Lawmakers Will Review Service Cuts

State lawmakers Wednesday considered whether cuts in the state's Division of Mental Retardation has put lives in jeopardy.

[Clarksville parent]

This "news" piece (sic) came across so smug! So "gotcha". No question about why Mr Norris overspent to start with. No question of what is going to happen to the individuals who get cuts in services. No question about why did DMRS approve the cost plans if they did not have the money? No mention of the fact that it is $641.65 cheaper to keep an individual in their own home than to place them in an institution for one month! Do you really think you can get staffing, PT, OT, SP etc for less than $150 a month as reported in your story? Do you remember the federal government coming into TN and taking over the institutions (Arlington, Nat T Winston, CloverBottom etc) a few years ago> Do you remember the fines and penalties levied because TN was doing such a pitiful job? Should they come back? Why does TN live by lawsuits? We never do the right thing until sued! Wait -- did you hear that sound - that clicking sound? that was the sound of our household clicking down to see the WSMV news on channel 4 - at least THEY have some compasion for those less able to defend themselves! Bye Bye!

[Doug Travis]

These cuts will put providers out of business. IF the costs are higher than for other states, it is because of the procedures that DMRS has put in place. The provider agencies that are being cheated out of this 6.1% have absolutely no control over the costs associated within this system. Mr. Norris implemented these cuts with no prior warning to providers. This 6.1% cut is on top of many other things DMRS has been doing for quite some time. To learn more about DMRS and this outrage, please visit www.preventdmrscuts.com . Read for yourself. Find the true information. Once you find the truth, please join the fight to help these providers.

Thanks,

Doug Travis

[Lori Wigginton]

I was in these hearings today and as usualy our news teams don't tell the WHOLE story. Mr. Norris did not answer the most important questions asked today. The state of Tennessee is in the plight that it is in because of mis management of tax payers money. The news story left out that part as well as the pointed questions by the representative in district 2 when he asked about a nine year old in his district that had been on the waiting list for NINE years and stated. "realistically Mr. Norris, some of those on the waiting list will never receive services." And led to the point how can these cuts be justified. In the Senate. One of the Senators asked the question regarding where the department was contributing to the deficit. Mr. Norris spoke of 5% operation cuts, the Senator asked again how that equated to the 6.1% that the providers were absorbing. And one of the house members stated the Providers were absorbing mistakes that they had nothing to do with. IT was quite interesting that BOTH committees had copies of the Summary of the 2003-2005 Audit from the comptrollers office from OUR website www.preventdmrscuts.com . Mr. Norris and the department felt the heat today!!! I am proud of the representatives that stood up for the providers today!!! THANKS!!! we appreciate it. NOW news Channel 5 can you get the rest of the STORY PLEASE!!

[reality]

Interesting side note to Channel's 5's coverage of this story.......Deputy Commissioner Norris and Commissioner Goetz were members of the Channel 5 team in their former life. This provides the explanation of why Channel 5 is supporting Deputy Commissioner Norris and Governor Bredesen's ridiculous effort to "streamline" and underspend on supporting people with disabilities in the community. Most states strive to be in the top 5 on education, however Tennessee apparently views this differently when providing health and safety to people with disabilities in the community. The state goal is apparently 48th out of 50 for Tennesseans with disabilities. The reality is DMRS is financially punishing the provider agencies to the tune of a 6.1% rate reduction due to the state's mismanagement of their own systems. A 6.1% rate reduction cannot be passed on to the providers without having a direct impact on the health and safety of people with disabilities. DMRS's resolve is to NOT look in the mirror but to pass the buck. Thank you Channel 5 for supporting the typical incompetent efforts of the state and not representing the real story.