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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Hi Shirley,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>In part, you wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>“</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
bottom line: don't believe anyone in the legislature who says there were
no choices. We had choices, didn't make them, and now people are paying
the price.”</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thank you so much for making that point. There were <b>lots</b>
of different options that could have been taken, and while none were perfect, <b>any</b>
would have been preferable to increasing the burden on the most disadvantaged
among us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>As a former H&W employee back in the 1990s, I have
first-hand experience with the dire hardship these office closures will pass
along to those Idaho citizens who happen to need the services of H&W.
This non-resolution literally makes me ill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>At a time when Idaho’s economy is in the toilet and more good
people than ever need a helping hand, it is flatly immoral, IMHO, for the
legislature to have wasted its time, energy, and resources on pure crap rather
than taking action to keep from erecting barriers to much needed services that
can make the difference between eating and going hungry, between getting a
child’s ear infection treated and that child losing his/her hearing, between
a newly unemployed diabetic getting help applying for Medicaid to keep up with
his/her health care to be able to return to employment when there are jobs
available and letting that person fall through the cracks never to be employed
again, between child protective workers having a presence in communities where
they are desperately needed as prevention and protectors and going back to
blind eyes being turned left and right to abuse and neglect, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>In a very real sense, in addition to “laying off”
over 100 overworked H&W employees, these office closures will have the very
real effect of making services inaccessible, delayed, and ineffective to those
who need them the most.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I don’t think those effects can be looked at as “unintended
consequences.” They can, however, be looked at as “heartless.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>But, perhaps that was the intention of some in the legislature
from the beginning . . . I certainly wouldn’t put it beyond those
heartless so-and-sos.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thanks for all your hard work!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Saundra Lund<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Moscow, ID<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good
people to do nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>~ Edmund Burke<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2010
through life plus 70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt,
or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum without the express written
permission of the author.*****<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>ringoshirl<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 07, 2010 9:26 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> vision2020@moscow.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Vision2020] Health and Welfare<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Visionaries:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Bob
Huntley, a spectacular individual who ran for Governor in 1998, told me that
when he served in the Idaho legislature the Joint Finance and Appropriations
Committee would communicate with the Revenue and Taxation Committee when there
was a need for more revenues. I have always thought that would be
appropriate, but the system doesn't work like that anymore. The majority
party on the JFAC committee may moan a bit about lack of revenues, but they
certainly wouldn't advocate for any increase at all.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>My
colleagues and I put forth a number of proposals to help with revenue.
Some included such things as delaying implementation of consolidated elections
($4 million), delaying reduction of the insurance premium tax ($6.7 million),
freezing build-up of the grocery tax credit except for very low income levels
($9.4 million). You may recall that Judy Brown and I proposed an income
tax surcharge for those making over $50,000 TAXABLE INCOME. ($40 million)
All of the above were ignored by majority party members.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>But
there is something even worse, in my opinion. At the beginning of the
session, it was not clear whether the feds would renew increased reimbursement
rates for Medicaid. (FMAP) There was a pot of money in the
Millineum Fund that was set aside to cover in case those rates weren't
approved. (about $73 million) When it became clear that the feds
WERE going to re-approve those enhanced rates, my colleagues and I on JFAC
proposed that we use about $30 million of the $73 million to address critical
needs. We proposed using $20 million for Medicaid, which at the 80%-20%
federal match rate would have been significant. We were not allowed to
bring it up because it was not officially on the agenda. That was true,
but even thought it was late in the session, another meeting could have been
scheduled the next day. Note also that a message was sent to the
Governor's office, asking if he would support the idea, and his response
was negative.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
bottom line: don't believe anyone in the legislature who says there were
no choices. We had choices, didn't make them, and now people are paying
the price.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Representative
Shirley Ringo</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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