Should be People with Disabilities First
The Council is working with a broad coalition of human service providers to implore the Governor and Legislature to put People First! when considering any 9C cuts to the state budget. This campaign will continue through the FY 2011 budget deliberations. The People First! campaign will have many messages, but one banner to reflect the solidarity of our mission driven work. You will be hearing more about this campaign in the days to come.
Update: Please sign our petition asking Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo to put People First! when crafting the FY '11 budget!
For more information on our public policy efforts and this initiative, or to learn about other ways to get involved, please contact Michael Ripple.
Urge Governor Patrick to Save Programs that Strengthen our Communities
Clients, consumers, caregivers, and our communities are taking action on October 20th to call on Governor Deval Patrick and the legislature to put people first and find alternatives to cutting vital programs that support the most vulnerable in our communities.
Human services and the residents of the Commonwealth that we serve have shouldered the burden of this year’s budget cuts, with countless individuals losing services they depend on and countless caregivers losing jobs. And now, the Commonwealth faces another budget shortfall and the likelihood of further cuts.
3 comments:
I for one will NOT sign any petition to support this IL center, or any other organization that cannot stand up and help those that are trying to save precious services and funding that could go towards providing services to People with Disabilities.
Someone should go to Governor Patrick and alert him and others what has been taking place at this center so he can see it first hand.
It is all contained within this blog and it's a shame that it is allowed to continue.
It says "Urge Governor Patrick to Save Programs that Strengthen our Communities". Governor Patrick programs and staff were cut from this IL center to balance their budget because of the high salary given to this ED and like a ripple effect what this ED gave to employees who she considers LOYAL to her.
I don't understand it then it goes on to say "Human services and the residents of the Commonwealth that we serve have shouldered the burden of this year’s budget cuts, with countless individuals losing services they depend on and countless caregivers losing jobs. And now, the Commonwealth faces another budget shortfall and the likelihood of further cuts.
This ED was given approximately 40 thousand dollars more that the last ED that was a founder of IL and worked for 26 years at NILP. The 40 thousand dollars and the high salary increases she gave to her loyal friends would been better spent hiring more staff (not getting rid of them) to provide what is stated in the petition "VITAL PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY".
If an IL Center can afford to pay their staff what some of them are getting at this IL center it is a clear indication that there is NO shortage of funds. Funding should be put in other agency's where people with disabilities will know that the tax payers dollars are going to an agency that is out there to help them and not help themselves.
I happened to take a look at their web page and was shocked to see some of it updated. The new chairperson J. Cope, and the new Board Member James Kelly, good luck Mr. Kelly, I can only guess who recommended you for the BOD and why you was chosen for that position.
Two years ago NILP members voted a number of people in for the BOD and I am wondering if NILP respected the wish of the member that voted or did they chose to go on their own way? I should take a guess and say that NILP does not believe in consumer control and took take the path to what their best interest.
Something else that caught my eye on the web page - transportation.
"We offer limited transportation to medical visits, social-recreational, service needs, etc to people with disabilities and elders who live in Lawrence, Andover, North Andover, and Methuen. This is a local door-to-door service scheduled between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, excluding holidays. We provide this transportation service to people with disabilities, elders, and families transitioning from public assistance to employment for whom existing public or private transportation is unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate.
TThe Massachusetts Office of Transportation under the Mobility Assistance Program (MAP) The Massachusetts Office of Transportation under the Mobility Assistance Program (MAP) under Chapter 33 of the Acts of 1991 and Section 5310 of The Federal Transit Act, as amended. Additionally, The Stevens Foundation, of North Andover generously provided us with the required 20% match".
There has been a bus sitting in the NILP parking lot for some time now because the only driver with a CDL license was forced out of NILP. As you can read here "These vehicles are provided thanks to a grant from The Massachusetts Office of Transportation under the Mobility Assistance Program (MAP) under Chapter 33 of the Acts of 1991 and Section 5310 of The Federal Transit Act, as amended. Additionally, The Stevens Foundation, of North Andover generously provided us with the required 20% match."
Again, the taxpayers had payed for something that is no longer in use and sitting idle because of the lack of driver with the proper license. People with disabilities and especially elders who have NO transportation or cannot afford any other means should be requesting transportation from this agency.
Anyone wishing to look at the formal agreement written when this bus and van were given to NILP can do so by contacting the Massachusetts Office of Transportation in Boston.
Why can't the State step in and give this bus to another agency that will use it for the things NILP had proposed.
Another part I am interested in is the ADA services it states, "We can help you comply with this complex set of laws, usually for a small fraction of what any potential litigation would cost." It also goes on the state "Our work is done by qualified professionals who have disabilities." From what I am reading and hearing NILP got rid of the only qualified individual with a disability that had the ability to meet the requirements to do such work.
Anyone requesting these services from NILP should be asking alot of questions about the qualifications of the person doing the work.
I just got finished reading this article in the tribune about the new mayor and when reading this part it brought me right back to everything I have been reading on this blog. I guess she thought besides being above everyone else she also thought she knew what she was doing.
"They're going too far too fast," former Mayor Michael Sullivan said of the Lantigua administration's rash of early firings.
"This is a terrible way to begin an administration. I think the mayor is getting some bad advice from the people around him,"
If she listened to the right people NILP would NOT be in the situation it is in today.
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