Dot: The Worst Run Big City in the U.S. (via SF Weekly) I've worked in the San Francisco non-profit scene for almost 12 years interfacing and working with a variety of city departments during that time, and I agree with the basic premise of this article: San Francisco needs real reform that decreases waste and duplicated services. I also agree with the premise that lack of accountability of both The City and the non-profit industry is perpetuated by a lack of people really wanting to step up into leadership positions and make difficult decisions of which the decision-maker holds him/herself accountable. Well...it's not put that succinctly, but you get the idea.
But the problem goes deeper. Those that do stand up and point out inefficiencies, duplications, and challenge the status quo are the ones that get silenced, transferred, replaced, or torn down not only by city government but also by the community at large. As someone who has been trying to make changes for 12 years, I have seen this situation repeated again and again on multiple levels. The victim here: all of San Francisco.
Dot: States with Expanded Health Coverage Fight Bill (via New York Times) This article shows how states that are already providing expanded Medicaid coverage are going to be picking up the tab for states that currently do not provide expanded coverage. Federal poverty levels are being used to define this expansion. Currently, the federal poverty levels are:
These are not new poverty levels. They do highlight how unrealistic it is to use these levels to determine poverty. Take for example a VERY low estimate of paying $300/month in rent AND $300/month for health insurance. These expenses are $600/month. Times that by 12 months and the total is $12,000. That doesn't include food, clothing, or any other basic need and still exceeds the poverty level.
In the expansion of Medicaid, eligibility will be based on 133% to 150% of the federal poverty level based on the Senate and House bills respectively. Thus the new chart will be:
Dot: States with Expanded Health Coverage Fight Bill (via New York Times) This article shows how states that are already providing expanded Medicaid coverage are going to be picking up the tab for states that currently do not provide expanded coverage. Federal poverty levels are being used to define this expansion. Currently, the federal poverty levels are:
| Persons in family | Poverty guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $10,830 |
| 2 | 14,570 |
| 3 | 18,310 |
| 4 | 22,050 |
| 5 | 25,790 |
| 6 | 29,530 |
| 7 | 33,270 |
| 8 | 37,010 |
| For families with more than 8 persons, add $3,740 for each additional person. | |
In the expansion of Medicaid, eligibility will be based on 133% to 150% of the federal poverty level based on the Senate and House bills respectively. Thus the new chart will be:
| Persons in family | Poverty guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $14,403 - 16,245 |
| 2 | 19,378 - 21,855 |
| 3 | 24,352 - 27,465 |
| 4 | 29,326 - 33,075 |
| 5 | 34,300 - 38,685 |
| 6 | 39,274 - 44,295 |
| 7 | 44,291 - 49,905 |
| 8 | 49,223 - 55,515 |
| For families with more than 8 persons, add $4974 - 5,610 for each additional person. | |
Still using the estimates above for insurance and housing, that leaves $2403 - $4245 per year in for purchase of other necessities.
States that already provide expanded Medicaid coverage will now be burdened with finding ways to fund the federal expansion. For states like California, that increased burdened is matched with a reduced state-wide budget. Trying to find the money is worse than finding a needle in the haystack because the needle does not even exist. This means having to create a new needle, also known as new revenue, which will result in either deeper, more painful cuts to public programs or increased taxes. Either way, the lower income and middle income citizens will be disproportionally affected, all for a program that is supposed to benefit them.
Dot: Newest SF Muni fare increase my further affect access to education (via Examiner) This week it finally hit the papers that after SFMTA slashed service on December 5th, 2009, they were also increasing FastPass prices on January 1, 2010. This increase is said to cover the burgeoning costs of providing public transit. SFMTA are now providing two different FastPasses for adults. The A Pass will now be $70 (up from $55). It is the A Pass that provides free BART rides within the confines of San Francisco. Currently ALL ADULT FastPasses are A Passes.
SFMTA will also be providing the new B Pass. The B Pass will be $60. It will not allow holders to ride BART within the confines of San Francisco for free. These types of passes did not exist previously.
Now, match the fact that riders are being hit with a $25 increase in six months for reduced service with the SF Weekly article above, and you start to see just how ineffective our own reforms are at supporting low and moderate income citizens. In the article they mention the mismanagement of Prop A funds, which gave SFMTA millions of dollars in parking meter money. Other public agencies were upset that SFMTA got the set-aside and started charging SFMTA for services that they were providing for free (e.g. The SFPD started charging for police coming on to Muni to escort off passengers. Isn't that their job? Don't they already receive money from The City to "protect and serve"?) How is any of this helping the residents of San Francisco?
Dot: Homeless Youth Struggle through the Season (via Bay Area Reporter) In all of the goings-on of the holiday season, the crumbling economy, and the turmoil of health reform, it is easy to lose focus as to whom is being directly impacted and effected the most by this tumultuous economy: youth, seniors, and the vulnerable. This article directly addresses what homeless youth face in the ever changing landscape of San Francisco. Much needed resources provided by agencies such as Larkin Street Youth Services are being cut drastically. The support services that Larkin Street Youth Center and other community-based organizations and public institutions rely on are shutting their doors or reducing services so much that they are inaccessible. Thus, it is becoming increasingly harder to match the increased need for aid with the decreased services available and will create a pool of people that will fall through large cracks in safety net systems and services.
If history is an indicator, than it is fair to assume these people will later be blamed for being in the situation they are in. All we have to do is look at the blame shouldered by "welfare mothers", the homeless, teens with unwanted pregnancies, etc.
Dot: ADAP Action on City Hall Steps (via JW Reports) The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a federally-funded and state-administered program to subsidize expensive and needed HIV/AIDS medications, is currently under the budget cutting guillotine. It is estimated that the cost of HIV prescriptions are around $1000/month minimum. These drugs cannot be afforded without either government or insurance subsidies or the drug companies lowering their prices. The drug companies will not lower their prices, insurance companies find ways to disqualify HIV positive patients even though it is illegal. This leaves the government to fill the gap. If the program is cut, it will result in low income folks losing life-saving medicine. In essence, it is a death sentence.
Dot: Housing Projects for LGBT Elders Stalled Due to Economy (via New America Media) The shrinking of the economy is also having a dramatic effect on housing for elders. Projects that have been in the works for years are now being stalled by HUD matching requirements and the inability for the developers to meet those matches. This inability for the developers to match the requirements is directly related to the shift in the economy and people not being able to afford homes at market value, especially homes for people on fixed incomes (like seniors). So instead of figuring out new guidelines from HUD, all development on the projects stops. And it stops at a time when the services and resources are needed the most.
Connecting the Dots: All of these things in isolation don't look too bad, but together paint a much larger picture of how the poor are bearing the brunt of these new efforts to balance budgets and change health care. Instead of making policies that actually work for those populations, lawmakers are continually put into positions of compromise. When in that position, the poor are rarely heard because they are not funneling money into lawmakers pockets. This is nothing new.
And that doesn't mean we remain silent.
In fact, thanks to the ability to get news from multiple sources in a matter of seconds, we can start laying bare the connections between things and showing people how all of these decisions are not isolated but interconnected. They are a part of a larger web that is spun by folks that aren't looking for these patterns; they are looking only for a short term solution. It is up to us to help them see the connections, so they can no longer ignore them. We must halt the assault on the poor and working class.
Action: Taking action is easy. Here are three easy ways you can take action:
Connecting the Dots: All of these things in isolation don't look too bad, but together paint a much larger picture of how the poor are bearing the brunt of these new efforts to balance budgets and change health care. Instead of making policies that actually work for those populations, lawmakers are continually put into positions of compromise. When in that position, the poor are rarely heard because they are not funneling money into lawmakers pockets. This is nothing new.
And that doesn't mean we remain silent.
In fact, thanks to the ability to get news from multiple sources in a matter of seconds, we can start laying bare the connections between things and showing people how all of these decisions are not isolated but interconnected. They are a part of a larger web that is spun by folks that aren't looking for these patterns; they are looking only for a short term solution. It is up to us to help them see the connections, so they can no longer ignore them. We must halt the assault on the poor and working class.
Action: Taking action is easy. Here are three easy ways you can take action:
- Click through the links and read the articles. Leave a comment that connects A DOT between the article and another story or experience you have. Share something personal. While risky, it is anonymous and makes your comment more compelling to read.
- Call you representative and senator and let them know what you think. They work for you! While it may seem intimidating, be confident in your own experience and voice; it is powerful. You can find who your House Representative and Senators are here.
- Get involved in sites like Change.org. Change.org is a great place to learn more about and get involved with the issues you care about. Just don't forget that it's all connected. Help connect the dots between various issues by keeping your mind open and reading more than just what your comfortable with. Change comes for learning and being open.
