By Patricia Cullen on 7/6/2011 9:45 AM

Last month was a blur for many of us at the Association. We were busy with legal and public relations strategies for members preparing for the state shutdown, which was a tense and solemn experience.

At the same time we were getting ready for a party.

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By Patricia Cullen on 6/16/2011 7:19 AM

Thanks to those of you who sent in stories about what a government shutdown—and no Medicaid payments—would mean to your organization; and thanks to those who sent us candid photos of folks you served. We forwarded over 15 stories to the Attorney General to help bolster her legal argument about essential services during a shutdown; and hopefully you have seen the video we made with the photos.

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By Patricia Cullen on 5/31/2011 8:44 AM

So, we don’t have a balanced budget and the clock is ticking toward the end of the biennium—June 30, 2011.

We went through this exercise not too many years ago and it didn’t seem too cataclysmic, so is this year any different?? Absolutely! This go-around the dynamics are dramatically different, so let’s do a bit of a comparison before we lay down a course of action:

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By Patricia Cullen on 5/18/2011 12:15 PM

 

As I write this, there are still a few days left of the “regular” session of the Legislature; however, the budget agreement is elusive and there certainly hasn’t been anything “regular” about the past few months.

As usual, Minnesotans are divided in messaging and in whom they voted to represent them—we historically have been the state with the most interesting mix of liberals and conservatives and the elections’ outcomes have tended to give us some measure of checks and balances.

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By Patricia Cullen on 5/4/2011 10:11 AM

Here we are . . . weeks before the May 23 constitutional end of session deadline looming; and the budget compromise remains elusive, especially with committees not yet having targets and revenue issues not being confined to the tax committee. After months of staring at budget deficit numbers, legislators are getting weary of the stories of budget cut implications and weary of the partisan discussions surrounding both sides of the budget stalemate.

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By Patricia Cullen on 3/22/2011 7:58 AM

The title of this story came from a conversation I had recently with a technology consultant. She had just found an assisted living site for her aunt—the sixth such placement for elderly relatives in the past three years. With heavy heart I noted that the current budget reduction proposals would remove many of these choices for seniors—especially those with limited means. We talked about the strained human services budget and potential implications of the budgetary proposals on the table.  Her response was a bit surprising: “how come I haven’t heard anything about this?”

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By Patricia Cullen on 3/7/2011 11:27 AM

When the Governor released his supplemental budget recommendations on February 28 and they included a “buy back” of some of the proposed cuts to long-term care, we were asked our reaction. Weren’t we pleased? Isn’t it a relief? We had to respond to media and other requests that no, there were still significant cuts on the table impacting providers of older adult services—some STILL so deep that the future viability of many providers is in question.

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By Patricia Cullen on 2/28/2011 3:28 PM

As we face months ahead of us with budget uncertainty, there certainly are questions about whether we can “ride out the storm” and what the aftermath of reductions will mean to the services we provide. Who will not be able to survive if the level of reductions is too severe? Will we be able to assure access to care and services throughout the state or will there be new gaps? Will we still be able to deliver the type of care we believe in? Can we continue to move the quality bar ahead when the resources continue to be reduced?

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By Patricia Cullen on 2/16/2011 11:35 AM

Minnesota’s political leaders are, no doubt, facing tremendous challenges: an unprecedented budget deficit projected for the upcoming biennium; a divided electorate sending mixed messages about spending and expectations; and limited “easy” options—such as shifting payments or maximizing federal funding—available to them.

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By Patricia Cullen on 2/9/2011 3:34 PM

We have spent the past month meeting with legislative leaders, and leaders from the administration—Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon and Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson—talking about our issues and needs; and reminding them about the value of the services our members provide to older adults and persons with disabilities.

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