I know TSEU has endorsed Strayhorn, but she makes me nervous. They didn't want to break up the Republican Party so she went Independent. I wonder if she'll revert once elected? She must lean in their direction but how far right?
Bell's recent donation is going to do wonders!
How about some comments? Are we going with TSEU? Or are we going Democrat?
Help me decide, folks.
Friday, June 16, 2006
FSSA outsourcing plan to get more review
MIKE SMITH
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - Gov. Mitch Daniels has given a review team more time to consider plans by the state's social services agency to outsource the application process for food stamps and other welfare benefits, his office announced Friday.
The Family and Social Services Administration has been considering plans to award a contract to a private vendor to handle the application process for food stamps, Medicaid and other government safety-net programs. Two groups of companies have participated in the bidding for the contract, estimated to be worth about $1 billion over 10 years.
FSSA had previously been looking at a timetable of completing negotiations with a winning vendor later this month.
Daniels appointed an interagency team in mid-May to review the welfare delivery system and the two responses that FSSA received to its request for proposals to privatize the application process. The governor originally asked the group to conclude its review by mid-June, but now has given it more time.
Daniels spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said there was no specific timetable for completing the review, but said the administration was "looking at weeks, not months."
FSSA's plan to outsource the intake processes for programs benefiting about 1 million children, seniors, disabled and low-income Hoosiers has been under scrutiny because of problems that Texas and other states have run into privatizing similar programs.
FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob has said his agency should outsource the application process because it does it now in haphazard, inefficient and ineffective ways that do not serve the interests of welfare recipients.
Earl Goode, Daniels' deputy chief of staff and chairman of the interagency review team, said it has analyzed enough information to agree that Indiana must modernize its welfare system and that broad solutions proposed by FSSA were sound. But he said the team has not yet concluded how to accomplish that.
Goode said the team has identified some questions and tactical issues it wants to examine further before it makes a recommendation to Daniels about a specific agreement with a vendor to handle the eligibility process. He said the team would continue its efforts until it has either negotiated a proposed agreement for Daniels' review or prepared an alternative recommendation.
The two teams of vendors, one led by IBM and the other by Bermuda-based Accenture LLP, were to have submitted their final responses to FSSA by May 9. The IBM team includes Affiliated Computer Services Inc. of Dallas, which employed Roob as a vice president before he joined the Daniels administration last year.
The union still represents the workers even though Daniels canceled state collective bargaining contracts when he took office last year.
AFSCME spokesman David Patterson said the union, when it had bargaining authority for the state workers, had proposed modernizing the agency many times but doing it with state employees.
"We're glad the governor has finally realized that this rush to privatize the system was ill-conceived, but the fact remains that more time (for review) will not change the fact that privatization hasn't worked elsewhere," he said.
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - Gov. Mitch Daniels has given a review team more time to consider plans by the state's social services agency to outsource the application process for food stamps and other welfare benefits, his office announced Friday.
The Family and Social Services Administration has been considering plans to award a contract to a private vendor to handle the application process for food stamps, Medicaid and other government safety-net programs. Two groups of companies have participated in the bidding for the contract, estimated to be worth about $1 billion over 10 years.
FSSA had previously been looking at a timetable of completing negotiations with a winning vendor later this month.
Daniels appointed an interagency team in mid-May to review the welfare delivery system and the two responses that FSSA received to its request for proposals to privatize the application process. The governor originally asked the group to conclude its review by mid-June, but now has given it more time.
Daniels spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said there was no specific timetable for completing the review, but said the administration was "looking at weeks, not months."
FSSA's plan to outsource the intake processes for programs benefiting about 1 million children, seniors, disabled and low-income Hoosiers has been under scrutiny because of problems that Texas and other states have run into privatizing similar programs.
FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob has said his agency should outsource the application process because it does it now in haphazard, inefficient and ineffective ways that do not serve the interests of welfare recipients.
Earl Goode, Daniels' deputy chief of staff and chairman of the interagency review team, said it has analyzed enough information to agree that Indiana must modernize its welfare system and that broad solutions proposed by FSSA were sound. But he said the team has not yet concluded how to accomplish that.
Goode said the team has identified some questions and tactical issues it wants to examine further before it makes a recommendation to Daniels about a specific agreement with a vendor to handle the eligibility process. He said the team would continue its efforts until it has either negotiated a proposed agreement for Daniels' review or prepared an alternative recommendation.
The two teams of vendors, one led by IBM and the other by Bermuda-based Accenture LLP, were to have submitted their final responses to FSSA by May 9. The IBM team includes Affiliated Computer Services Inc. of Dallas, which employed Roob as a vice president before he joined the Daniels administration last year.
(Hey! Don't we know them?! - Blogger)
The union that represents at least 5,000 FSSA workers, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees-Council 62, has criticized the privatization plan, saying similar contracts have led to problems in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. (You forgot about Mississippi)The union still represents the workers even though Daniels canceled state collective bargaining contracts when he took office last year.
AFSCME spokesman David Patterson said the union, when it had bargaining authority for the state workers, had proposed modernizing the agency many times but doing it with state employees.
"We're glad the governor has finally realized that this rush to privatize the system was ill-conceived, but the fact remains that more time (for review) will not change the fact that privatization hasn't worked elsewhere," he said.
Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee visits Beaumont
By JENNIFER AVILLA, The Enterprise
06/16/2006
If elected, Bell plans to try to undo the $899 million five-year contract signed last year between Accenture and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in a privatization effort to outsource state eligibility and enrollment to Medicaid and other health programs.
____________________________________________________
Brad McClellan, Strayhorn's campaign manager and son, said Bell is twisting Strayhorn's words.
"The recommendation she made on call centers was not to outsource or privatize them. It was to use call centers to make the state more efficient," McClellan said.
Click the link to read the entire article. - Blogger
06/16/2006
If elected, Bell plans to try to undo the $899 million five-year contract signed last year between Accenture and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in a privatization effort to outsource state eligibility and enrollment to Medicaid and other health programs.
____________________________________________________
Brad McClellan, Strayhorn's campaign manager and son, said Bell is twisting Strayhorn's words.
"The recommendation she made on call centers was not to outsource or privatize them. It was to use call centers to make the state more efficient," McClellan said.
Click the link to read the entire article. - Blogger
Recent stories from the Texas Legislature 2006 Special Session
5/21/06: Tax reform finished, but schools worry
5/20/06: Seniors, disabled feel cheated by property tax cut
5/19/06: Perry signs business tax bill in S.A.
5/19/06: Legislators get advice on school reforms
5/14/06: Mothers help set the legislative rules
5/13/06: Legislature approves school funding reform
05/10/06: State takes back aid task
05/10/06: Dewhurst to revive disputed tax cut bill
5/06/06: Senator says she'll scuttle her own school bill
5/05/06: Merit pay is bittersweet for S.A. schools
5/05/06: Senate finds little middle ground in Robin Hood revamp
05/04/06: Storm plan includes felons
05/04/06: Bill would help military children
05/04/06: Bill would help military children
05/03/06: Business tax plan goes to governor
05/03/06: Tobacco legislation watched closely
05/03/06: State tests its readiness with mock hurricane
5/02/06: Business tax increase clears Senate hurdle
5/01/06: Lawmaker says teachers holding out for bigger raise risk losing what's on table
05/01/06: Senate passes business tax
5/01/06: Fredericksburg mayor facing a first — challenger for post
4/30/06: Legislators have a lot at stake in tax talks
4/29/06: Legislature closing in on a raise for teachers
4/28/06: House approves tobacco tax increase
4/28/06: Schools may face toughter sanctions
4/28/06: Bill to cap donations is facing uphill battle
4/28/06: Democrats propose state fuel tax holiday
4/27/06: Bill would cap campaign contributions
4/27/06: State wants more storm relief
4/27/06: Governor bets big by backing tax proposals
4/26/06: Teacher pay raise to go on tax bill
4/22/06: GOP limits the debate to relief
4/22/06: Tax talks yield 'big piece of Swiss cheese'
4/21/06: Groupd rap legislators' focus on tax relief instead of education
4/20/06: 'Get out of Dodge' to get out of Austin?
I just thought this was interesting.
Blogger
5/20/06: Seniors, disabled feel cheated by property tax cut
5/19/06: Perry signs business tax bill in S.A.
5/19/06: Legislators get advice on school reforms
5/14/06: Mothers help set the legislative rules
5/13/06: Legislature approves school funding reform
05/10/06: State takes back aid task
05/10/06: Dewhurst to revive disputed tax cut bill
5/06/06: Senator says she'll scuttle her own school bill
5/05/06: Merit pay is bittersweet for S.A. schools
5/05/06: Senate finds little middle ground in Robin Hood revamp
05/04/06: Storm plan includes felons
05/04/06: Bill would help military children
05/04/06: Bill would help military children
05/03/06: Business tax plan goes to governor
05/03/06: Tobacco legislation watched closely
05/03/06: State tests its readiness with mock hurricane
5/02/06: Business tax increase clears Senate hurdle
5/01/06: Lawmaker says teachers holding out for bigger raise risk losing what's on table
05/01/06: Senate passes business tax
5/01/06: Fredericksburg mayor facing a first — challenger for post
4/30/06: Legislators have a lot at stake in tax talks
4/29/06: Legislature closing in on a raise for teachers
4/28/06: House approves tobacco tax increase
4/28/06: Schools may face toughter sanctions
4/28/06: Bill to cap donations is facing uphill battle
4/28/06: Democrats propose state fuel tax holiday
4/27/06: Bill would cap campaign contributions
4/27/06: State wants more storm relief
4/27/06: Governor bets big by backing tax proposals
4/26/06: Teacher pay raise to go on tax bill
4/22/06: GOP limits the debate to relief
4/22/06: Tax talks yield 'big piece of Swiss cheese'
4/21/06: Groupd rap legislators' focus on tax relief instead of education
4/20/06: 'Get out of Dodge' to get out of Austin?
I just thought this was interesting.
Blogger
How about that timeliness training?
Have you taken that PALMS CBT yet?
I did - and I let them have it! You'll get your chance at the end of the training. What a waste of time! We know the timeframes - we just don't have the time and enough people to do the job. Just another insult!
We had a few more delinquencies this week (and we are not a pilot office) - some because we could not schedule them timely. I know they are required by the Feds to do a corrective action, but this certainly will not correct anything!
Go ahead- tell them the truth when you do yours - We're all mandated to take it. Maybe they'll start to wonder (or a few of them anyway) if they're really doing the right thing.
BTW - I'm not worried about being "identified" because from what I hear, alot of other workers have let them have it too!
I did - and I let them have it! You'll get your chance at the end of the training. What a waste of time! We know the timeframes - we just don't have the time and enough people to do the job. Just another insult!
We had a few more delinquencies this week (and we are not a pilot office) - some because we could not schedule them timely. I know they are required by the Feds to do a corrective action, but this certainly will not correct anything!
Go ahead- tell them the truth when you do yours - We're all mandated to take it. Maybe they'll start to wonder (or a few of them anyway) if they're really doing the right thing.
BTW - I'm not worried about being "identified" because from what I hear, alot of other workers have let them have it too!
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