Written by Janelle Irwin
Although public education and public unions have been the main focus of protests that have dogged Florida Governor Rick Scott in recent weeks, it was cuts to those who help the disabled that brought out more critics Friday afternoon in front of Tropicana Field, where the governor was slated to throw out the first pitch of the Tampa Bay Rays home opener. And of course, receive the wrath of a lot of the fans who were seated when Scott came out to throw the first pitch:
After racking up an over $170 million deficit, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities is now paying for it with their pay checks. Mental health workers ranging from in-home caregivers to therapists will now be making at least 15% less than they did earlier this week.
Governor Scott, in response to a growing APD deficit, passed an executive order on Thursday to scale back employees’ salaries. The slash in pay took effect Friday and came to workers with little to no warning.
“I found out on the news, the newspaper and an APD flyer to my email at 7:45 on Thursday night after a full day with my clients,” therapist Lisa Curtin said. “I went to bed on Wednesday making x-amount. I woke up Thursday morning making 40% less.” According to the APD’s website, the plan was actually initiated by the APD. The plan stipulates that the cut in rates applies to providers, and any rate differentials between agency providers and solo providers will be eliminated. The plan assures the rate decreases will not affect the health care to the mentally disabled. In a memo to providers the APD writes:
“In these difficult economic times, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities appreciates your cooperation and thanks you for your service and dedication to individuals with developmental disabilities."
Curtin, along with a score of others, lined the main entrance to Tropicana Field before Friday night’s Rays home opener. They were there for one simple reason: to “boo” Rick Scott for his “draconian” cuts to important budgets.
Estelle Johnson was there, too. She held a sign urging baseball fans to boo Rick Scott. She also held a stuffed puppy under her arm and tucked her head securely into her mother’s side. Estelle isn’t a little girl, though; she’s a 20-year-old woman. “Why are we here, mama?” Estelle asked. Then she remembered. “The funding, not to throw us away.” Then her mother, Wendy Johnson, gave her a hug and told her she did a good job.
Estelle lives independently because she has an able mother and because programs exist to encourage independent living. But that could all change as cuts to workers’ salaries sink in. Johnson worries it will cause some mental health services to close their doors for good. “That’s what this is going to, institutionalizing and no more private care in the community,” Johnson said.
Lori Moffitt is another patient who will likely be affected by Scott’s emergency pay cut and others that could follow. She recently lost her job at Goodwill as a result of cutbacks. For her, this cut came before she even had time to heal. “Our people need more services, our services to keep our jobs, and if we can’t keep our jobs we’re protesting this," Moffit said.
Melissa Mitchell takes care of Moffit and is on call 24/7. Mitchell is often called from her home in the middle of the night to help a client, a service she doesn’t get paid for but says comes with the job. Now the time she does get paid for is 15% less in a state whose per capita funding is ranked 49th in the country. “To imagine that they are going to take away 15% of my pay check in one cut, it’s outrageous,” Mitchell said, “I’m still going to go to work. I’m not going to let them suffer.”
At game time, as Rick Scott was throwing the first pitch to the sound of boos from the crowd, caregivers and their patients were still outside with their signs. Some of them tried to get tickets, but most of them simply could not afford it.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.