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Without any authority from the Legislature, the Schwarzenegger Administration is planning to purchase up to $5 million worth of military/security cameras to take pictures of the 450,000 seniors and people with disabilities who receive In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) homecare.
Last year, the Legislature approved the administration’s proposal that county social workers must fingerprint all IHSS consumers as part of a so-called anti-fraud initiative. However, the Legislature neither discussed nor approved photographing consumers. Nor has the administration provided any evidence of how much fraud would be stopped by photographing and fingerprinting these consumers; all IHSS consumers must be visited and assessed at home by county social workers before being approved for the program.
The “MorphoTrak” cameras are currently being used in Iraq and other military locations. According to their manufacturer, they are also recommended for, among other things, “border crossings, gang enforcement, and airport/maritime security.” The camera itself costs $4,200, plus hundreds of dollars more for docking stations and other equipment.
http://www.morpho.com/MorphoTrak/MorphoTrak/mt_products.html. Each $5,000 used to buy a “MorphoTrak” camera would purchase nearly 500 hours of IHSS homecare.
Herb Mayer, 79 year old IHSS consumer, chair of the IHSS coalition and a Korean war veteran, said “My social worker knows who I am without needing a $5,000 camera. How can the administration find money for these cameras but no money to keep the IHSS program going?”
The Administration has projected that it will need to purchase 600 to 1,000 of these cameras, costing between $3 million and $5 million. It has borrowed several of these devices from the manufacturer and has solicited Sacramento and San Diego Counties to use them in a pilot project beginning April 1. The District Attorneys in these two counties have been among the strongest proponents of the administration’s anti-fraud campaign. However, a recent report from Sacramento County found a total of only 19 potential cases of IHSS fraud out of 20,365 consumers.
Assemblymember Hector De La Torre (D- South Gate) said: “I am outraged that this administration is again targeting our lowest income seniors and people with disabilities as if they were criminals we need to monitor. How is that we can afford millions for cameras yet we continue to cut their services and the money they live on?”
“The Administration’s proposal to spend $5 million on cameras is ridiculous,” said Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento). “The money for each $5,000 camera could instead be used for 500 hours of IHSS care. The Administration has asked Sacramento County to begin a pilot program with loaner cameras on April 1. I am calling on Sacramento District Attorney Jan Scully not to participate in this misguided program.”
Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont) states: ”I understand the budget crisis – and I understand that there will be no savings which begin to outweigh the cost of these cameras. When social workers are being laid off and poor elderly Californians are going without services which keep them safe, how can this administration even be considering buying $5,000 cameras?”
“The Governor has once again proposed diverting money from this valuable and cost-effective program”, says Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo). “In addition to his years of budget cuts and criminalizing IHSS workers and their clients, this year he proposes to spend scarce public funds on military-style cameras. I will continue to oppose all reductions to IHSS, especially those which deviate from the core mission of providing life-saving assistance to our vulnerable populations.”
“This Administration’s misguided attack on alleged fraud in the IHSS program has already caused major disruptions to IHSS services for 450,000 elderly Californians who depend on these services,” said Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). “The small investment in home support for the elderly keeps consumers out of expensive nursing homes and saves the state money. We intend to use our legislative oversight power to ensure the Governor does not waste government resources and harm elderly Californians who desperately need In Home Support Services.”
“It is bad enough that the Schwarzenegger Administration treats 450,000 of our most vulnerable citizens and the people who serve them like common criminals,” said Doug Moore, executive director of UDW Homecare Providers Union. “Now, to add insult to injury, the administration wants to waste millions of taxpayer dollars on these unauthorized and totally unnecessary cameras. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so tragic.”
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Sounds to me that money for the disabled is being used to make a deal with the company who makes these cameras. I wonder if someone high up in the states government is friendly with the maker of these cameras and is getting a nice little contract to sell them to the state. As usual if my hunch is even a tiny bit right, the special interests and big biz keep getting more and more of our tax dollars, all at the same time the state uses the money they could be giving out to the people who need IHSS services. Now the state will have to cut the IHSS funds people need even further to fund the purchase of these cameras that are in no way needed. Yeah that makes a lot of sense to me. Someone please do a recall of these fools and lets get some government representation that actually have a brain.
My son is a recipient of IHSS.
He is mentally disabled.
I think the governor wants to have the recipients finger printed and pictures taken, so he can monitor them. I researched the people who make these cameras. They use these pictures, fingerprints and sometimes iris’s to identify criminals or others.
It sure seems like an invasion of privacy to do this to a disabled or elderly person.
I am an care provider. I allways was proud that I was helping ppl. And at the same time tying to survivie and pay my bills on very little wages. Since Swartaneeger been in office. He has done nothing but give providers and the recipents disrespect. I think they should turn the camera on Swartaneger lay in wait. for when he gropes woman….. And lay off hard working ppl, elderly and disabled….. Who are just trying to survive.
What I would really like to know? Is who is Arnold going to hire to go around and spy on ppl. With these camera’s And what is he going to call them. His special spy police. The gestappo. If he is going to spy on ppl using military carera’s then he is going to have to cerate his own special department…..What would be the cost of this. Wouldn’t it be better to spend the money on programs that acctualy help ppl. and give ppl employment. ANd woldn’t it be better to be emplyed as care worker rather then be employed by Arnold as a spy?? Arnolds gesttapo.
Arnold needs to leave elderly an disabled alone. Spending that money on cameras is STUPID. Just because he is rich he does not give a hoot about the poor.If he wasn’t rich and he was disabled or elderly he wuld be fighting like everyone else to keep what little they have!!!!! Thank god he will be out soon
Is Arnold’s next step to have solders coming into the homes of the diabled and elderly and put them on trains to take them to “State Run Nursing Homes”. The State of California under his regime starting to sound like a history we don’t want to repeat.
Sounds good. Let’s put a couple in Arnold’s house and office. Leave the IHSS Program alone!
Absolutely ridiculous, he can afford to buy these expensive cameras and pay someone to spy on our older adults and their caregivers, and yet not afford to keep this service that not only benefits the elderly, but the state too… Come on we all know he is the TERMINATOR, why is he bent on terminating all of California?
It’s not a movie. Its real people he is dealing with. It’s people who really need help. It’s the sick and the poor.
I have had it with this Govenor and his sickness, if he is so bent on hurting out loved ones! This is the US why is he even here?? and running our Calif?? when we have abled people who were born here to handle Calif. IHSS is the most needed Service to oir Disabled and Elderly there is and the Care Givers!Without them giving there own lives to take care of these wonderfull people we have him to tell us what to do! Fight Back America take our familys and Loved ones back and get a new Govenor we are not the Russia of the past!We are FREE People ! Let him return to his Country and reform them they would kick him to the curb!! >>>>> I threw every movie he ever made in trash long rime ago. And have never watched his sorry movies! Do the same, Terminator my foot! makes me sick, and you should be sick to ,Im fighting for the Elderly and Disabled!
This is about Accountability: Where are our congressional and local legal advocates? This proposal to purchase cameras is unconstitutional and in violation of the 14th Amendment. This is one of the Nations Hugest “Medical Fraud Claims” and no one is doing a thing about it!!!If our union would file a class action lawsuit seeking punitive damages and awards for every member we would all be wealthier. Imagine that!!! Not to mention discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Our State is Delivering and Managing a support/ service that internally promotes fraud, waste and abuse of the taxpayers money. Let us not forget that that California took the Lions Share of the Nations Medicare/Medical Funding Under the American Recovery Act and did not put it back into the social programs. Per the law the money did not follow the persons. Instead the States Delivery Systems biforcated the law, support and services to benefit and fraud the entire Federal Governments aid to the people of California by creating fruitless fraud systems i.e. internal opportunities; jobs, promotion and desperately trying to develop justification of where to put the funding other than give aide to the receipients and providers. No other Social Services is proposing this type of treatment. The attack is on IHSS especially “family supported” clients. Every IHSS recipient and caregiver should file a class action lawsuit for discrimination, equal protection and certainly emotional distress,invasion of privacy,and illegal search and seizure. These threats are unlawful acts/claim. Not one of these proposals,policys or proedures are lawful. Therefore, none would stand in a court of law and definitely can be overturned by the supreme court. Where is our legal representation within our union why spread panic and fear? When we have valid rights. Have we signed away our constitutional rights by becoming members of the union or partakers in IHSS? Seriously,the United Domestic Union needs to empower members with continual knowledge of our Constitutional Rights. We as a Union should respond to each abuse of discretion seeking equity and justice not fear!!! The “Amicus Brief” is a powerful tool our union needs to start using it and letting members know how we respond to all violations of it’s participants constitutional rights.
“Im just a little old tired mama sitting at home with a spray bottle of lysol waiting to clean up the next mess”
sounds good very nice..
It’s time to investigate Schwarzenegger for fraud.Why are his proposals blocked by the courts? Maybe because they are illegal? Why does he have this obsession, with proving that the poor,diabled and seniors,are just a bunch of criminals? Do you think he cares about us living in nursing homes,mental hospitals,or alone, waiting to die? What happened to our right to life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness? If we live in a democracy,how can one person,have more power than the majority? How long can the greatest country survive,with dictators like him? Do you think it’s time to use our constitutional rights,to end this evil,corrupt and greedy power? Now is the time,that all americans,must remove this evil,so that everyone can live equally? The Declaration of Indepence,the Bill of Rights and the Constitution,must be enforced as the founding fathers meant it to be.Let’s stop this ignorant use of power now,so that we Americans can live in what was once the greatest country in the world.Keep the hope alive!God bless you and,God bless the United States of America.
I Think Our unions should block GOv. Arnold’s actions, with a halt in court. This is riduculous, picking on good caregivers and the seniors and disabled who need good Care! Let them live their lives in peace!