The Real Story
Posted on August 30, 2010
By Chris Hilderbrant, Chief Operating Officer
The real story behind the muck-raking article that appeared in the D&C on Sunday August 29, 2010, began about six months ago. At that time, County Executive Maggie Brooks or someone in her administration decided to use the county’s payrolled investigators to try to dig up dirt on the Center for Disability Rights (CDR). The limited findings of those investigators have since been blown far out of proportion, misconstrued and lied about by county officials in an effort to end the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) of CDR. Read more
Filed Under CDR Programs, Chris Hilderbrant, Community-based services, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance | Leave a Comment
Maggie Brooks’ left and right hands haven’t met and other newsbits…
Posted on August 19, 2010
By Chris Hilderbrant, Chief Operating Officer
While Maggie Brooks has been busy alleging that CDR is the target of Medicaid Fraud investigations by the Attorney General, her own Probations department, which was part of the investigation, has issued a letter to CDR announcing the conviction of two attendants and indicating that CDR was the “victim” of the fraud, not the perpetrator. (See documents at www.cdrnys.org)
When faced with the reality that Maggie Brooks’ left hand has not met the right hand, Maggie’s spin doctors had to start getting creative. According to the Democrat and Chronicle: County spokesman Noah Lebowitz said even if CDR was victimized by the attendants, “it clearly shows they failed to properly screen and manage their employees. We hold them responsible for the action of those employees. They refuse to take responsibility for that.” Read more
Filed Under Advocacy, Americans with Disabilities Act, Attendant Services, CDR Programs, Chris Hilderbrant, Community-based services, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, Home Care, Independence, Independent Living | 2 Comments
Advocates Object to Erroneous Statement by Ravitch
Posted on April 2, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 2, 2010
Leah Farrell, Policy Analyst, 518-320-7100, lfarrell@cdrnys.org
Diane Coleman, Director of Advocacy, 585-546-7510, dcoleman@cdrnys.org
(Rochester, NY): Today Crain’s Health Pulse (Friday, April 2, 2010) noted that after the completion of the New York State budget, Lieutenant Governor Ravitch will turn his sights on reigning in Medicaid spending, particularly in the area of long term care. According to Crain’s, “As part of his study, he’ll look at spending on home care and personal care, the fastest-growing sector of Medicaid.”
“That’s just plain wrong,” said Bruce Darling, President and CEO of the Center for Disability Rights. According to the most recent data from Thomson Reuters (formerly Medstat), from 2007 to 2008, nursing facility spending in New York increased 7% or nearly $477 million. By comparison, personal care just grew by 2.4% or $69 million. When you look at the spending for “Total Home Care” according to the Thomson Reuters data, spending actually decreased by $211 million, dropping 2.4% from 2007 to 2008. Nursing facility spending far outpaced personal care and home care both in terms of percentage and overall dollars. Read more
Filed Under Advocacy, Attendant Services, Bruce Darling, Chris Hilderbrant, Community-based services, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, Diane Coleman, Home Care, Independence, Independent Living, Institutions and Institutionalization, Leah Farrell, Medicaid | Leave a Comment
Success: CCA Resolution Passes the NYS Assembly
Posted on March 24, 2010
By Anita Cameron, Systems Advocate
Advocates and staff with the Center for Disability Rights have been working hard to get support for the Community Choice Act. Upon hearing that several cities around the country, including New York City, and Binghamton, New York had already passed resolutions in support of the Community Choice Act, CDR launched the CCA Resolution Project at the end of 2008.
The aim of the Project is to get cities, towns, and villages in Monroe County to pass a resolution supporting the Community Choice Act. Read more
Filed Under Advocacy, Anita Cameron, CDR Programs, Chris Hilderbrant, Community-based services, Home Care, Independence, Independent Living, Institutions and Institutionalization, Medicaid | Leave a Comment
Budget Cuts Brought to You by the Pathologically Vicious
Posted on October 22, 2009
By Chris Hilderbrant, Director of Advocacy
*Update* Center for Disabilities response to the Executive’s proposed Defecit Reduction Plan (DRP)
We’re all getting used to budget cuts. It used to only happen around budget season, but with the state and national economies in the tank, Governor Paterson has realized that the only thing he can do to boost his plummeting ratings is to talk tough about ‘making hard decisions’ and ‘cutting spending.’
Ok, I get all that. Money is tight and states should not make a habit of spending more than is needed. We’ve been suggesting areas where the state could reduce its spending for years, but none of the political “leaders” would make those tough decisions because the economy was solid and the leaders could keep spending on pet projects to keep their donors happy. Read more
Filed Under Advocacy, Chris Hilderbrant, Community-based services, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, Home Care, Independence, Independent Living, Medicaid | 4 Comments
Governor’s vetoes outrage disability advocates
Posted on September 17, 2009
By Chris Hilderbrant, Director of Advocacy
New Yorkers with disabilities were appalled last night when Governor Paterson vetoed not one, but two critical pieces of disability civil rights legislation.
One bill, A.781-B (Paulin)/S.5396 (Huntley), adds American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II language into state statute; clarifying the accessibility obligations of state and local governments and strengthening the civil rights protections for people with disabilities. For any state or local government unit that receives federal funds, which is all states and cities at this point, it’s been the law since the Rehabilitation Act of 1973! This bill imposes no new or additional requirements upon local governments or businesses, so what is Governor Paterson’s problem? Read more
Filed Under Accessibility, Advocacy, Americans with Disabilities Act, Attitudes, Chris Hilderbrant | Leave a Comment
Letter to Dan Quatro
Posted on July 30, 2009
By Chris Hilderbrant, Director of Advocacy
The original news article on this issue and our statement can be found at: http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S1055056.shtml?cat=566
July 30, 2009
Majority Leader Dan Quatro
Monroe County Legislature
410 County Office Building
39 West Main Street
Rochester, NY 14614
VIA FAX: (585) 753-1932
Dear Mr. Quatro: Read more
Filed Under Advocacy, Chris Hilderbrant | 1 Comment
Four officers and indecent exposure.
Posted on July 22, 2009
By Chris Hilderbrant, Director of Advocacy
Yesterday, I was among 40 ADAPT activists that entered the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Washington, DC. Despite ADAPT’s deep anger with the democrats for establishing the institutional bias in Medicaid nearly 45 years ago and refusing to end that bias even today, things started off cordial enough. ADAPT’s demands were that the DNC facilitate meetings with Congressional leaders and senior White House staff and that the Democrats issue an apology for creating the institutional bias in Medicaid.
ADAPT spread throughout the DNC office, allowing space for staff to pass through. ADAPT leaders began meeting with staff, who relayed our message to higher level staff. While the chair of the DNC, Governor Tim Kaine, was not available, the DNC provided a meeting with a Senior Advisor – I think the name was Larry Roberts. ADAPT met with the advisor and that’s where the cordiality ended. Read more
Filed Under ADAPT, Activism, Advocacy, Americans with Disabilities Act, Attitudes, Chris Hilderbrant, Community-based services, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, Independence, Independent Living, Institutions and Institutionalization, Medicaid, Police/Law Enforcement, Take Action! | 1 Comment
Center for Disability Rights Statement in Response to President Obama’s “Year of Community Living”
Posted on June 23, 2009
By Chris Hilderbrant, Director of Advocacy
President Obama yesterday announced an initiative called Year of Community Living to assist people with disabilities. The initiative was announced on June 22, 2009, in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the landmark Olmstead Supreme Court decision. The Olmstead decision states that unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities is discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and orders states to craft a plan of transition from institutional settings back into the community.
The announcement and the initiative reflect some victories for advocates, but also glaring omissions on the part of the Obama administration.
Filed Under ADAPT, Advocacy, CDR Programs, Chris Hilderbrant, Community-based services, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance, Independence, Independent Living, Institutions and Institutionalization | 1 Comment
Chairman Baucus, what’s on your political palate?
Posted on May 13, 2009
By Chris Hilderbrant, Director of Advocacy
For three hours Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus led discussions on how to reform health care and how to pay for that reform. Single-payer health insurance advocates stood and walked out in silent protest. Others shouted to interrupt the opening remarks of Chairman Baucus (some later re-entered the room in different clothes!). Chairman Baucus pleaded with the remaining audience members to allow the hearing on healthcare reform to proceed. He indicated that he’d meet with people personally rather than have further interruptions of the hearing. As an ADAPT members with a certain prowess for interrupting bureaucratic proceedings, I had been considering a one person protest for the Community Choice Act… but, now I’ll be contacting his office to set up the meeting he promised me. Read more