Posting

Sorry for not being around....work has been, well- crazy- and I've worked late everyday- by the time I get home, I'm beat.

The speeding implosion of local offices continues to spiral down faster than we thought it would. Just a month ago, we were still holding on and "ok". Now? We have stacks and stacks of applications that need to be scheduled, and more coming in faster than we can take them. What is also happening are workers are so stressed and overburdened that they just call in sick sporadically. Usually this happens when they are scheduled a full load for that day- and everyone else is to. So you know what happens to those applications? Well, they can't be worked in because there is nowhere to put them. So they go back to that worker to deal with when they come back to work. Meanwhile, clients are calling wanting to know why they haven't been called for their appointments. Front line staff are the ones bearing the brunt of the frustration that clients have. I don't blame the clients at all. I mean, at this point they are waiting anywhere from 3-4 weeks to get an appointment, and then no one is there to see them? It just goes round and round and makes it worse and worse. With or without a permanent placement in the "new system" virtually employees are seeking work somewhere else. What will become of our offices if we lose another 50% of the staff we have left? 75%?

Changes aren't being entered timely, or worked timely. Timeliness is falling off the charts in every area of what we do. Yet, we still will get emails from 'those up above' telling us that the problem with timeliness is not acceptable and something must be done. But what, exactly- can be done?

What the public has to realize is that the worse the system gets in Texas, the more likely Texas will be sanctioned by the Feds. Sanctions not only mean loss of funding from FNS, but it also means fines to be paid TO FNS. I'm talking MILLIONS of dollars that the State of Texas will have to pay out of their funds for this mass chaos occuring.

How bad will this get? I can totally see this fiasco being another reason to bring a State Income Tax to Texans.

Rumor also has it that HHSC is not being completely cooperative with records requests that have been made by the Comptroller's office. Rather than full disclosure, it's been said that pieces are sent, little by little. Could it be that the Powers that Be are hoping that nothing comes of the audit until AFTER the elections in the Fall?

THE SYSTEM IS IMPLODING. THE POOR IN TEXAS ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF THIS COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE. THE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE SERVED THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR MANY MANY YEARS ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF THIS FAILURE. FAMILIES ARE GOING WITHOUT ADEQUATE FOOD AND MEDICAL HELP. FAMILIES ARE UNABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT AND UTILITIES.