Sunday, March 27, 2011

My New Battle: A Battle for My Life

California's Governor Jerry Brown signed his budget a few days ago. It included a 10% Medi-Cal cut. That cut could potentially force me and tens of thousands of people like me who require caregivers so they can live independently at home, into nursing homes. If I was in a nursing home, I would not only be exposed on a daily basis to MRSA, I would almost certainly get a bedsore. Either one could potentially kill me, but I would probably die first because of losing my independence. It would almost certainly be a similar fate for all the others with disabilities who are now living comfortably at home because of help from Medi-Cal caregivers.

In response, I produced a video that is now up on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF1_3HfIBks

It was picked up by Fox 11 News who did a story on me and presented my YouTube video to the governor for a response. http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/politics/browns-office-defends-budget-cuts-after-youtube-video-20110325

I cannot believe that Governor Brown had the audacity to say they were sorry and asked me to encourage the Republicans to raise taxes. I realized that the best chance for me right now is to put a face on the issue. I will be producing a second YouTube video in response to the Governor's response. My goal is to have Governor Brown tell me face to face that he realizes that I may be forced into a nursing home because of the budget he just signed, and there's nothing else he could do.

The craziest thing about this is that this "cut" is exactly the opposite. It was proven 30 years ago that it is far cheaper to allow me and others who require assistance from Medi-Cal workers to live at home. Institutionalizing us costs an exorbitant amount of money, not to mention the fact that it takes us out of our communities where many of us are contributing members, and robs us of our individuality, our independence, and our souls.

Please contact your local legislators about this and tell them how outraged you are and encourage them to do what they can to reverse it. Future blogs will offer numerous things you can do as individuals that can save the future of thousands of our disabled citizens.