funding

[Guest guest]

PLEASE.....calm down........we cannot be divided in the disability movement. Instead of fighting about the amount of dollars being cut and if and why there should be cuts at all....maybe we really need to be questioning the service providers and the state to look hard at the way dollars are being allocated and spent.

There are good programs and some extremely poor programs. Why is it that one agency can provide satisfactory services and that another agency should close it's doors? There will never be enough money to provide services to all that need them.

Respect is what we have to remember here. Respect for the choices that people make. Respect for what people choose as being appropriate. What is determined to be community inclusion for one may be very different from what is appropriate for another individual.

Ask how your tax dollars are being spent. Determine if you are getting the most for your money. Maybe the way the cuts are being done are not right. Maybe the way the money is being spent currently is not right. But there are not enough services....we all know that.

WHATEVER you do....do not let the people who make funding decisions think that even those of us in this game can not get along. Respect each other's opinions and agree to disagree. But listen to what you can learn from every other. There is room for us all to make a difference in the lives of our children. Everyone on this list is here for the same reason.....because they care! Keep up the good work..............continue to challenge the system............and remember why we are all in this in the first place!

Sorry if this is rambling but at least you generated some good discussion and got people thinking.

[Guest guest]

:

While I respect your opinion, I do not think we should just lay down and accept

what someone says, just because they are an " advocate " . If you are advocating

for the entire disability community, then don't tell me what is good for you is

not good for me. The reality is, the system is set up to pit one against the

other and while the shortfall of funds is real, I do not accept that there will

never be enough money. It is incumbent on us to fight for what is right. The

only reason there is more money in the coffers now is because Jeb Bush stepped

up to the plate and pushed for funding. I know that the lawsuits helped that

happen, but the governor's before him did nothing to try and fix the problem.

The fact that the state has misappropriated funds over the last few years has

not helped the matter.

While I know there are many people who work for the state that truly care what

happens to our kids, there are many that are only looking at the cost and are so

removed from the reality that we should let them have our lives and our kids for

a month and see how they would react when told there is no funding for them.

Sorry, but there is no room at the inn.

Many individuals have been negatively impacted by the " new rate structure " . I am

so tired of hearing about the greedy service providers. Many of these providers

exist because families had nowhere to turn. Many exist because families had a

hand in starting them. Now everyone is an expert on what is right for my child

or yours? Consumer choice or family choice or whatever anyone wants to call it

is not what DCF, DOE, or some advocate chooses. It is what the family or

individual chooses. I keep hearing about self determination and wonder who's

self are we talking about? Some individuals need intensive care and while I

agree that everyone should live in the community. The physical location does not

make that individual included. My daughter lived in a beautiful house and it was

in a beautiful neighborhod, but she was a bird in a guilded cage. The neighbors

had nothing to do with the kids living in that house and they had no apporpriate

programs outside the house. LIVING in the community is not the same as HOUSED in

the community. We need to have the infrastructure in place before we dismantle

everything that is in place to serve our kids today!

We will never have the funds if we do not force the issue. The state is playing

a shell game to spread the funds around and in my opinion, they have found a

creative way to cut funds and call it fair distribution. Are there providers

that are overcharging? I am sure. Are there provders that should not be

providing? I am sure. But to arbitrarily say all of these providers are getting

too much money is ludicrous. The millions spent on rate restructuring and

determining what is medically necessary may be beneficial to some and

catistrophic to others. A parent of a child with severe autism may need a PCA

and it is deemed not medically necessary, while an independent functioning child

with downs syndrome has a PCA and doesn't really need it. Where is the fairness

in that? There is none. But Mercer and Maximus or whatever the name of the month

is deciding, is not self determination or consumer directed care. If anyone

thinks it is, they are living in fantasy land.

Many of the so called advocates out there are not as knowledgeable as they

profess and they don't speak for everyone.

Sometimes we have to fight for what is right.

Regards,

Ven

[Guest guest]

Ven - I never said "lay down" and accept...............and I never implied that what is good for one is not good for some one else..................please re-read my post....I think you know me well enough to know that. All I was saying...and I am certainly not as eloquent as Lily, or ........is ask questions, try to see all sides of the story but more importantly respect each other's opinion and try to develop a united front. If I said anything that misled you............I am sorry....but I think you misinterpreted my post.

Re: funding

:While I respect your opinion, I do not think we should just lay down and accept what someone says, just because they are an "advocate". If you are advocating for the entire disability community, then don't tell me what is good for you is not good for me. The reality is, the system is set up to pit one against the other and while the shortfall of funds is real, I do not accept that there will never be enough money. It is incumbent on us to fight for what is right. The only reason there is more money in the coffers now is because Jeb Bush stepped up to the plate and pushed for funding. I know that the lawsuits helped that happen, but the governor's before him did nothing to try and fix the problem. The fact that the state has misappropriated funds over the last few years has not helped the matter. While I know there are many people who work for the state that truly care what happens to our kids, there are many that are only looking at the cost and are so removed from the reality that we should let them have our lives and our kids for a month and see how they would react when told there is no funding for them. Sorry, but there is no room at the inn. Many individuals have been negatively impacted by the "new rate structure". I am so tired of hearing about the greedy service providers. Many of these providers exist because families had nowhere to turn. Many exist because families had a hand in starting them. Now everyone is an expert on what is right for my child or yours? Consumer choice or family choice or whatever anyone wants to call it is not what DCF, DOE, or some advocate chooses. It is what the family or individual chooses. I keep hearing about self determination and wonder who's self are we talking about? Some individuals need intensive care and while I agree that everyone should live in the community. The physical location does not make that individual included. My daughter lived in a beautiful house and it was in a beautiful neighborhod, but she was a bird in a guilded cage. The neighbors had nothing to do with the kids living in that house and they had no apporpriate programs outside the house. LIVING in the community is not the same as HOUSED in the community. We need to have the infrastructure in place before we dismantle everything that is in place to serve our kids today! We will never have the funds if we do not force the issue. The state is playing a shell game to spread the funds around and in my opinion, they have found a creative way to cut funds and call it fair distribution. Are there providers that are overcharging? I am sure. Are there provders that should not be providing? I am sure. But to arbitrarily say all of these providers are getting too much money is ludicrous. The millions spent on rate restructuring and determining what is medically necessary may be beneficial to some and catistrophic to others. A parent of a child with severe autism may need a PCA and it is deemed not medically necessary, while an independent functioning child with downs syndrome has a PCA and doesn't really need it. Where is the fairness in that? There is none. But Mercer and Maximus or whatever the name of the month is deciding, is not self determination or consumer directed care. If anyone thinks it is, they are living in fantasy land. Many of the so called advocates out there are not as knowledgeable as they profess and they don't speak for everyone. Sometimes we have to fight for what is right. Regards, Ven