Disabled Canyon County residents fight for benefits
State Health and Welfare says cuts have to be made
TREASURE VALLEY — Thirty-nine severely disabled local residents are named in a court petition filed this week to get an Idaho Health and Welfare hearing on proposed cuts to their government-funded living expenses. Supporters of the petition say the cuts could force disabled adults from private homes to more costly and less desirable institutions. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare agreed Wednesday to postpone the cuts until Jan. 4 when the 4th District Court in Boise continues a hearing on the petition. Seventy disabled people are named in the petition brought by Idaho Legal Aid Services. Thirty-nine are from Nampa or Caldwell. The petition asks that the cuts be postponed until those affected can have their objections heard by Idaho Health and Welfare. Department officials argue they have already taken the necessary steps to uphold the cuts. Karen Grabow, 50, gets the Aged, Blind and Disabled, or AABD, cash grants to support two disabled adults she cares for in her certified family home in Caldwell. She said the proposed cuts would be $200 a month for each of her clients. “They’re wasting money on everything, and then they’re taking money away from people who can’t take care of themselves,” Grabow said. Health and Welfare officials selected for cuts those Aged, Blind and Disabled grant recipients who had the best financial safety nets, spokesman Tom Shanahan said, such those in certified family homes. “Idaho has been pretty generous with that payment,” Shanahan said. “Most states (have) a lot lower payments.” Idaho Health and Welfare decided last year to reduce or cut payments to about 2,000 people in the Aged, Blind and Disabled cash grant program after the Legislature cut about $45 million from the department’s overall budget. At the time, agency administrator Russ Barron said the program, which served nearly 15,000 Idaho adults, faced a $1.1 million deficit. The payment reductions range from $33 a month to $198 a month for daily living expenses for those who live in certified family homes. The cost of medical care is generally handled through separate programs. Here we go again, stealing from the poor and disenfranchised. Tell ya what, let's take the funds from the rich people and give to the poor. Let's take from the bloated salaries of some of the "Peter Principal" employees who don't deserve what they're getting paid and stop blaming the victims. God, I just hate government sometimes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moore, three BSU teammates heading to Senior Bowl
Record-setting Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore and three teammates have accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl. Moore will be joined by running back Doug Martin, defensive tackle Billy Winn and safety George Iloka on the North team. The Senior Bowl will be played at 2 p.m. on Jan. 28 in Mobile, Ala., and televised nationally on the NFL Network. Moore finished his college career at Boise State as the all-time leader for wins by a quarterback, posting a 50-3 record from 2008 to 2011. He also ranks second all-time for touchdowns (142) and fifth for career yards passing (14,667). Moore finished his senior season with 3,800 yards and 43 touchdowns passing and was named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist as a junior in 2010 and a Maxwell Award finalist in 2011. “I’m very aware of the unique opportunity that the Senior Bowl presents,” Moore said in a press release. “There’s been so many great players throughout history that have had the opportunity to play in this game and it’s really the first big step in this process of trying to play professionally.” Martin set a Maaco Bowl Las Vegas record with 301 all-purpose yards, including a 100-yard kickoff return to start the game and 151 yards rushing, in the Broncos’ 56-24 victory over Arizona State on Dec. 22. The first-team All-Mountain West selection wrapped up his senior season with 1,299 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. He also accounted for 1,892 all-purpose yards in 2011, good enough for second-best in the MWC. For his career, Martin rushed for 3,431 yards and 43 touchdowns. Iloka earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors for the Broncos after tallying 58 total tackles. He was also a third-team All-America selection by the Associated Press. “It’s definitely a great opportunity to showcase what you got especially for guys like me, Kellen, Doug and Billy comingfrom Boise State,” Iloka said in the press release. “Obviously we don’t play against some of the bigger schools and don’t receive some of the media attention some of these other guys get, so it’s always a great opportunity to showcase what you have against other good talents across the United States.” Winn was a second team Mountain West Conference selection in 2011 and had two sacks for the Broncos in their bowl victory. He finished his career with 36.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks SO VERY, VERY PROUD!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment