DCF plan called disservice to poor (Jeb Bush's administration)

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Sat, Jul. 24, 2004


DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES


DCF plan called disservice to poor

A plan to install computer kiosks to serve food-stamp recipients and a rush to privatize Florida's welfare system have alarmed federal officials and state workers who deal with Florida's poorest residents.

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER

[e-mail]


Over and over again, top social service administrators warned Ben Harris, then the deputy secretary of the state Department of Children and Families, that his plan to build computer ''kiosks'' for state welfare recipients at food stamp offices was a terrible idea.

Poorly educated and largely mentally ill or disabled, Florida's 1.2 million food stamp recipients were unlikely to be able to navigate the technology to get information about their benefits, aides complained. And besides, the equipment often didn't work.

Nevertheless, Harris awarded a $500,000 no-bid contract to install the computer kiosks at welfare centers throughout Tampa Bay, and to then perform a ''feasibility study'' to determine whether they worked. The contract was split between two of Harris' friends.

The kiosks were part of the state's effort -- the first ever in the nation -- to completely privatize the provision of welfare services.But officials with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services complained that Florida's $1 billion proposal to privatize all of the state's welfare efforts paid scant attention to how the change would affect the poor and disabled people who receive food stamps and Medicaid, the state's medical insurance for the needy.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/9231431.htm?ERIGHTS=7884393514534378822miami:&KRD_RM=3mkmlmmlnkjppmjjjjjjjjjsko|N&is_rd=Y
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[ClintonTyree]

1. Floridians............

MUST vote the Republican majority out of office or that state is doomed. They keep coming up with hairbrained idea after hairbrained idea to privatize every social service and do it by blatantly awarding contracts to their cronies. They don't even try to hide it anymore, they think they're untouchable.

I recently moved from Florida to New York to get away from a state that is rapidly becoming a dictatorship, and the people don't seem to care! They better get their heads out of the sand and damn soon or that state will be fit for only lizards, snakes and insects to live.

Talk to young mothers and fathers there and they'll agree, they don't want to bring their children up in that state. I talked to many in my time there and they all want to leave for better schools, services and a climate where they're not afraid to let their children go outside to play without close adult supervision. It's a scary fucking state folks. The Disney brochures don't begin to tell you the whole story of Florida. It's a land of illusion where, if you scratch just below the surface, you'll find one ugly fucked up mess.

[soup]

2. Lizards, snakes and insects

describes our public officials perfectly, starting at the top with jeb.

What was his remark about emptying government office buildings?

from the article:
>The shift to private management also could leave 7,000 state employees without jobs.<

But hey, there's always openings in the manufacturing field. "Welcome to GoodBurger, home of the Goodburger. Can I take your order, please?"

Sometimes I just shake my head in wonder at the things they've been allowed to get away with. Articles like this giving us a peek into the backroom wheeling and dealing seem to be cropping up more regularly.

No-bid computerized kiosks for foodstamps - What a stupid-ass idea. No consideration for the people who would be using them - some of them are people who can't read, or are mentally ill, or disabled, or elderly.

Sorry for running on, although I feel as if I've just started. Who can even keep up with all the garbage being thrown at us? Is ANY other state this seriously screwed up?

We need a new state motto - something along the lines of 'the pocket lining' state or 'the I got mine. Fuck the rest of you.' state

[quaker bill]

9. Remember it is not how well it works

it is who is making money off of it. There is scant evidence that "privatized" social services work as well as state run programs and they are nearly invariably more expensive.

But honestly, that does not mean a damn thing to these guys. Government employees vote for democrats. Therefore, their jobs must be eliminated.

[Crazy8s]

3. Hey

True, Florida's political situation is screwed up royally, but I grew up here, and I've raised my daughter here, and I love Florida. On the whole, I don't consider it a scary place to raise a family. Just like the rest of the country, the more urban the area, the more dangerous the area. There is no need to bash our state simply because we currently have weasels in the political henhouse.

And I honestly think that Baby Bush got re-elected by riding on the coattails of big brother's patriotic, post 9/11 'war-time' boost in popularity. People rallied round the flag, the pResident, and just consequently, his little brother. I wasn't fooled, but I think that many were. I can't wait until Little Bush (and all his cronies)has his mits off Florida!

[izzie]

4. You would think at state level people would be more interested ---------

We may be just getting to large in this country to run the darn thing any more. Ward boss govt. may have had its good points.

[MrB]

5. This Floridian Agrees

I was a DCF caseworker working with disabled and elderly food stamp & Medicaid recipients until 2 weeks ago. Out of the blue, when we were at an employee retreat in October 2003, it was announed to us that our agency was going to be undergoing "modernization" (i.e. privatization). Since then, it was obvious that the department heads, Regier and Ben Harris, could care less about what front-line workers and longtime supervisors thought about the idea. It was a done deal. That's how politics works in this one-party state (the GOP holds every non-judicial statewide office, 68% of the State House, and 65% of the State Senate). Private contractors donate money to the state GOP and key legislators, and they get all the contracts that the state legislature is all too happy to privatize. Harris himself is now under investigation for getting all expenses paid junkets from the companies that want to get the privatized contracts for social services. Those with a different view, such as our union at DCF (AFSCME) and community service organizations, are ignored in Tallahassee because they don't produce money and votes for the GOP.

The GOP isn't solely to blame for this. Floridians themselves have step by step given more and more power to the GOP at the state level in every election since 1992. It is to the point that in a state where in actual counted votes Bush and Gore tied, and where in voter intent in 2000 Gore won, the Florida Democrats don't even put up a fight anymore. Even with the GOP state legislature gerrymandering after the 2000 Census, in most state legislative districts Gore got at least 45% of the vote. Only a few districts in the western Panhandle, in the Jacksonville area, and in Cuban Miami are totally out of reach for the Democrats. Yet they don't field candidates in most of these races. The Libertarian Party had more candidates on the ballot for the state legislature in the 2002 general election than did the Democrats. Even though Kerry has a very good chance of winning the state this year barring massive voter fraud, the coordinator of the Democrats State House campaign committee has almost no expectations of gains this year. In an article in the Orlando Sentinel a few weeks back, a spokesman for the committee talked about Democrats in the State House hopefully gaining 1 or 2 seats (that would leave them with 40 or 41 out of 120). Talk about a loser mentality!

I am glad that some of the Dean activists are running for previously uncontested state legislative seats in the key swing area, Central Florida, this year so voters in these districts can at least have a choice. However, it is clear that Floridians concerned about this states appalling lack of a viable public education and social service infrastructure cannot count on this state's defeatist, D.O.A. state and local Democratic "leaders" to put up a fight for them to take back state government. It will have to come from the grassroots.

[JCMach1]

6. I ran in 2002 and saw what the system is like... corporations and

special interests control the legislature. They OWN the purse strings for an election (unless you are independently wealthy).

It would take MASSIVE reform to fix this and it isn't going to happen as long as JEBtm and the Repugs are in control in the Tallahassee playpen.

[MrB]

8. What Do We Do?

It sounds like the only solution for state politics is for wealthy progressives to self finance their races for the state legislature. I don't know what to think about the 2006 governor's race, but I don't see any obvious candidates on our side who can win statewide while the GOP has dozens who fit that description (since they control everything here). Our GOTV efforts in non-presidential election years has also been abysmal since 1998, especially with urban, minority and working-class voters. If we'll never hold the legislature in the foreseeable future, our best hope is the governor's race.

I'm lamenting the fact that we don't even have candidates on the ballot to take advantage of a favorable shift in opinion or a particular incumbent's scandals. You can't beat somebody with nobody.

[reprobate]

7. Why is anyone surprised?

This state is being run just like the federal gov't. Taxpayer money is given the biggest contributors, not for the needs of the taxpayers.

Let's not forget that the intent of the cons is to shrink gov't to the size that it "can be drowned in a bathtub".

Education is the basis for an informed electorate, and the bushes have done everything in their power to destroy the florida education system. Their goal is to privatize the school system and they have a really good start at it. And make no mistake, there is big money involved here.

Anyone remember Neil Bush? The same Neil Bush who, as a director of Siverado Savings and Loan, cost the depositors and taxpayors ONE BILLION DOLLARS thru fraud. Well, good old Neil is the cofounder and CEO of a company called Ignite! Inc. Ignite! has made more than ONE BILLION DOLLARS by selling FCAT preparation materials to the state of florida. Gee, a little nepotism goes a long way.

By the way, does anyone know who is the provider of the FCAT? I just spent a goodly time googleing to find out, and there is not a single reference to it from my limited search abilities.