Walker wants private sector to run assistance programs

Its a done deal with the Fitsgeralds and his repug poodles controlling both the Senate and the assembly. The hits just keep coming.



http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/capitol-report/article_84bef97d-12eb-52c8-801e-09fbded43a66.html

Walker wants private sector to run assistance programs



JESSICA VANEGEREN | The Capital Times | jvanegeren@madison.com | (72) Comments | Posted: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 11:15 am

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But a provision in Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget would change all that by creating an “income maintenance administrative unit” to centralize and largely privatize the operation of the food assistance, or FoodShare program, and Medicaid programs in Wisconsin.

Specifically, Walker’s proposal would give the state Department of Health Services the authority to enter into contracts with public and private entities to receive applications, determine eligibility, conduct fraud investigations, implement error reduction procedures and recover overpayment of benefits for all FoodShare and Medicaid recipients.

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Should Wisconsin choose to use private workers to perform all tasks associated with determining an applicant’s eligibility for benefits, the state would lose the federal money it receives annually to help administer the FoodShare program.

Wisconsin received $41.7 million in federal funds in 2010 to administer the program, according to the USDA and state health department. The federal government spent another $1.5 billion to pay for FoodShare benefits to state residents. Wisconsin spent $37 million to help administer FoodShare.

:shrug:

They have to perform the same functions as the state plus take a profit off the top. How does this save money? :crazy:

But it *does* allow religious organizations the power to decide who gets food and who doesn't. Who do you think most of those "private organizations" are?

Nearly everything the right wing does is some sneaky effort to push religion. Why? Because dogmatic solidarity is the easiest way to control the masses. Convince them all to believe in roughly the same religious ideals, and you can emotionally manipulate them into voting against their own best interests by convincing them that God WANTS them to.

Just for kicks, read about what happened to all the CHIP money in Texas...but in a nutshell, Bush gave the contract to a croney who had an empty office with a placard on the door with a sham company name on it--they took millions of dollars and poor kids lost out on their insurance and the state lost millions of dollars. Yet, one of Bush's croneys made out like a bandit and disappeared into thin air...

making the program ineffective and unattractive to the potential users of the program. I'm just spit balling there. I really have no idea.

It's designed to give grifter's the ability to rip off the funds allocated to the poor and most vulnerable. The overhead these companies will charge will include obscene profits (and of course, the Koch Bros. and ultimately Walker will get their cut).

but I agree with all of you.

"service". EVERYTHING will turn into numbers, quantity NOT quality AND they'll use whatever is left of Medicare after they get through with it to make themselves look better to PRIVATE money.

THIS-HE HAS MORE AND MORE CONTROL.

of course it keeps coming. they are republicans and not like all too many sold out "dems"