Rationing Services to Frail Elders: Two scapegoats to take the bullets while Secretary Carole Green remains untouched.

By Gema G Hernández, former Secretary Department of Elder Affairs

In a magnificent move and using a page from the Bushes’ game plan, Carole Green fired two high ranking Department of Elder Affairs officials and used them as divert the attention of the media from her role in keeping 12 million dollars from being used to provide services to frail elders. The abrupt termination this week of Ron Taylor and Henry Taylor, both black men from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, represents a desperate move by Secretary Carole Green to distance herself from the rationing of services to frail elders that has been taking place in the last three years which was uncovered by the auditor general's office. This rationing of services has come in two ways, first by increasing the degree of frailty elders need to receive services. Without legislative
approval or congressional knowledge, the department of Elder Affairs has been able to eliminate an estimated 18,000 to 22,000 elders from the waiting list.

Secondly, the department has withheld funds from the provision of services to the tune of 12 million dollars. These 12 million dollars in funds were approved by our elected officials to deliver services
to elders and their caregivers, not to be kept at Elder Affairs to cover potential liabilities associated with pending legal suits and payments to loyal followers that have departed.

While it is true that Secretary Green has only been at the department since November, her former job as Director of Long Term Care Services for the Department places her at the center of the rationing of services and gives her control over the allocation of dollars and the review of elders on waiting lists statewide. The department has 12 million dollars in its coffers which should be for the provision of services to the most vulnerable citizens in our state. Secretary
Green should not act surprised, because for four years she served as the chairperson of the House Aging and Long Term Care Committee.

As Chairman of the Aging and Long Term Care Committee, Green was given multiple fiscal reports indicating the state of affairs when it comes to the waiting list, allocation of dollars and distribution of dollars throughout the state. Tapes at the Capitol revealed that meeting after meeting Representative Green complimented Secretary White’s performance and effective delivery of services to the most needy. Because each committee meeting is taped, these tapes confirm the magnitude of her knowledge prior to accepting the first job at Elder Affairs. These tapes also confirm the topics she covered in those meetings, including the waiting list and the accountability or lack of accountability of certain service providers.

It is also important to remember that it was Representative Carole Green jointly with Assistant Secretary of Aging Josephine Carbonell and Senator Burt Saunders who recommended Terry White for the Elder Affairs job. Their joint efforts and strong support led to a very short confirmation by the Senate and a much shorter investigation of Terry's character and alleged behavioral idiosyncrasies. These idiosyncrasies appear to be fairly well known among members of the Ohio and Florida aging networks.

Carole Green's letter to the auditor general in response to their findings, show a number of
inconsistencies with her previous position in defense of service providers and the department's performance. As always, the media captured those comments and by doing so have preserved Ms Green's change of heart.

As to Ron's and Henry's termination, these employees have been following to the letter the verbal and subliminal instructions given to them by the Governor's office. These instructions translate into a more lax monitoring system, a blind investigation of mismanagement practices and a complete ignorance of financial abuses. This is the same behavior the Department Inspector General has followed while keeping his job. They have presided with the Governor's blessings over the allocation of bigger and better government contracts to those agencies with the biggest political clout regardless of whether or not they have been found in violation of government accounting practices.

To Carole's credit she is fast on her feet and knows very well how to maneuver in turbulent waters. As such she will escape the consequences of her cumulative actions, including her responsibilities as
former Director of the Department's Long Term Care program.