Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday Legislative Update
Greetings! Another week…another update!
1- The House Tax committee debated the Governor’s sales tax bill last week. Many legislators have taken a pledge not to raise taxes and stood by their vow. The bill failed in committee but rather than being termed “dead”, has been put in the bottom drawer to be pulled out again later in the session if needed.
2- The Senate debated their rescission bill last week. A rescission bill cancels previously approved but unspent funds and allows a new bill to identify future spending. Since there is less money coming into Kansas than what was anticipated, the State has to amend their budget by submitting a rescission bill. Both Senate and House have their own versions of this bill. Once passed in each respective chamber, legislators must work together to agree on one final bill.
3- Our own JoCo Senator, Jeff Colyer offered an amendment to the Senate’s rescission bill which would have restored the 10% cut to Medicaid. This would have been done by borrowing money from the 2011 budget. Many legislators felt it was not a good idea to “rob Peter to pay Paul”. The amendment failed but the Senate’s rescission bill did pass 36 – 4. The 10% cut to Medicaid was not restored.
4- Friday, the State received their latest tax revenue figures. Bad news prevailed as revenues were almost $34 million below where they were projected to be. The House Appropriation committee will be working on their rescission bill in the next week. They will have to take into account this additional shortfall.
5- A committee had the charge to look at the potential closure of one or both of the State’s two DD hospitals. The committee’s final report recommended closure of KNI in Topeka with claims that this would save the State money by serving folks in a less costly community setting. In addition, the committee recommended that money saved by closure should be used to take folks off the DD waiting list. After thoughtful deliberation, Governor Parkinson decided that the State should work towards “downsizing” our two DD hospitals and “work towards” closure. So much for a new funding source to eliminate the waiting list.
6- Many of you have forwarded me your legislators responses to your very personal emails. It gives me hope that legislators are hearing you, tells me which legislators need a little more work, and gives me an idea as to what legislators are thinking. Keep those valuable relationships growing. Thank you so much for sharing, but more importantly, thank you for taking action!
Your TO DO list for next week:
1- Send an email to your Representative and ask them to restore the 10% cut to Medicaid by adopting the State General Fund swap for DD. As I said earlier, Legislators will be working and voting on this within the next week or two. Time is of the essence.
2- Visit www.invisiblekansans.org and send your weekly email.
3- Share the above site with two new people.
4- If you would be willing to tell your story and be video-taped, please let me know. We are trying to strengthen the Invisible Kansans website and no one tells your story better than you!
Remember…be the flea!
Warm Regards,
Lurena Mead
1- The House Tax committee debated the Governor’s sales tax bill last week. Many legislators have taken a pledge not to raise taxes and stood by their vow. The bill failed in committee but rather than being termed “dead”, has been put in the bottom drawer to be pulled out again later in the session if needed.
2- The Senate debated their rescission bill last week. A rescission bill cancels previously approved but unspent funds and allows a new bill to identify future spending. Since there is less money coming into Kansas than what was anticipated, the State has to amend their budget by submitting a rescission bill. Both Senate and House have their own versions of this bill. Once passed in each respective chamber, legislators must work together to agree on one final bill.
3- Our own JoCo Senator, Jeff Colyer offered an amendment to the Senate’s rescission bill which would have restored the 10% cut to Medicaid. This would have been done by borrowing money from the 2011 budget. Many legislators felt it was not a good idea to “rob Peter to pay Paul”. The amendment failed but the Senate’s rescission bill did pass 36 – 4. The 10% cut to Medicaid was not restored.
4- Friday, the State received their latest tax revenue figures. Bad news prevailed as revenues were almost $34 million below where they were projected to be. The House Appropriation committee will be working on their rescission bill in the next week. They will have to take into account this additional shortfall.
5- A committee had the charge to look at the potential closure of one or both of the State’s two DD hospitals. The committee’s final report recommended closure of KNI in Topeka with claims that this would save the State money by serving folks in a less costly community setting. In addition, the committee recommended that money saved by closure should be used to take folks off the DD waiting list. After thoughtful deliberation, Governor Parkinson decided that the State should work towards “downsizing” our two DD hospitals and “work towards” closure. So much for a new funding source to eliminate the waiting list.
6- Many of you have forwarded me your legislators responses to your very personal emails. It gives me hope that legislators are hearing you, tells me which legislators need a little more work, and gives me an idea as to what legislators are thinking. Keep those valuable relationships growing. Thank you so much for sharing, but more importantly, thank you for taking action!
Your TO DO list for next week:
1- Send an email to your Representative and ask them to restore the 10% cut to Medicaid by adopting the State General Fund swap for DD. As I said earlier, Legislators will be working and voting on this within the next week or two. Time is of the essence.
2- Visit www.invisiblekansans.org and send your weekly email.
3- Share the above site with two new people.
4- If you would be willing to tell your story and be video-taped, please let me know. We are trying to strengthen the Invisible Kansans website and no one tells your story better than you!
Remember…be the flea!
Warm Regards,
Lurena Mead
Friday, January 29, 2010
New ad campaign uses humor to promote hiring employees with disabilities
Click HERE to read more about the Think Beyond the Label campaign.
Many businesses that employ our workers here locally report that their workers with disabilities have become true assets to their organizations, actually setting an example for non-disabled workers through their dependability and strong work ethic. They also often help create a more caring and inclusive working environment. Bravo!
Many businesses that employ our workers here locally report that their workers with disabilities have become true assets to their organizations, actually setting an example for non-disabled workers through their dependability and strong work ethic. They also often help create a more caring and inclusive working environment. Bravo!
Johnson County Sun opinion column
Click HERE to read The Sun's opinion column regarding tax increases and Kansans with disabilities.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Legislative Update
From JCDS Community Relations Manager Lurena Mead:
Last week was an interesting week in Topeka. Here are some of the highlights:
1- Maury Thompson, Executive Director of JCDS, testified before the House Appropriations Committee. He shared how the 10% cut to Medicaid funding would negatively impact consumers, providers and the encumbered State. Since this committee’s main focus is money, committee members were interested in the loss of the $5.5 million in Federal dollars.
2- Scuttlebutt around the Capitol is that many legislators want to address this cut to Medicaid and may offer a bill early in the session to reverse that cut. Legislators understand that the cut hurts people, but is also fiscally imprudent. Leaving “free” money on the table is not a good idea during these trying times.
3- The Aging and Long Term Care Committee also had hearings about the effect of the cuts to Medicaid. There were some compelling testimonies presented. The committee members were very attentive and asked some good questions. These committee members were sympathetic to the impact on people not necessarily dollars.
4- Go to the website www.khi.org for a couple of articles about the waiting list. One article is entitled “Waiting lists for state services expected to grow” and another called “Family awaits help”. The family discussed in the last article are active advocates from Johnson County! I appreciate their willingness to share their story. There was also a great Letter to the Editor printed in the KC Star on Saturday submitted by a mother whose child is on the waiting list. Great job…keep ‘em coming!
5- Rep. Rob Olson from the Olathe area came to JCDS to tour and learn about DD services and our needs. Rob said that he has a stack of letters from his constituents advocating for DD. He said he “keeps every one” demonstrating that your letters do make a difference!
6- We met with the new representative from the Mission Hills area. Rep. Barbara Bollier seemed very sympathetic to our cause. She said that her very first job was working in a hospital for disabled children. I think she “gets” us! If you live in her district, please touch base with her. She has much to learn about many topics but we’d like to keep a focus on DD.
Your TO DO list for next week:
1- Just because legislators may introduce a bill to reverse the cuts to Medicaid, doesn’t mean that it will happen. Contact your legislators and ask them to support reversing the damaging cuts to Medicaid. If a bill is introduced, I’ll make sure you get the bill number.
2- If you belong to a community group, special interest group, church group or networking group, please feel free to forward this weekly email. The more individuals that read our message, understand our needs and act on our behalf, the more powerful we become. One mother sends this email to over 200 individuals! One, ten or twenty will help make a difference.
3- Send your www.invisiblekansans.org letter.
As Martin Luther King said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
My plea is: Don’t be silent, our message matters!
Warm regards-
Lurena Mead
Last week was an interesting week in Topeka. Here are some of the highlights:
1- Maury Thompson, Executive Director of JCDS, testified before the House Appropriations Committee. He shared how the 10% cut to Medicaid funding would negatively impact consumers, providers and the encumbered State. Since this committee’s main focus is money, committee members were interested in the loss of the $5.5 million in Federal dollars.
2- Scuttlebutt around the Capitol is that many legislators want to address this cut to Medicaid and may offer a bill early in the session to reverse that cut. Legislators understand that the cut hurts people, but is also fiscally imprudent. Leaving “free” money on the table is not a good idea during these trying times.
3- The Aging and Long Term Care Committee also had hearings about the effect of the cuts to Medicaid. There were some compelling testimonies presented. The committee members were very attentive and asked some good questions. These committee members were sympathetic to the impact on people not necessarily dollars.
4- Go to the website www.khi.org for a couple of articles about the waiting list. One article is entitled “Waiting lists for state services expected to grow” and another called “Family awaits help”. The family discussed in the last article are active advocates from Johnson County! I appreciate their willingness to share their story. There was also a great Letter to the Editor printed in the KC Star on Saturday submitted by a mother whose child is on the waiting list. Great job…keep ‘em coming!
5- Rep. Rob Olson from the Olathe area came to JCDS to tour and learn about DD services and our needs. Rob said that he has a stack of letters from his constituents advocating for DD. He said he “keeps every one” demonstrating that your letters do make a difference!
6- We met with the new representative from the Mission Hills area. Rep. Barbara Bollier seemed very sympathetic to our cause. She said that her very first job was working in a hospital for disabled children. I think she “gets” us! If you live in her district, please touch base with her. She has much to learn about many topics but we’d like to keep a focus on DD.
Your TO DO list for next week:
1- Just because legislators may introduce a bill to reverse the cuts to Medicaid, doesn’t mean that it will happen. Contact your legislators and ask them to support reversing the damaging cuts to Medicaid. If a bill is introduced, I’ll make sure you get the bill number.
2- If you belong to a community group, special interest group, church group or networking group, please feel free to forward this weekly email. The more individuals that read our message, understand our needs and act on our behalf, the more powerful we become. One mother sends this email to over 200 individuals! One, ten or twenty will help make a difference.
3- Send your www.invisiblekansans.org letter.
As Martin Luther King said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
My plea is: Don’t be silent, our message matters!
Warm regards-
Lurena Mead
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Time To Get Going! A message from John Holt, President of Friends of JCDS
January always marks a fresh start. We resolve to eat right, be more organized, act nicer, exercise, and, well, you know the drill.
I refuse to resolve to anything, lest I break the resolution six weeks in! But I do acknowledge January is a "fresh start," and that's true for Friends of JCDS!
We have much to do in the year ahead as we continue our work to improve the lives of our consumers and their families. In a cash-strapped economy, it's even more critical. We are excited about adding an 11th home to our portfolio, providing more quality, affordable housing to people with disabilities. Planning for Second Annual Restyle Runway is well underway after a smashing debut. There are deserving programs and opportunities we look forward to funding. And to guide us all, a new strategic plan is being developed following a board retreat.
We have a solid committee driven board, thanks to the vision and energy of our outgoing board President Jean Hughes. Thanks Jean, for leaving us in good shape with your leadership. Yours will be big shoes to fill!
We're also welcoming some new members who will add new energy to these efforts. A big hello to Mike Hughes, Jace McClasky, Scott Tschudy, and Joe Vader.
Last but not least, a strong and supportive staff at JCDS who make it all come together flawlessly!
I'm honored to be your new board President, and look forward to hearing your suggestions and ideas.
Time to get a start now, on our "fresh start". Here we go......
John Holt
President, Friends of JCDS
I refuse to resolve to anything, lest I break the resolution six weeks in! But I do acknowledge January is a "fresh start," and that's true for Friends of JCDS!
We have much to do in the year ahead as we continue our work to improve the lives of our consumers and their families. In a cash-strapped economy, it's even more critical. We are excited about adding an 11th home to our portfolio, providing more quality, affordable housing to people with disabilities. Planning for Second Annual Restyle Runway is well underway after a smashing debut. There are deserving programs and opportunities we look forward to funding. And to guide us all, a new strategic plan is being developed following a board retreat.
We have a solid committee driven board, thanks to the vision and energy of our outgoing board President Jean Hughes. Thanks Jean, for leaving us in good shape with your leadership. Yours will be big shoes to fill!
We're also welcoming some new members who will add new energy to these efforts. A big hello to Mike Hughes, Jace McClasky, Scott Tschudy, and Joe Vader.
Last but not least, a strong and supportive staff at JCDS who make it all come together flawlessly!
I'm honored to be your new board President, and look forward to hearing your suggestions and ideas.
Time to get a start now, on our "fresh start". Here we go......
John Holt
President, Friends of JCDS
Monday, January 11, 2010
KC Star article on autism therapy and cost-savings
Click on the link to read the article!
http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1675589.html
http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1675589.html
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