Hecate:
Last week our legislature passed a "first in the nation" comprehensive health reform legislation that really really screws our little agency that serves low income uninsured people. We did everything you told us to do..........we developed short easy to understand fact sheets and background papers that we used to brief our legislative delegation, the staffs of both Ways and Means committee , the Speaker and the Senate President. We got the commitment of two key legislators who promised to protect our interests. We walked our so called champions, and their staffs through about two inches of detailed background and made our policy analysts available to them at a moments notice. When the leadership tried to rush a 160 page bill through in less than 24 hours, our legislative sponsors were at least able to file a couple of amendments (that we wrote), but they weren't even brought up for debate!! It was all over so fast after months and months of lobbying. And the kicker was when one member of our legislative delegation made a joke about it --"It was a long and complicated bill, but at least I didn't have time to read it." I think that's just reprehensible!!!
Hecate says:
Well s/he was problably a little tired and cranky from trying to figure out the bill in the first place, never mind trying to figure out how the bill impacted your agency. Sounds like you did everything right but still failed to convince the Leadership that it was a top priority to protect your agency. Hard to swallow, I know.
Big complicated bills with lots of competing interests from a couple of hundred different stakeholders with millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs at stake, often are rushed through quickly after a couple of months of figuring out how to balance all the different interests. The goal is to make sure all the "big guys" don't get everything they want, but most of them get something. Lots of drafting mistakes are made in the margins because every section that benefits one stakeholder affects a dozen others, and vice versa. Trust me the leadership will be releasing several bills in the near future offering "technical corrections" to the big bill. Your champions still can make things right.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Sunday, November 06, 2005
It's About Time Don't You Think?
Dear Hecate,
What's going on with all of this talk about health care "reform"? It seems as though every state in the union is responding to their own health care "crisis" and deciding they have to "do something". Some states are cutting their health care programs and others are expanding their health care programs and still others are creating blue ribbon commissions to study their health care programs. What's the big deal? As far as I can tell, there is a "crisis" in public education, public transportation and public safty, never mind climate changes and global warming. Why health care? Why now?
Hecate says;
Aside from those of you who like to suffer or who have no loved ones to shield from suffering, most of you humans seem to value having good health care if you or your loved ones need it. That includes politicans in your country, who increasingly are becoming aware that getting good health care seems to be a increasingly difficult for more and more people in their districts. And sometimes even for themselves and their loved ones. So, they're trying to figure out what do about it. It's about time, don't you think?
What's going on with all of this talk about health care "reform"? It seems as though every state in the union is responding to their own health care "crisis" and deciding they have to "do something". Some states are cutting their health care programs and others are expanding their health care programs and still others are creating blue ribbon commissions to study their health care programs. What's the big deal? As far as I can tell, there is a "crisis" in public education, public transportation and public safty, never mind climate changes and global warming. Why health care? Why now?
Hecate says;
Aside from those of you who like to suffer or who have no loved ones to shield from suffering, most of you humans seem to value having good health care if you or your loved ones need it. That includes politicans in your country, who increasingly are becoming aware that getting good health care seems to be a increasingly difficult for more and more people in their districts. And sometimes even for themselves and their loved ones. So, they're trying to figure out what do about it. It's about time, don't you think?
Monday, October 31, 2005
How Many Times in a Political Career.............
Dear Hecate,
How many times during a political career can a Legislative Leader take the bold step of creating really good public policy that finally redistributes government resources and services more fairly and pisses off powerful provider and interest groups at the same time?
Hecate's Answer
That's why they're called leaders, and she can do it as many times as she can hold on to her own seat in her own district,as many times as as she can absorb the political heat herself, and as many times as she can help her members get reelected by making sure they each have a couple of hero opportunities for their own district.
By the way, it's the same way strong legislative leaders make bad public policy too.
How many times during a political career can a Legislative Leader take the bold step of creating really good public policy that finally redistributes government resources and services more fairly and pisses off powerful provider and interest groups at the same time?
Hecate's Answer
That's why they're called leaders, and she can do it as many times as she can hold on to her own seat in her own district,as many times as as she can absorb the political heat herself, and as many times as she can help her members get reelected by making sure they each have a couple of hero opportunities for their own district.
By the way, it's the same way strong legislative leaders make bad public policy too.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Making New Champions
Dear Hecate
I run a legal services program that tries to help very poor people who are getting ripped off by their landlords who threaten them with eviction if they complain about the lack of heat, by their employers who threaten them with termination if they complain about not getting overtime pay, and by hostile state welfare workers who threaten to take away their cash assistance, food stamps or subsidized housing vouchers if they forget to resubmit their 6 page application.
While our legal services programs get some funds from our state government every year, it's not nearly enough to address our long waiting lists, and begin to pay our lawyers and para- legals a fair wage. We do have a couple of supporters in the state legislature who try hard to get us the 25% or 40% increase we need, but all we ever get is a 10% increase year after year. And while the state revenues are increasing they always spend it on some other "emergency" like health care reform or public education reform. What do we have to do to get some attention around here?
Hecate says
Congratulations for getting 10% increases year after year for a program that defends politically powerless poor people against powerful greedy landlords, heartless employers and mean state employees who problably complain to their state legislators about uppity lawyers getting state money to harass them.
One way to create an emergency would be if one of the characters mentioned above was able to convince a powerful politican to zero you out entirely!! Then you could rally the troops, get your budget restored, -- and start all over again getting regular 10% increases.
Another way is to find a compelling way way to tell each legislator the stories of the folks you have helped in their district. You'd be surprised to find out what they don't know about the good things you do, and you'll find new champions. Maybe even the ver legislators who are the champions of better health care and education for your clients!!
I run a legal services program that tries to help very poor people who are getting ripped off by their landlords who threaten them with eviction if they complain about the lack of heat, by their employers who threaten them with termination if they complain about not getting overtime pay, and by hostile state welfare workers who threaten to take away their cash assistance, food stamps or subsidized housing vouchers if they forget to resubmit their 6 page application.
While our legal services programs get some funds from our state government every year, it's not nearly enough to address our long waiting lists, and begin to pay our lawyers and para- legals a fair wage. We do have a couple of supporters in the state legislature who try hard to get us the 25% or 40% increase we need, but all we ever get is a 10% increase year after year. And while the state revenues are increasing they always spend it on some other "emergency" like health care reform or public education reform. What do we have to do to get some attention around here?
Hecate says
Congratulations for getting 10% increases year after year for a program that defends politically powerless poor people against powerful greedy landlords, heartless employers and mean state employees who problably complain to their state legislators about uppity lawyers getting state money to harass them.
One way to create an emergency would be if one of the characters mentioned above was able to convince a powerful politican to zero you out entirely!! Then you could rally the troops, get your budget restored, -- and start all over again getting regular 10% increases.
Another way is to find a compelling way way to tell each legislator the stories of the folks you have helped in their district. You'd be surprised to find out what they don't know about the good things you do, and you'll find new champions. Maybe even the ver legislators who are the champions of better health care and education for your clients!!
Monday, October 10, 2005
Implementation Blues
Dear Hecate
Thanks to the help and support of many experienced advocates for low income people who know their way around our State Capital, our little non profit program for disabled homeless persons was able to win an "earmark" in the homeless shelter line item that directs not less than $120,000 to a demonstration project to provide special services including adaptive equipment and furnishings for familes with disabled children. I'ts been murder getting that money from the Department!! First of all, since we were not specifically named, some of our "colleagues" in the shelter business are trying to get some of the money, and second, the bureaucrats in the Department are devising such a complicated and complex application process that we'll have to dedicate two staff people to fill out the forms!! Winning the earmark was easy compared to convincing the Department to cut some red tape so we can get our money.
Hecate says
Get over it. It ain't your money. It's the taxpayers, and the Department is accountable for how it will be spent. Stop whining and start filling out the forms. Hire consultants if you have to. Did you really expect the Department to hand you over a $120,000 check without going through a process to see if there was another shelter provider who could do the job better? Think about it. If one of your "colleagues" had lobbied hard to get the state to fund a new demonstration project that your program could administer effectively, I assume you would be quick to fill out all those forms.
Thanks to the help and support of many experienced advocates for low income people who know their way around our State Capital, our little non profit program for disabled homeless persons was able to win an "earmark" in the homeless shelter line item that directs not less than $120,000 to a demonstration project to provide special services including adaptive equipment and furnishings for familes with disabled children. I'ts been murder getting that money from the Department!! First of all, since we were not specifically named, some of our "colleagues" in the shelter business are trying to get some of the money, and second, the bureaucrats in the Department are devising such a complicated and complex application process that we'll have to dedicate two staff people to fill out the forms!! Winning the earmark was easy compared to convincing the Department to cut some red tape so we can get our money.
Hecate says
Get over it. It ain't your money. It's the taxpayers, and the Department is accountable for how it will be spent. Stop whining and start filling out the forms. Hire consultants if you have to. Did you really expect the Department to hand you over a $120,000 check without going through a process to see if there was another shelter provider who could do the job better? Think about it. If one of your "colleagues" had lobbied hard to get the state to fund a new demonstration project that your program could administer effectively, I assume you would be quick to fill out all those forms.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Get Behind the Mule in the Morning and Plow
Dear Hecate
We live up the street from a constuction company that just got expanded. Now big diesel trucks carrying other equipment roar out of there every morning just as the middle school kids are leaving for school and come home every afternoon when the little kids are getting home from school. We talked to the new owner who shrugged and said he would talk to his drivers about slowing down, but they haven't. One of the mothers across the street says we should demonstrate by sitting down in front of the trucks, like she saw in a TV show. What do you think.
Hecate
Great issue. Nothing like a few Mothers protecting their children to make city officials want to come to the rescue. First some pre planning and preparation work. Put together a letter from you and other neighborhood Moms that describes the public safty and public health dangers of fast trucks spewing diesel fuel. Send it to the Mayor, send it to the City Council. Contact the Board of Health to complain about the diesel fuel triggering asthma attacks. Ask for a meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals to limit their hours of operation and use of residential roads. Get the preliminary organizing work done, and THEN you can get some really powerful publicity by organizing a Mothers March and Sit In. Notify the police of your plans, organize some non demonstrating neighbors to take pictures in case the press doesn't show up.
We live up the street from a constuction company that just got expanded. Now big diesel trucks carrying other equipment roar out of there every morning just as the middle school kids are leaving for school and come home every afternoon when the little kids are getting home from school. We talked to the new owner who shrugged and said he would talk to his drivers about slowing down, but they haven't. One of the mothers across the street says we should demonstrate by sitting down in front of the trucks, like she saw in a TV show. What do you think.
Hecate
Great issue. Nothing like a few Mothers protecting their children to make city officials want to come to the rescue. First some pre planning and preparation work. Put together a letter from you and other neighborhood Moms that describes the public safty and public health dangers of fast trucks spewing diesel fuel. Send it to the Mayor, send it to the City Council. Contact the Board of Health to complain about the diesel fuel triggering asthma attacks. Ask for a meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals to limit their hours of operation and use of residential roads. Get the preliminary organizing work done, and THEN you can get some really powerful publicity by organizing a Mothers March and Sit In. Notify the police of your plans, organize some non demonstrating neighbors to take pictures in case the press doesn't show up.
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