10%. There seems to be some people who just believe wholeheartedly that there is massive fraud and waste in government. They seem to think that refusing to increase taxes will somehow magically get rid of all this "fraud" and "waste". It also seems impossible to have a realistic conversation about any system change. Look at the healthcare debate.

It happens that most of my income comes from benefits. I depend on services like In-Home Social Services (IHSS) which is the program that pays for personal care so I can stay out of a nursing home. Lately, every year during California's budget cycle, I find myself making the same arguments with little apparent effect. Nursing homes cost considerably more per person to pay for than paying for the same services being provided in my home.

Unfortunately, because of long historical precedent, there is a bias towards institutionalizing folk like me even though it has been demonstrated again and again that nursing home care is much more expensive and less humane. In the last three or four years Gov. Schwarzenegger has offered budgets that completely eliminated IHSS. Fortunately, thanks to advocates for people with disabilities and some great state representatives who understand the issues, IHSS still exists even though it was cut last year. Gov. Brown is suggesting deep cuts not only in IHSS but many other programs that people depend on to lead reasonably tolerable lives.

Lots of programs are being cut, I happen to know more about those related to people with disabilities. Some of the consequences of Gov. Brown's proposed budget would cut IHSS once again across the board. It would require all recipients of IHSS to go to their doctor and get them to sign something that says the loss of IHSS would mean that that person would need to go to a nursing home. Why he wants this is confusing since everyone receiving IHSS needed to get a note from our doctors saying the same thing. Seems like a waste of resources all around, but I believe they're hoping the additional bureaucratic dance will cause some people to drop off the rolls.

There is also a suggestion that people with disabilities who live with someone may have any housekeeping hours cut because I suppose they assume that whoever lives with them will do that housekeeping. I know lots of people disabilities who have roommates just to help take care of the rent. Why a roommate should be obligated to take care all that housekeeping is beyond me.

Because cuts are coming to all sorts of programs that people depend on, many of us have been dealing with cut upon cut upon cuts. Gov. Brown talks about not liking the cuts and that we all must share in the burden. What goes unspoken is the cuts proposed could keep people imprisoned in their homes. Taken from their homes to institutions. Necessary medical treatment and medicine will not be given. More people will be homeless or go hungry. All to make sure that a small percentage people can buy so many homes they can't even remember how many. I wonder where the shared burden is there?