If the State is cutting programs and employees, who is going to do all the visits to check up on the in-home care recipients, take the fingerprints, and otherwise enforce the tightened controls? We can't have it both ways!

I say the governor is right... If we just give in right now, the legislature will balance the budget just like they have done in the past... by taxes and by mathematical wizadry... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH...

I dont understand why any one is worried.. .like the caller said... if you have legit requirments, you should not be worried

I sent this to Gov. Schwarzenneger this morning, with a copy to the Calif. Republican Caucus:
"I want us to pay MORE state income tax for the time being at least.
I had discussed this with younger colleague at least three years ago, and we agreed I could afford $200 per month, and she, with three children at home, could still afford $100 per month.

Now the budget problem has gotten worse. As a consequence, there are fewer people working, and many are earning less. Please do something while some of us still have jobs! At my school we had to lose two teachers already, and we are scheduled to have six combination classes for next year (two grades in one classroom).

In my school district (ABC Unified) we have agreed to three, and possibly four, furlough days 2009-2010, to help balance the district budget. In addition, I, personally, have signed up to donate back to the district 1% of whatever is left each month. The last time I spoke with my principal, she was trying to trim another 15% from the school's budget for next year.

I agree whole-heartedly that corruption needs to be stopped, but I would prefer to have you collect our money first, stop the corruption, then reduce our taxes when the budget permits.

I do hope you will read this heart-felt message, then carefully consider my suggestion, rather than simply repeating the mantra, 'no more taxes'."

Sincerely,
Judith Newkirk
Long Beach

I think what some people don't like is that this home health care is taxpayer supported. My mother even though she has two children to help care for her in her own age, pays high premiums for long term care insurance. I'm sure there are many people who DO care for their elderly relatives with no reimbursement by the state. People should plan for their future in old age by buying insurance to help take care of them, which could pay for home health care. If they own a house, the costs should be tallied by the state and later we can be reimbursed for the cost when they die. (I would resent if children get paid by the state to pay for the parents and then the parents just leave the house to them.)

If someone is NOT a homeowner I think it's cheaper for the state if a person is in a nursing home, but if not, perhaps they could have group homes with home health care that may lower the cost.

State provided funds should be for only the truly indigent, even if children are in the home health care, if their parents own a home, they can also reimburse when they sell the house.

My ears perked up when you mentioned part of the Governor's plan includes fingerprinting the home healthcare workers.

Why fingerprint the individual home healthcare workers?

Do we fingerprint the corporate vendors who can just as easily defraud the state?

Also, in addition to the fraud figures, some statistics on what hospitalizations and nursing home care versus home healthcare would really help frame the situation better.

Who is going to pay for all the surprise visits, background checks, fingerprinting and the like? All the current departments that do this sort of thing is already overloaded. How much will the reforms cost?

This subject makes my blood boil! My sister in law had a situation just like Brian was speaking about on the air. She was totally functional and self-sufficient and didn't need the services. The home health care person who came in just sat and talked with her or they went on shopping sprees. It was a joke that taxpayers should have to pay for this type of service! I am fed up with it.

I've been an IHSS social worker for about 8 years. Although there are some checks in the set up in the system, the social workers have huge caseloads making once a year home visits difficult to complete.
But for years SW have had their hands tied by the administration when fraud is suspected. If the client calls the Board of Supervisors and complains, it becomes a VIP case and they are often give whatever they ask for. In other cases, we see suspected fraud there is little we can do but fill out a report.
The provider payment system is extremely inefficient. An EBT card system would elimate a lot of the fraud and hundreds of hours of work in re-sending checks.
There are many ways the system could be improved and giving their social workers more independence and respect would go a long way.

As I listen to this guy chant about his knowing participation in a FELONY crime, I am appalled by the fact that he can so easily rationalize and reason himself into a state of complicity with the other "supposedly" disabled person!

While his point is valid that the HHS services need to have high-tech mechanisms to ensure validity, this guy is a prime example of the decay of most of our systems.

KPCC needs to note the fact that what Brian is doing is a FELONY!!! not a traffic ticket.

I wonder how willing some of the care recipients are to ask to have a caregiver replaced. Some may not be willing to speak up, especially against someone who knows where they live. More oversight would not be amiss.

I should calm down and qualify my sister-in-law's condition above. She has an AA degree; she drives a car; she makes her own travel arrangements to fly out of town; she cooks her own food; she does what she wants, but she doesn't want to clean her house or WORK! Yet she gets welfare, all sorts of it. Her medical/prescriptions are covered, her food is covered, etc., etc. (it makes me sick). It is a whole culture of people who live off of this system for a long long time and this fraud has to stop before I care to put any money into that benefit.

In home health care: Just give me a phone number I want to check on the eligibililty of my neighbor. He is a 56 year old man who works out at the gym several times a week. I see his in home health care worker do his laundry, decorate his place and help him pick out a plasma tv.
It makes my blood boil!

This discussion is so upsetting to me. My family has repeatedly tried to qualify my father and have been denied. How is it possible that so many people can so easily qualify for care they dont need, and my dad, who has several disabilities and cannot be left alone cannot seem to qualify for assistance???

On a less personal note - there are thousands of people who legitimately need this service. The answer is not to cut the program. We need to have a system of accountability so that the program serves the people it is intended to serve.

Larry,
Thanks for taking on this hot topic issue. I appreciate your rational approach. We see oversight both from LA County DPSS and the Regional Center for the IHSS services my triplegic adult son receives. My records show this. We don't see any fraud. Maybe this issue has several levels. Maybe it is not a one shoe fits all. A MOU (Memo Of Understanding) between the Governor and Legislature to negotiate the reform issues after the budget is done might be a thought. Of course, hindsight is 20-20. Where were the Governor and the legislature on concerns about IHSS fraud over the last several years? Fingerprinting is required for those of us who were fortunate enough to serve in public education. DOJ does immediate background checks because the prints are transferred electronically. OK, why not IHSS workers? I don't see a problem. I'm not holding by breath for a RATIONAL solution to this question.

Sincerely,

Frank Ware

I like Joe Biden. I appreciate that he speaks his mind. He is competent and knows what he is talking about.

Joe Biden: I think the Vice President should be in the limelight and given great responsibilities. As a kid I learned that the Vice President is a heartbeat away from the Presidency. It makes no sense to shun the role. The country should have great insight into the thinking of Joe so we know what to expect should something occur. More than the fact that Joe doesn't always reflect what Obama wants, I appreciate Obama's responses and his seeming respect for the man, despite his sometimes troublesome actions. It says alot about Obama's character, and iit's also nice to have someone liven up the office.

Perhaps one aspect to the problem of fraud and abuse would be to require anyone who receives public assistance provide their name and address to the public on a database and then have a we-TIP type of number (or email contact) for those nearby to be able to report any fraud and abuse they witness. Allowing the citizens to self-patrol.

This seems to me the typical "good guy - bad guy" kind of relationship. Obama chose him because he knew that he would not be able to keep all his promises - so he has his "bad guy" (or what appears as shooting from the hip guy" get out there and forewarn people that they won't be able to get all they promised done. i.e, "we don't have the money for health reform"

COUNTY EMPLOYEES COMMITTING FRAUD!!!!

Most of your callers who claim that there is no fraud in the program have absolutely no experience outside of the one and only individual who they are taking care of or looking after.

I have been witness to several situations involving friends, acquaintances and extended family where the Social Worker who is responsible for coordinating the care and reporting fraud was asking for monetary compensation from the disabled individuals in exchange for increasing their in home attendees hours. ($300 dollars to go from 75 hours a month to 150 hours per month) I have been witness to this on several different occasions with several different individuals.

There is absolutely no place to report the fraud to, or it will not be taken seriously and there will be repercussions for the individuals who report the attempted fraud by the Social Worker. Please note that on your program the directory of the county for this program did not mention any thing regarding reporting fraud, because there is simply no place to report it to!

The idviduals who say there is no fraud are the lawabinding citizens who are simply disillusioned with the amount of fraud that is occurring.

Some simple things to resolve this issue are (This is not original the State of New York does this) have the attendee call the independent supervisor, at the county office, when they arrive at their client's location and when they are about to leave (total of 2 phone calls). The phone call should be made form the clients home-phone and the client should be there to verify that the attendee is physically on the premisses; when they arrive and leave. This will take care of a large number of fraud being committed.

Volk1963@yahoo.com

I had really liked Joe Biden until, during the vice presidential debates, he said, "there is no greater friend to Israel than Joe Biden". Now, after the comment about Iran, it seems that he's of an old guard of american politician; one with unrelenting support for Israel. The younger generation does not see this so black and white.

I don't just rely on one source, I rely on several to get a true overall rating for a restaurant. If the rating is consistently good or bad, it's a pretty good indicator of how good a retaurant really is.I think it's up to the customer to ferret out the truths on the blogosphere. It's so subjective, anyway.

Food blogs: What are we supposed to think, that legitimate journalists, and sources aren't influenced by perks or have agendas? Blogs have as much or more credibility as any other source. It's basically an open source forum that over time self regulates. The avid readers of any given blog are able to distinguish truth from fiction. To try and belittle the writing of bloggers is transparent and pointless, because it's the future.

In terms of food reviews on the internet... well, anything on the internet gets a grain of salt. I use a number of communal sites like Chowhound, Citysearch and Yelp, and the nice thing about these sites is that you can usually tell an unreasonable review right off the bat. The minute someone claims EVERYTHING in the restaurant was terrible is the minute I stop reading that review.

Larry,

These blogs are free, and more of a community forum than an actual accountable news forum. It is a way for PEOPLE to talk to one another, not a place to go to get reliable news. The community of bloggers will always though, police themselves and should take what they read on blogs with a grain of salt.

Jeff

Re: Food Blogs

The reviews on Yelp are out of control. Everyone seems to be a comedian or simply just mean (on Yelp). I had an account w/ them for over two years and closed my account almost ten months ago. Very few are describing the actual food in detail or their true experience of any type of establishment. It's like an online junior high school which I don't want to be a part of.

I check out sites like Yelp! and Chowhound when I am considering some place new, but I approach the submitted reviews the same way I consider reviews of movies or books, etc. Is there a general consensus? Whose point of view or taste seems most in line with mine? It's not hard to weed out pretentious reviews or infantile/illogical posts.

I'm a web developer and internet marketing professional and suggest that restaurants fight back against these negative reviews by offering an incentive to happy customers to go to these review sites and post positive comments.

You can figure out a way to track the positive comments and hand out small coupons/discounts for that.

One of the advantages of the Internet is transparency and there is a price to pay for it.

Several thoughts today.

Yelp is a great source for all kinds of things, especially local eateries. From people just like me. Not a gourmand.

Biden is a breath of fresh air. Stay out of public places if your worried about the flu? Maniacs might feel emboldened with a new president? The man is obviously out of his mind!

One of the earlier commentors mentioned general fraud in dealings with government... Hasn't Boeing and other companies been found guilty of inflating prices and the like? Government, in gneral, should be doing more to reduce abuse. The Governor is making a mistake in singling out one program.

Just yesterday, it was revealed that "box lunches" were purchased for the LAPD officiers working the Jackson circus from a caterer in Wrightwood. Sounds to me like someone knows someone who knows someone...

re: food blogs

Whether it's food blogs or politic blogs or talk radio, I think all of us - from school children to adults - would benefit from education in logic and fact checking. Take, for example, Rush Limbaugh, with hyperbole, exaggeration, and terrible twists of logic. He is able to dupe the masses without them knowing. Someone should come up with a curriculum that is lively, interesting and informative as to easy ways to detect errors in logic and the importance of checking resources. It's vital in this era of everyone writing about everything on the web.

Welcome to the world of college faculty who for years have had to deal with student comments of places like ratemyprofessors.com. These sometimes libelous anonymous postings impact the careers of the people being rated.

One thing we try to do in evaluating faculty is to look at the subtext of the rating. If the poster give all low scores and then comments about unfair it is that the professor expected them to read the book, we have a pretty good idea of the value of the review.

I'm listening to "Ellen" the restaurant owner and frankly, she's rationalizing all over the place. Making assertions that any negative reviews are simply due to some misplaced anger or venting rather than, just maybe, being a legitimate gripe about the restaurant.

Of course there are spurious and gratuitously mean comments on such sites as Yelp--but those are pretty obvious to any readers with sense enough to parse through the various remarks themselves. I'll also say that it's rare on Yelp (and yes, I've gone there to look up places I've been or am thinking of going) for ALL the reviews to be either slams or raves...I've found the writers to be mostly much more mature and thoughtful than they're given credit for by(surprise again) the people whose livelihoods are impacted by how well they provide a service. Give us a bit more credit as internet-savvy readers.

No consumer should feel badly because they post about a bad experience at a restaurant, if they're being honest. I for one appreciate the chance to read others' experiences.

To impose or even want any standards placed on bloggers would negate the original impetus and intent of the free-wheeling nature of the enterprise. We want bloggers so that we don't just get the corporate version of taste imposed on us from on high. If we want standards and compliance, we may as well just read Zagat (which is what we used to do anyway).

I think it's fair to say that food blogging is not the consistent and reliable. But depending on the site, I don't think it needs to follow a standard. People have a right to voice their likes and dislikes. Commentators who aren't fair reviewers aren't taken seriously by most consumers anyway. People who are serious about finding a good restaurant will take the necessary precautions against bias and irrational rants. As with most things, the onus of responsibility will fall on the consumer as they inevitably bear the consequences. In an age of Yelp and Chowhound and rampant blogging, it is not worth the effort to have regulations and standards. Beyond the aforementioned reasons, regulating blogging is oxymoronic.

In general, while reviewers should be cognizant of what they are reviewing and why, consumers should be doing their research too. If I'm serious about food -- and I am -- I use the average rating on yelp as a starting point of my research. For example, how many reviewers gave it 5's or 2's. I only pay attention to legitimate and specific reviews. I look at what all the 3's are saying and if there are recurring comments. I almost always cross-reference with Chowhound, Zagat, and other peer-reviewed sites. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's easier than consulting your friends. And in an age of multiple tabs and multi-tasking, I can generally get my result in 10 minutes. And with a handful of exceptions, I'm happy for sites like Yelp, Chowhound, etc.