BC Government Cash Grab From Seniors in Wheelchairs in Residential Care Gets Even Worse!

Disabled seniors must pay new $300 annual "maintenance" fee but future wheelchair use will be privatized, while BC Liberal political staff get rich pay raises 

BC seniors will have even more of their fixed income taken away to pay wheelchair "maintenance" fee
 - or rent or buy on wheelchair

Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours Vancouver/The Tyee column

Tuesday June 18, 2013

By Bill Tieleman

"Action expresses priorities."

- Mahatma Gandhi

Disabled seniors in wheelchairs across British Columbia living in residential care are going to have even more money picked out of their pockets by the cash-hungry provincial government, according to an independent MLA.

Independent MLA Vicki Huntington said in an interview Saturday that not only will seniors be forced to pay a $300 a year wheelchair "maintenance" fee but all future wheelchair service will be fully privatized, costing them hundreds to thousands of dollars for necessary mobility equipment.

The Fraser Health Authority announced the new policy in a May 31 letter to seniors at South Delta's Mountain View Manor that was made public by their MLA.

That letter states that after Sept. 1, when the "maintenance" fee comes into effect for current residents, all new residents "will be required to purchase or rent equipment from an external supplier."

Manual wheelchair monthly rental fees range from $75 to $100 a month, while purchase prices range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. The only exceptions require "financial hardship" be demonstrated.

Fat raises for Clark gov't staff

The new policy came the same week Premier Christy Clark gave government's political staff a significant increase in their salary eligibility by up to $86,000 a year.

Clark's deputy Chief of Staff Michele Cadario's maximum pay went from $144,000 to $230,000, meaning she could potentially make more than U.S. President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, who earns a paltry $172,200 a year.

Cadario's potential $86,000 raise alone would pay the annual wheelchair maintenance fees for 286 seniors.

The new policy and raises for political staff, Huntington says, are both "out of whack".

"The government's priorities are completely out of line with the public's," Huntington said.

But the situation will only get worse. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority will also charge a wheelchair maintenance fee and now the Interior Health Authority is "looking" at one too.

Is there any question that the sudden imposition of a $300 a year wheelchair "maintenance" fee -- never before charged on equipment mostly donated by families is anything but a desperate attempt to help balance B.C.'s budget?

'Money grab': MLA Huntington

Huntington says it's a "money grab" by the BC Liberals, who promised to balance their budget this year.

"I think it's a new way to obtain revenue," she said.

"Really what the system is trying to do is strip every penny away from people," Huntington said. "They already take 80 per cent of after-tax income away and now they're saying: 'If you've got it, we'll take it.'"

The fee will have to come from the $200 a month "comfort fund" seniors in residential care have for personal incidentals -- like podiatry, non-prescription pharmacy items, shampoo, cable TV, hairdresser, special outings and other costs.

That's often the only money they have left after paying 80 per cenbt of their after-tax income to cover residential care home fees for accommodation, food and basic services.

To summarize: disabled seniors will have to pay a new $300 a year fee for the same wheelchairs they now use, out of their small fixed incomes, while BC Liberal political staff get rich pay raises.

If you think that's dead wrong, join my new Facebook group Wheelchairs for BC Seniors and send the government a message to put disabled seniors first, not their already well-paid staff.

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BC Liberals' $25 a Month Wheelchair "Maintenance" Tax on Disabled Seniors in Residential Care: What's Next?

Seniors in care homes now pay the price for BC Liberal government's promise to balance the budget.   

BC seniors in residential care will face $300 annual "maintenance" fee

Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours Vancouver/The Tyee column

Tuesday, June 11, 2013 

By Bill Tieleman 

"What is it about being old and infirm that you can be treated with indignity?"

- Independent MLA Vicki Huntington on $25 monthly wheelchair rental fee

The provincial election is over -- now it's time to make elderly disabled people to pay the price for the BC Liberals' promise to balance B.C.'s budget this year.

Starting Sept. 1, both the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal Health authorities will charge seniors a $25 a month "maintenance" fee for use of a wheelchair in public extended care facilities.

Delta South independent MLA Vicki Huntington uncovered the new fee outlined in a Fraser Health letter to South Delta's Mountain View Manor residents.

It's bad enough that seniors in residential care already pay 80 per cent of their after-tax income just for their accommodation and food.

Now the government wants an additional $300 a year for wheelchairs these seniors obviously need as the only alternative to spending day and night in bed.

It can only come from their comfort fund of $200 a month that now covers personal incidentals like shampoo, Huntington reportedly said.

"The most vulnerable people are being nickeled and dimed," Huntington told me Monday. "Basically everybody in Mountain View is in a wheelchair."

And what's worse about the "maintenance" fee is that nearly all the wheelchairs are manual, hardly needing $300 a year to keep rolling, she said.

"A lot of the wheelchairs were donated by family. People are absolutely infuriated that now they want to charge a maintenance fee," Huntington said. "When you are sent to a residential care facility, you generally lack mobility and need a wheelchair."

Fraser Health claims those unable to pay will have the fee waived.

Chop, chop, chop

It's a nasty surprise you can expect to see many more of in the weeks ahead, as Premier Christy Clark looks for the hundreds of millions needed to meet her campaign pledge of a balanced budget.

Draconian spending cuts will likely be required at the two biggest ministries: health and education.

Of a $44-billion B.C. budget, health takes up $18.4 billion, or 42 per cent, while education costs $12 billion, or 27 per cent.

You can't make significant expenditure reductions while leaving 69 per cent of your total budget untouched.

But why does Clark have to cut at all, given that she promised a balanced budget just a few weeks ago?

Unfortunately for voters, when the Dominion Bond Rating Service said B.C.'s budget is probably headed for a projected deficit of $1.7 billion rather than a small surplus, it became clear that something had to give -- just not before the election.

"In response to softening economic conditions, the province announced additional tax measures and continued spending restraint to deliver a small budgeted surplus of $197 million in 2013-14," the Service wrote. "This translates into a DBRS-adjusted deficit of $1.7 billion, or less than 1 per cent of GDP."

That means B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong has to chop, chop, chop.

So while the health authorities are being painted as the bad guys in the wheelchair story, the reality is they are only fall guys for Clark's election promises.

It's why those who depend on public services, like seniors in wheelchairs, and those staff who deliver health care and education, should be very afraid.

'We're going to see more of it': Huntington

And there's yet another reason to anticipate ugly cuts to the most vulnerable -- the appointment of Energy Minister Bill Bennett to undertake a campaign promise of a "core review" of all government ministries.

The last time that happened was in 2001-2002, after ex-premier Gordon Campbell instituted a massive 25 per cent income tax cut and then discovered it created a $3.2 billion deficit by 2002-2003.

Ministries were ordered to prepare three potential budgets -- with cuts of 20 per cent, 35 per cent or 50 per cent -- and how they would be implemented in order to pay for the tax cuts.

Many services were eliminated and thousands of government employees lost their jobs or had their pay dramatically cut.

Will that happen again? Huntington fears additional cuts like those at Mountain View Manor and less scrutiny of them.

"We are going to see more of it. And it's being done without public discussion," Huntington said.

Her advice to family members and those concerned?

"Bombard MLAs' offices with phone calls, letters and emails and contact the minister of health, [Terry Lake]," Huntington said.

And stay tuned for more bad news.

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Bill Tieleman, Martyn Brown and Keith Baldrey analyze BC NDP election loss and more - TONIGHT 7 p.m. on Voice Of BC!

Bill Tieleman, Martyn Brown and Keith Baldrey - Tonight on Voice Of BC

Martyn Brown & Bill Tieleman - head to head

Don't miss tonight's edition - Thursday June 6 - of Voice Of BC at 7 p.m. on Shaw Cable - because I am a guest along with Martyn Brown, former Chief of Staff to ex-BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell, and guest host Keith Baldrey of Global BC's Victoria bureau.

I even know what happens - because we pre-taped the show on Tuesday evening - and so without giving away any secrets I can say that there are some very frank views on the BC NDP election campaign, the future of NDP leader Adrian Dix, self-criticism from pundits and criticism of pollster and much more.

We also look ahead at the summer session of the BC Legislature to pass the budget, the future of the Enbridge and Kinder Morgan pipeline proposals and LNG.

I really enjoyed doing the show - hope you can tune in!  On Channel 4 in Metro Vancouver if you get Shaw Cable.  The show also rebroadcasts on the weekend - will post that later.

And don't despair if you are not on Shaw - search online for VOBC on Vimeo or for the VOBC channel on YouTube - not sure how quickly the show is posted but within a day.

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Defending Mike Duffy! The Senator who will bring real change to Ottawa – an elected Senate or none at all!

Who has put more pressure on Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives than their ex-friend?

Senator Mike Duffy speaking at Fraser Institute in Vancouver - Raj Taneja photo

Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours Vancouver/The Tyee column 

Tuesday June 4, 2013

By Bill Tieleman

"When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not guilty.'"

- U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919

Canada owes Senator Mike Duffy an enormous debt of gratitude -- and I'm not kidding.

Who else but excommunicated-Conservative Duffy could single-handedly put the issue of reforming or abolishing the Senate at the top of the national agenda?

Who other than Duffy has created the worst crisis for the Conservative government since it was first elected in 2006?

The Duffster has caused more headaches for the Tories than even the Bloc Quebecois separatists, for goodness sake!

And he did so simply by filing outrageously inappropriate housing and travel expenses, and then getting Prime Minister Stephen Harper's top staff person to give him the cash to pay them back when caught.

When that came out, chief of staff Nigel Wright had to resign -- talk about Duffy genius!

But even more, it was ex-TV reporter Duffy alone who highlighted gross hypocrisy and an egregious broken promise, by reminding Canadians that when Harper and many Conservative MPs were Reform Party members they wanted a Triple E Senate -- elected, effective and equal.

But instead of pursuing a reformed Senate, Harper gave us one that is Triple U -- unelected, unethical and untenable.

Crony Cons

Harper once strongly supported an elected Senate. But then he appointed more Conservative cronies than Brian Mulroney or any other Tory PM.

In fact, Harper has now appointed 59 of the 105 members of the Senate -- and while he once denounced patronage appointments to Canada's Upper House, most of these worthy Senators have Conservative connections.

Fortunately, Senator Mike Duffy is going to change all that. One way or another, Canada is either going to get an elected Senate accountable to voters or no Senate at all.

With a little help from his friends, fellow ex-Conservative Senators Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau -- who also had to leave the Tory caucus over expense irregularity allegations -- the Duffster is blazing a path of glory.

So we owe Duffy even more than the $90,000 Wright gave the slippery senator to pay back his misbegotten Senate travel and housing expenses.

Amplify the voters' voices

But let's just not write him a cheque. His PEI gables are green enough already with a $135,200 annual salary.

However, if Duffy does force Harper to create an elected Senate, Canada truly should be grateful -- because that‘s what we need.

Having Senators directly elected by each province and accountable to all voters there would be a huge improvement over the pork-barrel appointees we now have.

And an elected Senate, with elections taking place two years apart from House of Commons elections for Members of Parliament would allow voters to send the government of the day a clear message on its performance.

Senators elected province-wide would also be better able to represent the broader interests of their constituents than MPs who understandably and rightly often deal with more local interests.

There are about 55 senates around the world, so obviously there are some good reasons to have what is sometimes called the chamber of "sober second thought."

The federal New Democrats have argued for Senate abolition for years -- and that position is worth considering.

But the NDP view may have been formed because unlike the federal Conservatives and Liberals, they have never been in power and able to appoint their own party sycophants to the Senate.

There are serious constitutional and other challenges to overcome to create an elected Senate to be sure.

For example, B.C. has just six Senate seats while Nova Scotia and New Brunswick each have 10 senators -- that can't continue.

But neither can the farcical Senate soap opera going on today.

It's time to fix the Senate or finish it off. And thanks to Mike Duffy, it will happen.

Postscript: I will be a guest on Shaw Cable's Voice of B.C. on Thursday June 6 at 7 p.m. along with former Gordon Campbell chief of staff Martyn Brown and host Keith Baldrey. Tune in!

BC Liberals blew dog-whistle to get back straying voters in time for BC election win

What Beat NDP? Dog Whistle Politics

Libs knew how to call back their crowd with a sure fire signal.

Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours Vancouver/The Tyee column

Tuesday May 28, 2013

By Bill Tieleman

"Dog-whistle politics. It means putting out a message that, like a high-pitched dog-whistle, is only fully audible to those at whom it is directly aimed."

- The Economist, March 2005

The BC Liberal Party's winning election campaign successfully blew a dog-whistle signal to its many straying voters, calling them home just in time to defeat the BC NDP.

The dog-whistle call is a simple one that works time and again for the so-called "free enterprise" coalition that usually governs British Columbia: "jobs and the economy."

"The socialist hordes are at the gates in British Columbia," Social Credit Premier W.A.C. Bennett would warn every election for two decades, using the original dog-whistle that proved remarkably successful in keeping the BC NDP out of power till 1972.

The current BC NDP has run three consecutive campaigns under two different leaders and two different campaign managers that attempted to mute that dog-whistle by appearing as moderate and centrist as possible for a social democratic party.

But neither Adrian Dix in 2013 nor ex-leader Carole James in 2005 and 2009 could stop voters from responding to that instinctual, if irrational, BC Liberal call.

Christy Clark had lost the dog-whistle for her two years as premier, because Dix quickly built a substantial lead in the polls while Clark's constant campaign mode that led to continual governing errors.

It was only when Clark took her own tarnished name back out of the BC Liberal Party's own logo, dropped her ineffectual "Families First" and "B.C. Starts Here" slogans, and instead focused on the campaign's "Strong Economy. Secure Tomorrow." theme -- and the alleged NDP threat to it -- that centre-right leaning voters returned.

Whistling in the fact-free dark

Never mind that the BC Liberals had increased debt, lost jobs and were constantly facing political scandals -- listen to the whistle! Fear the NDP! Ignore the BC Liberal record! Forget the media reporting facts!

Meanwhile, the BC NDP was oblivious to the constant dog-whistling during their frontrunner, play it safe campaign.

Without polling in key swing ridings -- while the BC Liberals were reportedly canvassing 25 seats every day -- and with province-wide public polling showing a substantial if expected narrowing of their lead, the BC NDP was flying blind.

And amazingly, the party was conducting riding polling earlier this year but dropped that during the election for reasons not yet explained by campaign manager Brian Topp.

Public polling appears to have led their campaign team and pundits alike to miss the kind of signs that would have been more foreboding in the days when polls were banned before 1982 during elections.

Misplaced faith

I ignored some of those signs too, like when my butcher told me he was worried about an NDP government's effect on the economy; some small crowds at Dix appearances; the email warning to me from an ex-NDP MLA that the positive-only campaign wasn't exciting the party base and the BC Liberals were being let off the hook on their 12-year record of failures because the NDP wasn't running any negative ads.

But like others, I mistakenly put my faith in professional polls showing a significant NDP lead, even the day before the election -- and polls truly are the coin of the realm in politics.

This election proved that the good old right-wing dog-whistle is far more reliable than every pollster.

And so far, in campaign after campaign, the BC NDP hasn't found its own dog-whistle to rally enough voters to win.

Clarification: I should have noted last week that vote counts for 2013 were preliminary and did not include what is now a record 180,000 absentee ballots; Elections BC reports they will be tallied this week, increasing turnout to about 56 per cent and potentially changing the outcome in some closely-fought ridings.

And the NDP's 824,544 votes in 1986 that I cited included some dual-member ridings where voters got two choices, meaning the likely NDP high point of support was in 1983, when 46 per cent of voters backed Dave Barrett in a powerful but losing campaign to Social Credit Premier Bill Bennett.