ARRM's Daily Dispatch

Daily Dispatch, February 24, 2009: Watch Bruce and Barb's testimony on your computer

The Minnesota Senate's Health, Housing and Family Security Committee heard from Bruce Nelson and Barb Jacobson yesterday (Monday) about ARRM's recommendations for disability system reform. The committee's feedback was positive; ARRM's bill, authored by Sen. Tony Lourey, passed unanimously and will now go to the State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee and then to the Health and Human Services Budget Division.

To view a video of the introduction of ARRM's bill, simply go to here load the video from Monday, February 23, 2009, and click on the type of video format that is supported by your computer (Real Media format or Windows Media format). ARRM's portion of the hearing begins about 17 minutes into the video (in Windows Media Player), when Sen. Lourey presents the bill. 

The House companion bill, authored by Rep. Paul Thissen, will be introduced Thursday with a hearing to follow in the near future.

To read the full text of the bill, please view the Daily Dispatch blog for Monday, February 23rd.

Daily Dispatch, Feb. 23, 2009: Hearing on ARRM's transformation plan today

ARRM's Bruce Nelson and Barb Jacobson will be testifying before the Minnesota Senate's Health, Housing and Family Security Committee this afternoon on a portion of ARRM's transformation plan. This part of ARRM's plan has been crafted into legislation that addresses human services programs and licensure provisions for services to persons with developmental disabilities.

The bill is S.F. 854, and is authored by Senators Lourey, Marty,and Lynch. You can read more about this piece of legislation by clicking here, which links to the Minnesota Senate's website. Type 854 into the the box that says "Get bill" in the upper left-hand corner under "Current Legislation", then click on the link that says "Text" in the body of the web page to read the full bill.

If you'd like to attend the hearing in person, it takes place in Room 15 at the Capitol, from 12:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. today.

Please contact us with feedback about town hall meetings

Town Hall meetings were scheduled throughout Greater Minnesota last week, and we'd like to hear how they went in your area. We're particularly interested in legislators' responses to the issues you raised about unfair cuts to Health and Human Services, and if you got a sense of their priorities for this session. Also, we'd like to know where ARRM members land on their list of priorities.

Go can fill out ARRM's online feedback form here or send an email to ARRM's PR Director, Barb Brynstad at bbrynstad@arrm.org with your information.

Daily Dispatch February 19, 2009 Surveys, Surveys, Surveys

As ARRM continues to work diligently on addressing the many issues brought on with the Governor's proposed budget, we have been reaching out to our members to gather information/datato support those efforts.  ARRM staff appreciate the participation of our members and we want to assure you that the information you provide is invaluable.

To be the most useful and meaningful it is important that we have 100% participation if at all possible.  We realize that time is precious and have made andwill continue to make efforts to assure that the surveys we send out are not complex or time consuming.

The most recent survey, with a deadline of tomorrow for submission asked about licensed capacity and open beds.  ARRM will be sending out another short survey next week asking members to provide information on what percentage of a rate cut might put your agency's ability to continue to provide services at risk.  We want to remind members that in each of these surveys, your information will remain confidential and results are used in aggregate. 

Thank you to all of our members who are putting in extra effort during these most challenging times.

Daily Dispatch February 18, ARRM Day At The Capital

A record crowd of over 850 people filled the Capital Rotunda on Thursday February 12. Member representatives, caregivers and people who are provided services by ARRM members spent the day assuring that their concerns were heard.

There was a solid line up of speakers which included Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Senator John Marty, Senator Linda Berglin, Representative Paul Thissen and Representative Patti Fritz.  The message was clear, these elected officials work for each of us and it is important that our messages continue to be shared and that our presence at the Capital is important- not only on the ARRM Day at the Capital-but  throughtout the legislative session.

ARRM would like to thank the Public Relations Committee for their work at making this day a success and special thanks to Duane Hickle, direct service professional, for his speech as well as the 50% Organic Band for the music and singing that added to the day.

Daily Dispatch, February 16, 2009: Volunteers needed for March 7th rally

On Saturday, March 7th, ARRM will be hosting a Rally at the Capitol along with several other disability organizations. This rally is designed to show support for services for individuals with disabilities and older Minnesotans.

The event is from 12:00 noon until 1:00pm on Saturday, March 7th and will be held on the steps and grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol which is located at 75 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in St. Paul.

The agenda of the event is as follows:

10:00am – 12:00 noon: Set up for the event and general information

12:00 noon – 1:00pm: Rally with speakers and performance

1:00pm – 3:00pm: Take down

We are planning for 5,000 Rally supporters and need your help. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks ranging from set up, to crossing guards, to working in the general information tent. Shifts are 2-4 hours in length and run from 10:00am until 3:00pm.

Below is a list of volunteer opportunities; if you are able to volunteer, please contact Anni Simons at 651- 523- 0823 ext. 112. Please pass this information along to your families and staff.

10:00am –12:30pm—set up and work in the general information area in the tent (20 volunteers)

10:00am – 12:15pm—bus greeters (20 volunteers)

10:30am – 2:00pm—work the emergency area in the tent (5 volunteers)

10:30am – 2:00pm—crossing guards and various street corners (20 volunteers)

11:30am – 2:00pm—podium assistant (3 volunteers)

12:30pm – 3:00pm—work in the general information area in the tent and then assist with take down (20 volunteers)

12:45 pm – 1:30pm—bus greeters (20 volunteers)

Thanks in advance for passing this information along to your families and staff!

Daily Dispatch February 16, 2009 Legislative Town Hall Meetings

The legislative town meetings this week and next are extremely important. Your attendance and participation are vital.  As you know, the Governor has proposed a 3% rate cut along with a big licensing fee increase and slot limits.

Your comments should focus oin at least four areas- and others you believe will be influential:

1.    The human impact. What will these cuts and increased fee mean to the quality of loife and safety of the people you serve and the caregivers who provide their supports?

• The most powerful comments will be from those personally affected- family members and caregivers.  Make every effort toi include family members.

2.    The impact on your agency.  Would the proposed cuts plus fee put you on the brink of going o0ut of business? Tell them how the previous few years have eroded your budget and reduced the number od employees.  Be honest, but ifd your trnd lines show you going into the red now or in the near future- present those numbers.

• Remind them that you are businesses, too.  Governor Pawlenty's budget focuses on tax breaks for some businesses.  Your business is hit with a rate cut and increased tax (fee).

3.    Ideas.  The legislature will be looking for ideas to stretch your and their dollar.  Ask thenm to seriously consider ARRM System Transformation Bill that will focus on cosumers and cost effectiveness.  And share ideas you have.

4.    Remind them that they must put all options on the table.  (K-12 advocates will be there asking for a funding increase.  Why shouldn't all areas of government share the pain?)

Here's the list of the town meetings.

To sign up to testify go to this link:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/budgettownhallmeetings.asp

Thursday, February 19th
Mankato - 6:00PM
Mankato Intergovernmental Center- Mankato River Room
10 Civic Center Plaza

Rochester - 6:00PM
Rochester Community and Technical College
Heintz Center Commons Area
1926 Collegeview Road SE

St Cloud - 6:00PM
St. Cloud City Hall- Council Chambers
400-2nd Street South

Willmar - 6:00PM
Kennedy Elementary School
824-7th Street SW

Friday, February 20th
Albert Lea - 10:00AM
Albert Lea City Hall Council Chambers
221 E Clark Street

Winona - 3:30PM
Winona City Hall- Council Chambers
207 Lafayette

Marshall - 2:30PM
Southwest Minnesota State University Lecture Hall
1501 State Street

Worthington - 10:30AM
Worthington City Hall Council Chambers
303 Ninth Street

Little Falls - 9:30AM
Morrison County Government Center-Garden Level Meeting Room
213 -1st Avenue SE

Alexandria - 4:00PM
Alexandria City Hall
704 Broadway

Duluth - 9:30AM
Duluth City Hall-Council Chambers
411 W 1st Street

Virginia - 1:30PM
Mesabi Range Community and Technical College-Small Auditorium
1001 Chestnut Street W, Virginia

Brainerd - 10:30AM
Washington Educational Services Building-Board Room
804 Oak Street

Bemidji - 3:30PM
Bemidji State University-American Indian Resource Center Gathering Place
1620 Birchmont Drive

Moorhead - 12:30PM
Senate Tax Committee
Minnesota State University Moorhead-Comstock Union
1104 - 7th Avenue South

Monday, February 23

Woodbury - 6:00 p.m.
Central Park Amphitheater, 8595 Central Park Place

Tuesday, February 24

Bloomington - 7:00 p.m.
Bloomington City Hall, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd

Minneapolis - 6:00 p.m.
Minneapolis Park Board, 2117 West River Road

Wednesday, February 25

Burnsville - 7:30 p.m.
Fairview Ridges Hospital, 201 E. Nicollet Blvd

White Bear Lake - 6:30 p.m.
White Bear Lake High School - South Campus, 3551 McKnight Rd N

Thursday, February 26

St. Paul - 6:00 p.m.
West Minnehaha Rec Center in Frogtown, 685 Minnehaha Ave W

Plymouth - 7:00 p.m.
Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd.

Coon Rapids - 7:00 p.m.
Coon Rapids City Hall, 11155 Robinson Drive

Forest Lake - 6:30 p.m.

Forest Lake City Hall 220 N. Lake St.

Daily Dispatch, February 11, 2009: Sign up to speak up at a town hall meeting

The Minnesota House launched a new application on its website to allow Minnesotans the opportunity to sign up to speak at one of the town hall meetings being held throughout the state Feb. 19-26. 

While signing up is not a guarantee that someone will get a chance to speak (depending on turnout) , House and Senate staff will make an effort to prioritize those that sign up ahead of time, and will give us a sense of projected turnout prior to the meetings.

A direct link is: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/budgettownhallmeetings.asp

See you at Day at the Capitol on Thursday

We hope to see you all tomorrow (Thursday) at ARRM's Day at the Capitol, which starts at 10 am sharp. Let's let legislators know that budget cuts on the backs of people with disabilities is unfair and un-Minnesotan!

Here's a tentative agenda for our rally:

• Bruce Nelson, ARRM CEO
• ARRM President Don Preibe
• Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller
• Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson-Kelliher
• Rep. Paul Thissen - Chair, Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight Committee, Author of ARRM's Transformation Bill
• Sen. Linda Berglin - Chair, Health and Human Services Finance Division - invited
• Rep. Patti Fritz - COLA bill author (H.F. 351)
• Sen. John Marty - COLA bill author (S.F. 475), Chair, Health, Housing and Family Security Committee - invited
• Duane Hickel - CCRI professional caregiver

There will also be live music throughout the rally.

Daily Dispatch, February 10, 2009: Updated list of town hall meetings and Summit info.

Bruce Nelson will be testifying before the Health and Human Services Budget Division, 8:30 a.m. Room 123 Capitol. He will be talking about how the governor's budget recommendations affect the disability industry.

Be sure to attend a town hall meeting in February

You will have an opportunity to express your opinion about Minnesota's budget and the necessity to protect disability supports. The list of town hall meetings taking place across the state in mid-late February has been updated to inlcude metro dates and locations (below). You may also access this list by going to ARRM's website here:

http://www.arrm.org/advocacy/town_hall_meetings.html

Thursday, February 19th
Mankato - 6:00PM
Mankato Intergovernmental Center- Mankato River Room
10 Civic Center Plaza

Rochester - 6:00PM
Rochester Community and Technical College
Heintz Center Commons Area
1926 Collegeview Road SE

St Cloud - 6:00PM
St. Cloud City Hall- Council Chambers
400-2nd Street South

Willmar - 6:00PM
Kennedy Elementary School
824-7th Street SW

Friday, February 20th
Albert Lea - 10:00AM
Albert Lea City Hall Council Chambers
221 E Clark Street

Winona - 3:30PM
Winona City Hall- Council Chambers
207 Lafayette

Marshall - 2:30PM
Southwest Minnesota State University Lecture Hall
1501 State Street

Worthington - 10:30AM
Worthington City Hall Council Chambers
303 Ninth Street

Little Falls - 9:30AM
Morrison County Government Center-Garden Level Meeting Room
213 -1st Avenue SE

Alexandria - 2:00PM
Alexandria City Hall
704 Broadway

Duluth - 9:30AM
Duluth City Hall-Council Chambers
411 W 1st Street

Virginia - 1:30PM
Mesabi Range Community and Technical College-Small Auditorium
1001 Chestnut Street W, Virginia

Brainerd - 10:30AM
Washington Educational Services Building-Board Room
804 Oak Street

Bemidji - 3:30PM
Bemidji State University-American Indian Resource Center Gathering Place
1620 Birchmont Drive

Moorhead - 12:30PM
Senate Tax Committee
Minnesota State University Moorhead-Comstock Union
1104 - 7th Avenue South

Monday, February 23

Woodbury - 6:00 p.m.
Central Park Amphitheater, 8595 Central Park Place

Tuesday, February 24

Bloomington - 7:00 p.m.
Bloomington City Hall, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd

Minneapolis - 6:00 p.m.
Minneapolis Park Board, 2117 West River Road

Wednesday, February 25

Burnsville - 7:30 p.m.
Fairview Ridges Hospital, 201 E. Nicollet Blvd

White Bear Lake - 6:30 p.m.
White Bear Lake High School - South Campus, 3551 McKnight Rd N

Thursday, February 26

St. Paul - 6:00 p.m.
West Minnehaha Rec Center in Frogtown, 685 Minnehaha Ave W

Plymouth - 7:00 p.m.
Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd.

Coon Rapids - 7:00 p.m.
Coon Rapids City Hall, 11155 Robinson Drive

Forest Lake
TBD

See you at the Summit! Join us as we create a 21st century plan for disability and aging.

Attend a statewide rally and conference, March 5th, 6th, and 7th

About the Summit Conference: Join us on the path of creating a 21st century plan for disability and aging. Your voice will be heard during this statewide two day summit, where key stakeholders will meet to start the process of change.

National and local experts will present throughout the summit with opportunities for group discussion.

For more information, go to www.arrm.org/summit/

About the Summit Rally: Join us to show your support for services for individuals with disabilities and older Minnesotans at noon on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at the State Capitol from 12 noon to 1 pm.

We need at least 5,000 people in attendanc if we are going to be successful in creating the political and social capitol we need just to maintain the current level of funding that supports critical programs used by people with disabilities and older Minnesotans. Let's turn out in record numbers for this rally to demonstrate the power of the disability and aging community in Minnesota!

For more information, go to www.arrm.org/summit/

Daily Dispatch, February 6, 2009: Listen to an archived recording of today's phone-in

If you weren't able to participate in today's expanded First Friday Phone-In, please go to arrm's website and listen to an archived recording. You can find the link here:

http://www.arrm.org/members/phone-in.html

To access this page in the members-only section, you'll need the user name and password. The user name is arrm and the password is reforms.

The link should be up by 11:30 am today.

We have also posted the DHS budget on our website, at http://www.arrm.org/budget.pdf. Pages 59-82 are relevant to our industry, and the lion's share of today's phone-in agenda was devoted to analyzing the budget.

Daily Dispatch, February 5, 2009: Messages for Your Legislators

Get Ready to Attend Town Hall Meetings Feb. 19 and 20, and visit ARRM's Advocacy Arsenal for useful advocacy tools.

Background

Gov. Pawlenty’s budget called for a 3% rate cut. That number could grow after the next forecast to be followed by Pawlenty’s supplemental budget. The legislature could also increase that 3% cut if:

• They decide to target health and human services for a greater share of cuts than other areas, like K-12 or higher education.

• They reject Pawlenty’s budget item to end Minnesota Care coverage for 113,000 adults.

On the positive side the federal stimulus bill could give Minnesota additional Medicaid money.Thus our messages will likely change in the next few weeks. But we must get our first volley out NOW.

Messengers

We need to strongly encourage you to coordinate three groups to contact their legislators:

1. Families of people you support
2. Your caregiver employees
3. Your management and boards of directors

Two Objectives

1. To make sure health and human services isn’t burdened with an unfair portion of cuts.
2. To educate legislators on the impact of rate cuts.

Messages

Please coordinate your people to deliver the following messages to their legislators by short letter, email, phone call or at the ARRM Day at the Capitol on February 12th.

I. Messages for families for their legislators
Cuts to our funding will diminish your loved one’s quality of life:

• 75% of our funding goes directly to caregiver compensation – after we pay for utilities, leases/mortgages, food, training, etc.

• Thus, our only option would be to cut back on caregivers’ hours and/or compensation.

• With fewer caregivers on duty people will lose the opportunity to spend time in their communities. 

• The more they are forced to stay home with the same group of people, they – like any family – will exhibit more negative behaviors.

• So not only is quality of life diminished, the need for expensive crisis services would go up. 

Here are some messages for your legislators:
The solutions to the budget crisis have to be fair with smarter spending.

• Fairness means the legislature has to spread cuts across all areas of government, including education. Remember one dollar cut in Medicaid is two dollars lost in supports to people. (If you’re comfortable you can add your support for part of the solution including a tax increase.)

• Smarter spending means spending less on mandates and more on direct support for people. (ARRM, our trade association, has a reform plan to transform many current mandates into outcome and quality based standards.)

II. Messages for professional caregivers for their legislators

• You are the very core of what we do in supporting people with disabilities. For that reason, 75% of our funding goes directly to caregiver compensation – after we pay for utilities, leases/mortgages, food, training, etc.

• Thus, if our rates are cut, our only option would be to cut back on caregivers’ hours and/or compensation – even laying people off in this horrible economy.

• The Governor proposed a 3% cut, and that could get worse as the economy worsens and the legislature starts making cuts. And if the legislature singles out health and human services for most of the cuts, our rates and your job will be in the bulls eye. 

So please share your concern with you legislators. Tell them:

• The quality of life and very safety of people with disabilities depends on caregivers. Disability rate cuts would mean a loss of hours and a loss of jobs – with a big impact on not only you, but also our most vulnerable citizens. 

• Please don’t single out people with disabilities and caregivers to balance the budget.

• The solutions to the budget crisis have to be fair with smarter spending.

• Fairness means the legislature has to spread cuts across all areas of government, including education. Remember one dollar cut in Medicaid is two dollars lost in supports to people. (If you’re comfortable you can add your support for part of the solution including a tax increase.)

• Smarter spending means spending less on mandates and more on direct support for people. (ARRM, our trade association, has a reform plan to transform many current mandates into outcome and quality based standards.)

III. Messages to Management/Board of Directors for their Legislators

• Disability provider rates not only provide supports to our most vulnerable citizens, they provide jobs and economic vitality to every Minnesota community. (Attach local economic impact data.)

• ARRM members alone provide 27,000 caregiver jobs across Minnesota – with half the funding coming from the federal government.

• Over the past seven years providers and caregivers have lost income with low rates and an increasing cost of living. Caregiver wages have increased only 6.38% since 2003 while inflation has gone up 18.52%

• You should honestly figure out the threshold of cuts for your company to stay in business or make drastic changes. How would you manage a 3% cut? Have your people communicate that message to their legislators.

• We simply cannot single out caregivers and disability providers to balance the budget. We would hurt our workforce, local economies and people with disabilities.

• The solutions to the budget crisis have to be fair with smarter spending.

• Fairness means the legislature has to spread cuts across all areas of government, including education. Remember one dollar cut in Medicaid is two dollars lost in supports to people. (If you’re comfortable you can add your support for part of the solution including a tax increase.)

• Smarter spending means spending less on mandates and more on direct support for people. (ARRM, our trade association, has a reform plan to transform many current mandates into outcome and quality based standards.)

Local Media and Outstate Hearings

Next week we’ll provide you with talking points and data to use with your local media and in legislative hearings that will occur in 13 outstate cities on Feb. 19th and 20th. Start making plans now to attend those hearings. Here’s the preliminary schedule:

Minnesota Town Hall Meetings Dates – Times to be determined
Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009
Mankato
Rochester
St. Cloud
Willmar

Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
Albert Lea
Alexandria
Bemidji
Duluth
Little Falls
Marshall
Virginia
Winona
Worthington

Metro area town meetings will follow soon after the outstate sessions.

Please share your ideas with your Legislators

The Minnesota House of Representatives has set up a webpage to provide an avenue for you to have a say in how we confront Minnesota's projected budget deficit which totals $426 million this biennium and $4.8 billion for FY 2010-11.

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/budgetsuggestions.asp

Also, the Senate has created a budget discussion website welcoming ideas from the public regarding the state budget.

http://budgetforum.senate.mn/

First Friday Phone-In reminder

Please note that the First Friday Phone In on February 6 will be extended to one hour. The phone in will be scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Please call the ARRM office at (651) 291-1086 if you did not receive an email about how to join the phone-in.