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County Commissioner Meeting 7/6/06 - I just returned from the meeting. Both resolutions pass unanimously. It was a different experience than the recent school board meetings. The Commissioners conducted themselves, with almost no exception, very professionally.

Linnie Willis from the mental health board and Louise Barkan with the ADAS board made a short presentation about why they felt it would be a community benefit to merge the two agencies.

The minutes will identify the other parties who spoke, but there were quite alot of people there and no one spoke against the idea - all in support. They talked about a single point of accountability and that more could be done with one board. Also about the government red tape that is involved with applying to two boards, especially when it is for services for the same person.

Commissioner Thurber had a list of 11 questions (which seemed to have rankled Commissioner Gerken a bit - but he did not pull a Sykes) and concerned Commissioner Wozniak a bit. However they allowed each other the courtesy of speaking uninterrupted and were responsive to each other. Not always pleased – but polite and professional.

The questions are certainly ones the community would have asked and it was good they were addressed. It allowed the board to vote unanimously.

The questions were whether the decision was provider driven or client services driven. There was a good case that overall services would improve but particularly for people who are both mentally ill and substance addicted. It seems there has been a 16 or an 18% cross over and that's created some additional expense since both agencies have been servicing separately. There was mention that in these instances the focus can be left on planning a course of action that would lead toward making people whole again.

It is the first board meeting I've attended where the focus was predominantly and rigorously directed toward the recipients of a government service rather than the funding. And that was good to see.

But the levy issue did come up. It made some people angry. (Again - NOT like TPS school board angry - normal angry :-)

Commissioner Thurber raised the point that the ADAS levies had not passed and it could have the appearance that merging the agencies would solve one of the levy problems. This discussion prompted an acceptance that while client services are expected to be greatly enhanced - expenses will also go down. The Commissioners cautioned the parties involved to create a bullet point list of the issues that made this a good decision and get that out to the community.

Video should be up this evening at toledopoliticians dot com
posted by katie82640 to politics at 12:20 P.M. EST     (31 Comments)

Comments ...

Thank you, Katie! :)
posted by MrsPhoenix at 01:09 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

You are welcome.
posted by katie82640 at 01:40 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

Thanks Katie. Good job.
posted by madjack at 03:15 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

Thanks :-) I'm downloading the video and the SOUND is coming over with the video!!! You know Chris Meyers has had to do all the TPS footage b/c I could not get it. Microsoft MovieMaker.

Victory...
posted by katie82640 at 03:34 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

WONDERFUL!!!! Knew you could do it! ;)
posted by DoknowDocare at 03:41 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

You know, I think TALC should attend a Co Commission meeting. They were very divided about this but no screaming or stomping etc.

No one tried to scare me away either. With the one incident excepted - they worked it out without getting nasty.
posted by katie82640 at 04:12 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

Thanks - glad to know we don't behave like the School Board. :)
posted by MaggieThurber at 05:41 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

Meeeeeee too.
posted by katie82640 at 06:51 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

The video is up. It even has sound. Ha!

http://www.toledopoliticians.com/2139.html
posted by katie82640 at 08:56 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

katie - there doesn't appear to be a link to today's meeting....
posted by MaggieThurber at 09:13 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

Maybe she forgot that step in all the laughter going on at her house! LMAO

Katie - ya know I adore ya!
posted by DoknowDocare at 09:36 P.M. EST on Thu Jul 06, 2006     #

Ahhh....it's still not working. I get almost there...I think I got it and then ---- uh gee, no.

Like my second husband. Mr. I win. Geesh.
posted by katie82640 at 12:33 A.M. EST on Fri Jul 07, 2006     #

Ok - the video is up.

Internet Explorer was giving me a hard time so I downloaded Firefox. I can't believe the difference - page load times - I really like this Firefox so far...
posted by katie82640 at 12:01 P.M. EST on Fri Jul 07, 2006     #

Hey!!! Red alert. Something is wrong here....I had an email telling me listen to Kevin Milliken (Millikin?) on WSPD. I did and Maggie Thurber was on discussing the proposal I heard during this meeting.

Only Kevin said there are STATE numbers that say that the cross over is closer to 1,000 than 3,000.

The WHOLE reason, I heard, for this merger was that there was SO much cross over that providers had to apply at two places when people had dual diagnosis (as in mentally retarded AND an addict).

So what's with the numbers??? My antenna is way up on this - I think it needs to be looked at but that talk show guy was saying that the two commissioners will just do it and get it done.

Thoughts???
posted by katie82640 at 06:44 P.M. EST on Fri Jul 07, 2006     #

Katie,

Pete Gerkin and Tina Wozniak are both idiot's.

Tina is "supposedly" the President of the LCC, but it's Pete that lay's the rule's, tell's Tina what to do and dispatche's his stupidity when Maggie is absent.

Pete's so stupid he kissed the asse's of a bunch of illegal immigrant's that can't even vote for him by allowing that stupid illegal card. Tina, on the other hand, couldn't function unless Pete came by her house and dressed her before she left for work.

Personally I find it interesting that Pete Gerkin and Tina Wozniak BOTH have escaped unscathed during the Bob McCloskey "Envelope-gate" from 2003.

Nonetheless, these two nitwit's have been swimming in the pool of stupidity for way too long. Another example of Toledo Politics sneaking into the County. Ain't that right, Skip?

I know after reading your posting from the meeting, Katie, that you could actually see Pete's head enlarging, as if to explode, when Maggie introduced something alien to Pete's world. Logic and common sense.

Just take the time and look up their voting records.
posted by BrianInFlorida at 04:20 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

One can look up LCC voting record's online, right Maggie?

I cannot seem to find a link.
posted by BrianInFlorida at 04:23 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

"Pete Gerkin and Tina Wozniak are both idiot's."

I was soooo hoping to scroll down and see Maggie Thurber as the author of this post. Oh well, I guess I'll take it no matter where it comes from.
posted by fequalsma73 at 06:25 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

Brian - here is the link for seeing the votes - click Resolution Report. You can search by date or reso and, on the more recent ones, there's a link to the pdf of the reso so you can see the details. Included in the details is the person making the motion and, at the end, the individual votes recorded.

Most votes are unanimous...there really isn't much debate on such items as final plats, applications for or acceptance of grants, etc...
posted by MaggieThurber at 07:12 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

fequalsma73 - I hope I would never be so rude as to call my fellow commissioners idiots.
posted by MaggieThurber at 07:15 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

-katie-Thanks for caring so much about Toledo and its future...with that...taking the time not only to attend meetings Commisssioners, School Board may have...,but relaying the information on to us...educating us...

MANY KUDOS TO YOU!!!
posted by MARIELORA at 08:56 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

To -MaggieThurber- too!!! Thankyou for your time, energy giving all of us a PERSONAL FEEL of YOU into your comments and posts to this WebSite...with NOT thinking you are TOO ABOVE communication with US...the CITIZEN...as it seems many Poltiicians, Officials...

I for one appreciate your presence here...I am learning a great deal from your posts and comments...thanks!
posted by MARIELORA at 08:59 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

Sorry, I'm saving "Blithering Moron" for Czarty.

Bless me for being a simple street urchin.

Maggie, what are the "keys" for this site?

C1, C2 AND C3? AT? AN? NV?

I can spend a rainy afternoon carousing the pages, but it'd be so much more fun knowing the key and who is C1, C2 and C3.

Thank you.
posted by BrianInFlorida at 09:20 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

Maggie--Rudeness is wrong, but let's face it: It can also be reeeeaallly funny at the right time! ;) ;) ;)
posted by fequalsma73 at 11:11 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

The 'c' is for the commissioners. C1 is Tina, C2 is me and C3 is Pete.

NV means no vote (usually indicates that the clerk hasn't put the vote on the site yet or that it was a hearing/presentation and no vote was taken).

AT - absent
AN - abstain
DE - deferred to a later date
posted by MaggieThurber at 11:12 A.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

fequalsma73 - so true, so true....
posted by MaggieThurber at 03:54 P.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

Maggie - I have to comment that I've spent a great deal of time researching information today and I would like to, personally, commend you for having (unfortunately being the minority it often had no effect) stood up for what most of us would think was the right thing to do.

I appreciate your being available to us on this board. This is a rare thing for a politician to be willing to talk to people directly.

1. The presentation I heard discussed, last week, was that nearly 3,000 patients are using two agencies and the level of difficulty that causes the providers. They have to apply for services at two places. These people are also able to choose from a wide variety of providers. I believe this new merger would limit the choices?

2. I heard some passionate testimony about how if in those multiple thousands of instances that if the providers could focus on the treatment of the people in need - if they could focus on making those people whole rather than redundant paperwork - that they better help people.

3. I have a serious question about the number of 'dual diagnosed' users of those two agencies now. Listening to a radio show, it appears that the real number of dual diagnosis patients is much closer to 1,000 than 3,000.

How can this go forward on Tuesday if that hasn't been answered? The entired presentation I sat through was based upon this high number of patients who were using both agencies. What other rationale can there be? And can anything be done to look at this before it's a done deal?

I have to question whether or not this is a provider driven activity and if it will result in fewer choices for people who find themselves in need of these services. Choice is a good thing. It drives the quality of services, y'know. No competition, no need to provide competitive level services.

Isn't there anyway to stay this merger until the facts are verified?
posted by katie82640 at 07:51 P.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

katie - first, thanks for the compliment about my involvement here. I learn a lot and enjoy it too.

Through your research, you've come to the same concerns I have. If you listened to Kevin Milliken's Eye on Toledo, you know that I don't believe there is any way to slow this down.

The argument will be that they've been working on this since last year and there was plenty of time to ask questions prior to the hearing. (This is often used as a tactic...questions should be asked early and in private - gotten out of the way and not brought before the public in order to avoid embarassments.)

When I raise questions publicly - or ask for a delay until they are answered, I am accused, again, of being obstructionist. (We've got a reso on the agenda to give $15,000 to the Centennial Terrace and I still don't have the financials from 2005. I predict this will be a 2-1 vote on Tuesday as well - though why we'd give money to an organization that can't produce its previous year financial statements is beyond me...)

I've also been told that, since I'm going to vote no on an issue anyway, my comments or questions are irrelevant.

To be quite honest, I don't believe this can be delayed. My fellow commissioners tried to do this in May before the law allowing it even took effect. They're not going to delay it again.

Questions about the number of cross-over clients, while critically valid and the primary reason for a merged board, will be answered in such a way as to sound plausible thus, the argument will be, no additional research is required.

I will have a conversation with Jackie Martin, exec. dir. of the Mental Health Board, about these numbers. I will also ask that these questions be addressed publicly Tuesday prior to the vote.
posted by MaggieThurber at 09:28 P.M. EST on Sat Jul 08, 2006     #

Well, there wasn't any time for ME to ask questions. To my knowledge this was the first open meeting. What I heard sounded great - so long as the number of cross over patients held.

If not, there will be a reduction in providers (less competion and therefore less drive to compete with quality services) and two agencies who only have to get one levy passed.

Now those numbers have been questioned. And I question them. Can't we have just a few days to call the state and verify? What would be the harm in that? I would think that the board of Commissioners would WANT to make sure any questions were answered before going forward. To avoid any question of unethical conduct. What exactly IS the reason for the big rush here?

I'm not saying that anything has been done that is wrong to date - only that until the facts can be verified - going forward would be plainly wrong. What would cause that to happen?
posted by katie82640 at 06:22 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 09, 2006     #

katie - I agree with you and I'll try to get the answers to the numbers questions Monday...
posted by MaggieThurber at 07:08 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 09, 2006     #

Thank you Maggie. I have some grave concerns about this merger now.
posted by katie82640 at 07:29 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 09, 2006     #

Marie - Brian...thanks. I just simply believe in Toledo's future. I really do. We can make it if we just identify those who would do us harm and expose them. And I mean hugely expose (not mainstream media course,,,,who has paved the way for the same old same old that is killing us?)

Then we need to find those that love the city, our children and aren't afraid to go full balls to the wall full steam ahead.

I'd appreciated names y'all :-)
posted by katie82640 at 07:40 P.M. EST on Sun Jul 09, 2006     #

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