SUNBURY - Northumberland County Commissioners Vinny Clausi, Richard Shoch and Stephen Bridy vowed Monday to fight for a few thousand elderly citizens, children, families and mentally handicapped who they say could be adversely affected by proposed cuts in state funding for human services.
The county stands to lose as much as $2 million if changes proposed by state Department of Public Welfare (DPW) Secretary Gary Alexander are incorporated into the 2012-2013 state budget. Some $500 million in cuts for welfare and human services programs are proposed statewide.
At a press conference Monday at the county administration center, department heads outlined what the reductions would mean to their programs, while commissioners criticized local lawmakers and those statewide for giving Alexander too much discretion.
State Sen. John Gordner (R-27) said cuts in DPW are intended to address fraud, abuse and waste as identified in an Auditor General report. As for the criticism of legislators, he said by phone Monday, "I can tell you that the Northumberland County delegation is extremely engaged on this issue," he said in reference to himself and state Reps. Kurt Masser (R-107) and Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-108).
Gordner acknowledged he didn't expect Act 22 to impact the Department of Aging, and that he and other lawmakers have been vocal in demanding that issue be resolved before the final budget is approved.
Clients impacted
Judy Davis, director of Behavioral Health/Intellectual Developmental Services, said the $1.3 million proposed cuts in her department would affect approximately 1,500 clients, while Pat Rumberger, AAA administrator, said 146 clients currently enrolled in the aging waiver program could lose services as a result of approximately $500,000 proposed cuts in her department. Jennifer Willard, director for Children and Youth Services, whose department experienced a reduction of $750,000 in state funds last year, anticipates losing another $300,000 this year.
Davis said the cuts would include those for community hospital integration program allocations that were diversion monies the county received as a result of right-sizing Danville State Hospital.
"These dollars fund the Enhanced Personal Care Boarding Home in Atlas that provides housing and mental health services to 20 people with serious and persistent mental illness," Davis said. "If this money gets cut, the possibility exists that the services offered to those individuals will be reduced, which only creates vulnerability to those people, and some of them may end up re-hospitalized or in prison."
Rumberger said Act 22's modifications have the "unintended consequence of fragmenting services" while affecting care, increasing costs and confusing seniors and their families.
She said the aging waiver is cost-effective, with the average person paying $1,778 per month. She said the most comparable waiver is the attendant care program that costs the average person $2,115 per month.
"They blind-sided us with this," Rumberger said. 'They (state legislators) gave the power to Mr. Alexander and they can take it away." She said the cuts will cost the state more in the long run.
March 30 meeting
The commissioners and department heads met March 30 with Masser, Culver and Gordner to discuss the ramifications of Act 22, which, approved in 2011, gives Alexander authority to produce $400 million in DPW savings during the current fiscal year and $500 million in 2012-2013.
To do so, he can issue regulations such as changing eligibility rules and revising payments for service providers without having them go through prior review by lawmakers and the Intergovernmental Regulatory Review Commission, a cumbersome and time-consuming process.
The governor's budget proposals include steering state aid for seven county human service programs through a block grant for an estimated savings of $168 million and ending cash assistance grants for 60,000 individuals.
"Where are we going to get the money from to run these programs?" Clausi asked. "We have to protest these cuts in Harrisburg and I will personally pay for the buses to take people to Harrisburg."
Bridy said state legislators should have studied the cuts further before just granting Alexander such power.
"Mr. Masser may not have understood initially how things worked in Harrisburg, but there's no excuse for Culver and Gordner," he said, noting Culver's long tenure in the office of her predecessor, Merle Phillips, and Gordner's long tenure.
All three lawmakers, however, defended their actions.
"We are actively fighting the cuts and we told the commissioners that during our recent meeting," Masser said. "The current state administration is dealing with overspending by past administrations and we must make some serious cuts."
Culver added, "I can understand why Mr. Bridy and the other commissioners are upset. We are all upset over the proposed cuts."
She, like Gordner, noted the "unintentional consequence" of the act, particularly as it applied to Area Agencies on Aging, mental health and children services.
Gordner said he doesn't believe issues involving the Department of Aging should be addressed with Act 22. On April 3, the Republican caucus met to discuss budget concerns, and restoration of the full block grant funding for human services, along with higher education funding, were the top two issues, he said.
Also, "I have been vocal in caucus and with leadership that the issue with aging needs to be resolved" before the final budget, he said.
Gordner said he told the commissioners at the March 30 meeting to contact him with any concerns. Two weeks later, without any such contact, they hold a press conference and "complain nothing's happened," the senator said, noting the budget process is a lengthy one.
Gordner said positive state revenues for February and March could mean a deficit projected at $720 million when Corbett unveiled his tentative budget in February could be reduced by as much as $250 million, and that money could be used to restore some of the proposed cuts.
He gave credit to the county Area Agency office for its proactive work, noting he's received hundreds of letters in the past six weeks.
"That's what's extremely helpful in turning legislators' heads," he said.
Ted Yeager of Elysburg, a candidate for state representative in the 107th District, also attended the 30-minute press conference.
Afterward, Yeager said he has serious concerns about Act 22.