Travis County Commssioners Court
November 12, 2003
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Item 1
We are trying to access an original of the resolution, but we did get copies distributed on Friday. 1. Consider and take appropriate action on request for resolution encouraging the Texas department of health and human services in Travis County not to take action that will result in a reduction of programs and services, reduced revenue, closure of offices and loss of jobs for Travis County residents. Basically we have a proclamation that I patterned basically after the one bexar county adopted recently and we tried table this to meet Travis County needs and what we asked for here I think is pretty simple. What's happened in some of the communities, the state agency has conducted public hearings, has received input from some of the affected residents, that really has affected the decision making. So the hope is that the same thing would happen here in Travis County. A lot of these agency decisions are not on everybody's radar. So actions are being taken without public input and so the -- so the request basically is for public input. It reads whereas house bill 2292 signed into law by the governor on June 10th, 2003, mandates the reorganization of 12 state health and human services agencies and functions into five new agencies; whereas the transition legislative oversight community, tloc, was appointed oversee the consolidation of health and human services agencies set in motion by hb 2292, whereas many thousands of Travis County residents depend on the services provided by the departments and agencies subject to elimination and/or reorganization under house bill 2292 and the same Travis County residents could be negatively impacted by the more than $171 million reduction in medicaid and children's health insurance program that we know as chip funding, leaving local entities to make up the difference in funding. Whereas reports of the potential reductions of medicaid and chip dollars in Travis County are astounding, to wit total dollars lost are major medicaid and chip cuts could be as high as 50 million, 45,000 plus dollars, state dollars cut only, the major medicaid and chip, 22,051,000 and some dollars. Whereas the potential impact on Travis County clients due to eligibility policy changes is equally dramatic to wit child medicare growth reduction [indiscernible] medicaid simplification, more than 8,000, pregnant women enrollment reduction monthly, 208, medical enrollment reduction 345, chip enrollment reduction in 2005 at 200 federal poverty -- fpl I think, something to do with the federal poverty guideline, I'm sure, $4,470,000, aged and disabled receiving [indiscernible] hours of community care services, 1236, potential client caseload reduction, 14,162. A lot of figures, these are projections basically, the potential impact could be great, I guess is the point to be made there. Whereas explicit in the streamlining of this massive reorganization is the intent to privatize many of the services state employees now perform, privatization raises concerns about client access and services as well as the potential harm to local communities caused by the elimination of state jobs, numbering over 200 field workers and an unknown number of support staff in state office, with the field workers combined salaries of more than $4 million in Travis County alone, whereas while these consolidations have the potential to improve client services if fully done, they also have an equal chance of creating an unwieldy operation, therefore input is needed to ensure that they need to learn how these major changes affect Travis County residents. Now therefore be it resolved that Travis County Commissioners court one urges tloc to develop as part of its transition plan an analysis of how hb 2292 changes will impact local taxing entities' budgets, access to services by clients and the impact of state employees -- state employee force reductions on the economies of affected communities, two asks tloc to hold additional public hearings on hb 2292 changes including a hearing to be held in Travis County by elected state legislators, asks number 3, tloc and the hhsc executive Commissioner to delay implementation until numbers 1 and 2 above are completed and 4 asks that the Texas legislature restore funding for critically needed health and human services programs to the people of Travis County and the state of Texas. I think these four things have been done in some communities and proven to be helpful. In my view we should have an interest on what impact actions may have on Travis County residents, that's the gist of this basically. That's why I move approval.
>> seconded by Commissioner Gomez.
>> the timing is absolutely perfect. You think after the legislative session what's going on. There is actually public comment period going on right now related to this transition so it's absolutely appropriate for us to weigh in. I think the thing that disturbed me the most is having to do with call centers, if you have been following what's going on down in harris county, the call centers specifically reporting child abuse, people have been left hanging on those lines on hold for up to two and three hours, which is just absolutely unacceptable. They are talking about more call centers, not less. And unfortunately the nature of health and human services, it's not like you can answer a phone call with a 10 second response. There's usually a story and there's usually an explanation.
>> and --
>> the other thing that I wanted to make sure that everybody is aware of, there is an excellent article that just appeared this morning, I'm going to pass out to everybody, sorry I didn't have staples at my house. But the houston chronicle this morning is reporting that more than 54,000 low income children were dropped off the rolls of chips as a result of new stricter rules passed by the legislature when those went into effect. This is from June 1 to November 1, enrollment fell f from 512,000 approximately, to 458,000, this according to the center for public policy priorities. The group that judge scott mccown oversees. Even before -- the only other thing that I will read, even before the 11% enrollment in chip, Texas led the nation in the rate of uninsured with one in four residents lacking health insurance. So it's absolutely appropriate for us to say make sure -- you know --
>> there's no doubt that there will be an impact felt not only on our citizens, but probably on county government. As well. So -- so I think that it's very appropriate to -- to continue with this process.
>> -- a couple of these [indiscernible] located in precinct, one off of airport, the other off 290 and rutherford, providing services to persons of need. And the community -- the community, of course, I think with the reduction in the medicaid and also in the chip program definitely having a negative impact all across the board. It really doesn't make any sense to me why these persons should be left out without the kind of services that they have been getting in the past, most definitely. Broad based impact on social service programs. And I think that we are right on time with this particular resolution, judge, I would like to thank you for having it placed and all of the input that's coming from the community to address this concern. As Commissioner Sonleitner did say, at the time -- the time is right now for public comment period where you can voice your comments. To this particular bill. So -- and we will [indiscernible] properly move forward, thank you.
>> we will be with you in one minute. Hopefully we will leave something for you all to say. [laughter]
>> I know that you wanted this to be a lot faster than this, judge, I think that this is very important. I will be -- given that I am the lone republican on the Commissioners court, and that I have found that there -- there -- not to be a great deal of partisanship which I really enjoy working with the court in that respect. I do feel a little bit compelled to say something, I mean, given that there is a lot of blame being thrown to the legislature with regards to partisanship as to what's going on with, especially in the health and human services. I'm going to support this. Mainly because as a county Commissioner, my first obligation is to make sure that we take care of Travis County. What I'm going to work with the legislature on is finding ways to minimizes what is going to affect us. I think that that necessitates them making some tough decisions that they are also not making. I think that we are deserving of that as a community. And I would hope that -- that the -- that the state legislators understand that if we are going to be impacted as greatly as we see with some of these issues that we also need help in some other areas. I would hope that we will be accident work with the legislature to find relief in some other areas so that it's not so impacting the community. But, you know what I think is being said here is that we cannot continue, not just in Travis County, we cannot continue in the united states of america to take on exponential numbers of people that don't have the basic services that all of us feel like that we need in order to carry on our lives. I'm going to work hard on finding ways, trying to find ways in Travis County that stems the tide from this because I'm 53, I will tell you when I was 33 the numbers weren't as large as they are today. When I am 63 the numbers are going to be beyond imagination. Unless we find as a community and community meaning the people of this country anyway, finding a way to stem the tide of what is going on and what is happening, I think that we are going to be in -- in -- we are going to be in a problem, we are going to have a problem that we can't deal with. I appreciate what the legislature is tying to do -- trying to do, but I also want to be able to go to them and give them the help that we need in some of the other areas.
>> did we leave anything out?
>> not really. I think you all covered every aspect of what I was going to say. We just really appreciate you doing this, taking the -- the judge taking the lead on this and all of you weighing in and supporting this. It's something that we think is really important. We are trying to get out to more county Commissioners and county courts, seeing other counties -- if other counties are willing to do the same, so the local communities aren't so impacted so heavily as by this bill, this legislation looks like it's going to impact, so --
>> do you have any idea of how many counties the state of Texas --
>> so far you all will be number 2. I believe bexar county was the first, you all are the second. Uh-huh. Homely the other counties will start to catch on, with the articles coming out about the chip cuts. I brought along the policy page, I didn't --
>> it's in the houston chronicle.
>> okay. And we are just -- we are concerned with the way that these hearings have been held so rapidly, being push thrud so quickly. Maybe county courts I'm sure aren't even aware of some of the impacts of how their communities are going to be affected. We are hoping by slowing this down, allowing local officials and county -- you know, courts to weigh in and have input going both ways and allowing the transition, legislative oversight committee to give the counties the information they need to know of how this is going to affect them before pushing all of these changes through and these cuts there and going to call centers and removing offices from local communities, so there's no face-to-face you know place where clients can go anywhere. That's all a part of this bill. We are just concerned with these major changes that the cuts and the services aren't being dealt with both ways and so we are really happy you all are taking the lead on this.
>> the folks in el paso, they are already suing -- their county is suing --
>> that's true.
>> reimbursements. Can we get introductions for the clerk.
>> I'm sorry. My name is carolyn o'connor, I'm the political director with the Texas state employees union. We have about 2600 members here who work and live in Travis County.
>> thank you.
>> I'm [indiscernible] leslie, a member of the Texas state employees union and a resident here in Travis County.
>> without objection, what I would do is after we get an original that we all sign, maybe in duplicate, send an original to you.
>> we would appreciate in a that.
>> and forward an original to the -- to the chairperson of the trans six legislative -- transition legislative oversight commission, the health and human services, still mr. Hawkins who is the Commissioner.
>> the Commissioner.
>> and maybe send him a copy this afternoon.
>> maybe --
>> I would also suggest ccing or local legislative delegation because one of the things in there we asked for was for hearings to be hosted by our own legislators.
>> we will send a copy of the letter --
>> would you also be willing to send a copy to the governor.
>> of course.
>> we will let Commissioner Daugherty do that [laughter] any more discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. We will get you the original this afternoon and i've got your phone number.
>> thank you so much.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 12, 2003 5:52 PM