Rallying against in-home care cuts

PORTLAND, Ore.--Marchers and some bystanders chanted "Hey hey! Ho ho! These budget cuts have got to go!" as about 100 people gathered at Pioneer Square before marching to City Hall on July 15.

The protest, which emphasized cuts to in-home care received by seniors and people with disabilities, was called by Yulia Arakelyan and Erik Ferguson, both of whom are dependent on assistance from home care workers in order to live normal lives and continue to work.

Prior to organizing the rally, Yulia described herself as the type of person who tried to "change the world everyday" through the way that she lived. However, as she saw the budget cuts affecting those around her and learned of the new 9 percent across-the-board budget cuts that were recently imposed by Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, it became apparent to her that she had to get out and fight.

As a result of these cuts, the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) reports that the Oregon Commission on Children and Families will cut $2 million in grants to programs that provide services and support systems to families with infants or children with developmental disabilities.

OCPP also states that over 2,600 Oregonians with mental or developmental disabilities will see a reduction in the home care that allows them to remain employed and active community members. Seniors and adults with disabilities also face cuts--most drastically, a 75 percent cut in the in-home care program that provides services such as laundry and shopping to 10,500 seniors, reports OCPP.

While many of those present at the rally were directly affected by the cuts, as evidenced by multiple signs that read "I'd rather be homeless than in a nursing home," there was also a large number of care providers and friends who were out to support those facing the cuts this round.

Amanda, Karielles and Linda, who work for the Developmental Disabilities Services Division of Multnomah County, spent their lunch break at the rally in order to support the families that they work with who are now just barely coping as services have been scaled back to the bare minimum already.

While further layoffs are a future possibility for their department, the women were most concerned about the effect that the budget cuts would have on those currently receiving services from the county. Linda described the effect the services their department provides, many of which are now being cut, as making the "difference between housing folks and making sure they feel integrated into society."

While in-home services are getting the ax, other areas of Oregon's budget have weathered the budget cuts struggle without much damage--most notably the Department of Corrections, which, according to the OCPP, had initially proposed closing three prisons. Kulongoski instead requested funds from the Emergency Board to keep those prisons open.

When asked about the governor's spending priorities, Karielles said it makes sense that the governor would keep the prisons open because with all of the services being cut and support systems severed, many more Oregonians are likely to end up in the streets or in jail.

Activists like Yulia are determined not to let this happen. While this was the first protest she has organized, she said that it won't be her last. Yulia is even considering making a trip down to the Capitol Building in Salem to show Kulongoski who his budget cuts affect and maybe even camp out on his lawn, because if she loses her in-home care, that may be her new home.