Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Backstabbing 'Progressive' Dem Gov Unleashes a Heartless Austerity
Agenda on Disabled Residents
________________________________________
Backstabbing 'Progressive' Dem Gov Unleashes a Heartless Austerity Agenda on
Disabled Residents
By Michael Arria [1] / AlterNet [2]
September 21, 2016
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During Connecticut's 2016 budget session, Governor Dannel Malloy waived off
calls for the third tax increase in six years and doubled down on austerity.
The governor proposed [3] $569 million in cuts and layoffs for over 2,500
public sector workers.
Malloy is a Democrat and it wasn't so long ago that he was viewed as a
fairly progressive one. He raised the state's minimum wage, increased taxes
for its wealthiest residents and acted quickly on gun control after the
Sandy Hook massacre. Predictably, Malloy's reputation with liberals faltered
after his new economic plan was revealed. Jan Hochadel, president of the
state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, told [4] the Atlantic
that, "We feel very differently now about Governor Malloy than we did a few
years ago." She compared him to "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and declared that
he had "turned his back on the 99 percent."
Connecticut's Department of Developmental Services, an agency that serves
over 16,560 individuals with intellectual disabilities, was presumably
unsurprised by Malloy's cuts. The administration cut its budget by $30
million in 2012, $5.5 million in 2014 and $8.4 million last year [5].
There's a $17 million reduction [6] for DDS this year and a requirement [7]
that its leaders find ways to cut millions more. However, the governor's
office says it has a plan to save even more: it wants to privatize a number
of the state's group homes.
The Office of Program Review and Investigations, the state's nonpartisan
investigative arm, carried out a study of privately run DDS facilities in
2011 and reported [8] that their costs were cheaper and their health
inspections were better. That study has been cited in support of the recent
privatization push. In August, Malloy's office revealed plans to privatize
40 state-run group homes and [9] ax 605 state jobs in the process. The
governor says the moves will save the state about $70 million. The plan
would also change the way Connecticut funds residential services, from a
system that pays service providers via grants to one that simply pays a fee
for each service. This alteration would potentially allow Connecticut to get
back Medicaid reimbursement for some of the costs. Malloy recently [7] made
the same change to the state's Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services.
No one denies that the system is in crisis. DDS' own studies show that over
2,000 people are on an "infamous disabled wait list" in Connecticut, unable
to receive proper support because the state lacks funding. Many parents view
privatization as an effective way to help their children and say [10]
private non-profit companies have been good for them.
Much like the history of DDS cuts, the privatization isn't new. Ninety
percent of developmentally disabled people who receive state services
already live in private settings, but a number of parents say the move will
be devastating for their family members. These parents, activists and
concerned citizens are leading a fight against Malloy's cuts and
privatization.
"The idea that someone else can care for our children the way the state
employees have is ludicrous," Lindsay Matthews, whose son has lived in a
state-run group home for almost 20 years, told [11] the Hartford Courant,
"This isn't about money. It's about love and relationships."
The Office of Program Review and Investigations is not the only group that
has conducted an investigation. In 2013, Senator Chris Murphy sent a letter
[12] to the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services
Monday, requesting an investigation that would focus on preventable deaths
at privately run group homes. In his letter, Murphy cited a Courant report
on the facilities: The paper's series revealed that state investigators had
cited neglect in the deaths of 76 adults with developmental disabilities who
were receiving services from the state. One incident involved a resident
being placed in a bathtub of scalding water and several choked to death
despite swallowing protocols.
"Privatization of care may mean lower costs but without the proper oversight
and requirements for well-trained staff," wrote Murphy, "While individuals
with developmental disabilities may not be able to speak for themselves, we
are not absolved of the responsibility to care for them in a humane and fair
manner."
Murphy eventually got a federal probe and the investigation's findings were
released this year. They backed up the Courant's reporting and provided even
more harrowing details. The audit, which examined Connecticut's treatment of
245 developmentally disabled people from 2012 through the first half of
2014, discovered that many private group homes failed to report "critical
incidents" to state officials and almost never forwarded such incidents to
outside investigators.
"The results of this investigation are worse than I could have imagined,"
admitted [13] Murphy, "and clearly the oversight agencies have failed in
their responsibility to prevent and investigate incidents of abuse. The
state needs to take action as quickly as possible to address the issues
raised in this disturbing report."
Advocates say such a scandal can be attributed to the massive DDS cuts:
nearly $100 million has been cut from its $1 billion budget over the last
four years and a large private worker turnover rate. They also say that the
state is not prepared to transfer the remaining individuals who live in
public facilities to private ones and that the move will overwhelm the
private sector, which has also been underfunded by the state.
The SEIU's Colleen McGill, who's part of an organization fighting the cuts
called Our Families Can't Wait [14] told AlterNet that Malloy was
essentially transferring middle-class jobs to a low-wage sector:
The non-profit sector has been dangerously underfunded for the last 20
years, with the state asking these organizations to do the same job for a
fraction of the cost. This process results in the replacement of working
class jobs with lower-income, often part-time positions. Many workers either
have to work multiple jobs, go on state assistance or leave once they find
other employment. An employee with the Department of Developmental services
is able to raise a family on state wages, resulting in a more stable
workforce and a family-environment for the individuals they care for.
Supporters of Malloy's cuts identify the sudden departure of General
Electric (which moved from Fairfield to Boston) as one of the major reasons
for these economic policies. "What's changed is that the money's not coming
in the door," Malloy told [4] the Atlantic. However, critics [15] say the
money could be made up if the state simply taxed its billionaires and
millionaires at the same rate as during the 1970s.
Malloy has been criticized, by labor activists as well as state Republicans,
for handing a $22 million grant to Bridgewater Associates, the world's
largest hedge fund. "Some day I want to live in a world where I can have it
both ways," Malloy said of the grant in an interview. "They're the same
people who say, Hey, you've got to create more jobs. You gotta grow
commerce. You gotta build a tax base."
In comments some progressives might find shocking, Republican Senate
Minority Leader Len Fasano declared:
Connecticut is in financial crisis and people are suffering. The Democrats
just passed a budget that cuts from the most vulnerable individuals in
society. It cuts millions from Connecticut's welfare program, it reduces
dental treatment for the poorest children in our state, and it cuts over $8
million for critical mental health and substance abuse treatment. We are
talking about tens of millions of dollars in handouts for a company that
abandoned plans to build in Stamford, yet continues to reap the benefits of
an agreement they backtracked on. We are also talking about one of the
largest hedge funds in the world with a multi-billionaire owner. Tens of
millions of dollars to us is mere pennies to them.
Investment is the only way to save the system says Colleen McGill: "Only by
the state fully funding both the public and non-profit sectors will we be
able to see justice for the disability community in Connecticut, and a
strong middle-class economy."
Michael Arria is an associate editor at AlterNet and AlterNet's labor
editor. Follow @MichaelArria on Twitter.
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Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/economy/backstabbing-progressive-dem-gov-unleashes-h
eartless-austerity-agenda-disabled-residents
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/michael-arria
[2] http://alternet.org
[3]
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Gov-Malloy-to-Propose-569-million-i
n-Cuts-to-Next-Budget-367267901.html
[4]
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/the-travails-of-connecti
cut-democratic-governor-dannel-malloy/483213/
[5]
http://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-peters-cuts-to-dds-hurt-most-vuln
erable-0127-20150126-story.html
[6]
http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-malloy-budget-cuts-0317-20160316-story.ht
ml
[7]
http://ctmirror.org/2016/02/03/advocates-say-social-service-mental-health-cu
ts-will-hurt/
[8] https://www.cga.ct.gov/pri/2011_prsscid.asp
[9]
http://ctmirror.org/2016/08/16/dds-layoffs-to-reach-605-as-state-moves-to-pr
ivatize-services/
[10]
http://wtnh.com/2016/08/25/parents-say-not-to-fear-privatization-of-dds-serv
ices/
[11]
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-group-homes-state-private-familie
s-0824-20160823-story.html
[12]
http://articles.courant.com/2013-03-04/news/hcp-dds-murphy-reaction-0305-201
30304-1_1_murphy-developmental-disabilities-group-homes
[13]
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-abuse-neglect-developmentally-dis
abled-investigation-20160524-story.html
[14]
https://www.facebook.com/CT-DDS-Our-Families-Cant-Wait-329026173907063/?ref=
page_internal
[15]
https://www.change.org/p/gov-malloy-we-want-and-need-higher-taxes-on-the-top
-7-in-ct
[16] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Backstabbing
'Progressive' Dem Gov Unleashes a Heartless Austerity Agenda on
Disabled Residents
[17] http://www.alternet.org/
[18] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Backstabbing 'Progressive' Dem Gov Unleashes a Heartless Austerity
Agenda on Disabled Residents
Backstabbing 'Progressive' Dem Gov Unleashes a Heartless Austerity Agenda on
Disabled Residents
By Michael Arria [1] / AlterNet [2]
September 21, 2016
AddThis Sharing Buttons
Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to Google+Share to MoreShare to Email
During Connecticut's 2016 budget session, Governor Dannel Malloy waived off
calls for the third tax increase in six years and doubled down on austerity.
The governor proposed [3] $569 million in cuts and layoffs for over 2,500
public sector workers.
Malloy is a Democrat and it wasn't so long ago that he was viewed as a
fairly progressive one. He raised the state's minimum wage, increased taxes
for its wealthiest residents and acted quickly on gun control after the
Sandy Hook massacre. Predictably, Malloy's reputation with liberals faltered
after his new economic plan was revealed. Jan Hochadel, president of the
state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, told [4] the Atlantic
that, "We feel very differently now about Governor Malloy than we did a few
years ago." She compared him to "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and declared that
he had "turned his back on the 99 percent."
Connecticut's Department of Developmental Services, an agency that serves
over 16,560 individuals with intellectual disabilities, was presumably
unsurprised by Malloy's cuts. The administration cut its budget by $30
million in 2012, $5.5 million in 2014 and $8.4 million last year [5].
There's a $17 million reduction [6] for DDS this year and a requirement [7]
that its leaders find ways to cut millions more. However, the governor's
office says it has a plan to save even more: it wants to privatize a number
of the state's group homes.
The Office of Program Review and Investigations, the state's nonpartisan
investigative arm, carried out a study of privately run DDS facilities in
2011 and reported [8] that their costs were cheaper and their health
inspections were better. That study has been cited in support of the recent
privatization push. In August, Malloy's office revealed plans to privatize
40 state-run group homes and [9] ax 605 state jobs in the process. The
governor says the moves will save the state about $70 million. The plan
would also change the way Connecticut funds residential services, from a
system that pays service providers via grants to one that simply pays a fee
for each service. This alteration would potentially allow Connecticut to get
back Medicaid reimbursement for some of the costs. Malloy recently [7] made
the same change to the state's Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services.
No one denies that the system is in crisis. DDS' own studies show that over
2,000 people are on an "infamous disabled wait list" in Connecticut, unable
to receive proper support because the state lacks funding. Many parents view
privatization as an effective way to help their children and say [10]
private non-profit companies have been good for them.
Much like the history of DDS cuts, the privatization isn't new. Ninety
percent of developmentally disabled people who receive state services
already live in private settings, but a number of parents say the move will
be devastating for their family members. These parents, activists and
concerned citizens are leading a fight against Malloy's cuts and
privatization.
"The idea that someone else can care for our children the way the state
employees have is ludicrous," Lindsay Matthews, whose son has lived in a
state-run group home for almost 20 years, told [11] the Hartford Courant,
"This isn't about money. It's about love and relationships."
The Office of Program Review and Investigations is not the only group that
has conducted an investigation. In 2013, Senator Chris Murphy sent a letter
[12] to the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services
Monday, requesting an investigation that would focus on preventable deaths
at privately run group homes. In his letter, Murphy cited a Courant report
on the facilities: The paper's series revealed that state investigators had
cited neglect in the deaths of 76 adults with developmental disabilities who
were receiving services from the state. One incident involved a resident
being placed in a bathtub of scalding water and several choked to death
despite swallowing protocols.
"Privatization of care may mean lower costs but without the proper oversight
and requirements for well-trained staff," wrote Murphy, "While individuals
with developmental disabilities may not be able to speak for themselves, we
are not absolved of the responsibility to care for them in a humane and fair
manner."
Murphy eventually got a federal probe and the investigation's findings were
released this year. They backed up the Courant's reporting and provided even
more harrowing details. The audit, which examined Connecticut's treatment of
245 developmentally disabled people from 2012 through the first half of
2014, discovered that many private group homes failed to report "critical
incidents" to state officials and almost never forwarded such incidents to
outside investigators.
"The results of this investigation are worse than I could have imagined,"
admitted [13] Murphy, "and clearly the oversight agencies have failed in
their responsibility to prevent and investigate incidents of abuse. The
state needs to take action as quickly as possible to address the issues
raised in this disturbing report."
Advocates say such a scandal can be attributed to the massive DDS cuts:
nearly $100 million has been cut from its $1 billion budget over the last
four years and a large private worker turnover rate. They also say that the
state is not prepared to transfer the remaining individuals who live in
public facilities to private ones and that the move will overwhelm the
private sector, which has also been underfunded by the state.
The SEIU's Colleen McGill, who's part of an organization fighting the cuts
called Our Families Can't Wait [14] told AlterNet that Malloy was
essentially transferring middle-class jobs to a low-wage sector:
The non-profit sector has been dangerously underfunded for the last 20
years, with the state asking these organizations to do the same job for a
fraction of the cost. This process results in the replacement of working
class jobs with lower-income, often part-time positions. Many workers either
have to work multiple jobs, go on state assistance or leave once they find
other employment. An employee with the Department of Developmental services
is able to raise a family on state wages, resulting in a more stable
workforce and a family-environment for the individuals they care for.
Supporters of Malloy's cuts identify the sudden departure of General
Electric (which moved from Fairfield to Boston) as one of the major reasons
for these economic policies. "What's changed is that the money's not coming
in the door," Malloy told [4] the Atlantic. However, critics [15] say the
money could be made up if the state simply taxed its billionaires and
millionaires at the same rate as during the 1970s.
Malloy has been criticized, by labor activists as well as state Republicans,
for handing a $22 million grant to Bridgewater Associates, the world's
largest hedge fund. "Some day I want to live in a world where I can have it
both ways," Malloy said of the grant in an interview. "They're the same
people who say, Hey, you've got to create more jobs. You gotta grow
commerce. You gotta build a tax base."
In comments some progressives might find shocking, Republican Senate
Minority Leader Len Fasano declared:
Connecticut is in financial crisis and people are suffering. The Democrats
just passed a budget that cuts from the most vulnerable individuals in
society. It cuts millions from Connecticut's welfare program, it reduces
dental treatment for the poorest children in our state, and it cuts over $8
million for critical mental health and substance abuse treatment. We are
talking about tens of millions of dollars in handouts for a company that
abandoned plans to build in Stamford, yet continues to reap the benefits of
an agreement they backtracked on. We are also talking about one of the
largest hedge funds in the world with a multi-billionaire owner. Tens of
millions of dollars to us is mere pennies to them.
Investment is the only way to save the system says Colleen McGill: "Only by
the state fully funding both the public and non-profit sectors will we be
able to see justice for the disability community in Connecticut, and a
strong middle-class economy."
Michael Arria is an associate editor at AlterNet and AlterNet's labor
editor. Follow @MichaelArria on Twitter.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [16]
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.[17]
Stay Ahead of the Rest
Sign Up for AlterNet's Daily Newsletter
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Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/economy/backstabbing-progressive-dem-gov-unleashes-h
eartless-austerity-agenda-disabled-residents
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/michael-arria
[2] http://alternet.org
[3]
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Gov-Malloy-to-Propose-569-million-i
n-Cuts-to-Next-Budget-367267901.html
[4]
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/the-travails-of-connecti
cut-democratic-governor-dannel-malloy/483213/
[5]
http://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-peters-cuts-to-dds-hurt-most-vuln
erable-0127-20150126-story.html
[6]
http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-malloy-budget-cuts-0317-20160316-story.ht
ml
[7]
http://ctmirror.org/2016/02/03/advocates-say-social-service-mental-health-cu
ts-will-hurt/
[8] https://www.cga.ct.gov/pri/2011_prsscid.asp
[9]
http://ctmirror.org/2016/08/16/dds-layoffs-to-reach-605-as-state-moves-to-pr
ivatize-services/
[10]
http://wtnh.com/2016/08/25/parents-say-not-to-fear-privatization-of-dds-serv
ices/
[11]
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-group-homes-state-private-familie
s-0824-20160823-story.html
[12]
http://articles.courant.com/2013-03-04/news/hcp-dds-murphy-reaction-0305-201
30304-1_1_murphy-developmental-disabilities-group-homes
[13]
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-abuse-neglect-developmentally-dis
abled-investigation-20160524-story.html
[14]
https://www.facebook.com/CT-DDS-Our-Families-Cant-Wait-329026173907063/?ref=
page_internal
[15]
https://www.change.org/p/gov-malloy-we-want-and-need-higher-taxes-on-the-top
-7-in-ct
[16] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Backstabbing
'Progressive' Dem Gov Unleashes a Heartless Austerity Agenda on
Disabled Residents
[17] http://www.alternet.org/
[18] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
