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Customer Spotlight: Advocates fight pay cuts for caretakers of developmentally disabled

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Advocates fight pay cuts for caretakers of developmentally disabled

Governor cut $9M from pay increases for direct-care workers last year

UPDATED 6:15 PM EST Feb 19, 2015
See how custom buttons help in getting a message across to others – Video Link  https://www.wbaltv.com/politics/advocates-fight-pay-cuts-for-caretakers-of-developmentally-disabled/31365364

 

Video Link Transcript:  THIS IS 11 NEWS AT 5 P.M.. NEW AT 5:30 — ADVOCATES FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED ARE CALLING ON LEGISLATORS TO RESTORE $12 MILLION IN FUNDING CUTS BY GOVERNOR HOGAN THIS YEAR. IN FACT, SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE SHOWED UP IN ANNAPOLIS TODAY WEARING BUTTON SAYING KEEP YOUR PROMISE. DAVID COLLINS JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM ANNAPOLIS WITH TONIGHT’S SESSION 2015 UPDATE. THE CROWD CARRIED IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS AND A POWERFUL MESSAGE. IT WAS PART RALLY, STARTED SESSION AND A HUGE DOSE OF MUCH-NEEDED ENCOURAGEMENT. SEVERAL HUNDRED DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED PEOPLE, THEIR ADVOCATES, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS ASCENDED UPON THE STATE HOUSE. THEY WANT LAWMAKERS TO KEEP THE PROMISE TO ADDRESS THE GROWING WAITING LIST FOR SERVICES AND TO RESTORE CUTS IN WAGES TO THOSE WHO TAKE CARE OF THEM. THE CUTS TO THE DIRECT SUPPORT STAFF REALLY DO REPRESENT A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO LIFE A MARYLANDERS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. GOVERNOR HOGAN CUT $9 MILLION FROM THE PAY INCREASE GIVEN TO DIRECT CARE WORKERS. IT CAME LAST YEAR. THE RACE WAS DESIGNED TO REDUCE SERVE OVER — TURNOVER. SLASHING THE RACE MEANS WALMART AND FAST FOOD JOBS PAY BETTER. THE DIRECT SUPPORT STAFF WE HIRE HALF OF THE SKILL, THEY HAVE TO BE CERTAIN BY — CERTIFIED OFTENTIMES. AND WHEN THOSE JOB BECOME MINIMUM WAGE, IT MEANS WE ARE COMPETING WITH OR LESS STRESSFUL JOBS. ADVOCATES OF PRESSING LAWMAKERS FOR ANOTHER $3 MILLION TO HELP RELIEVE A WAITING LIST FOR SERVICES TO MORE THAN 8000 PEOPLE ARE ON IT. WHEN A 25 OF THEM ARE CONSIDERED IN CRITICAL NEED. STEPHANIE PETERSON 32-YEAR-OLD SON IS A CRITICAL CASE IN POINT. SHE SAYS IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT FOR HER TO WORK ON DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT TAKE CARE OF HIM. YOU KNOW HE’S GOT MORE VOLATILE. HE’S GOT MORE AGGRESSIVE. ADVICE COME AS A YOU KNOW THE WAITING WITH NO END IN SIGHT, THERE’S NO MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE MY SON. LAST OR, THE COMMUNITY HAD A POWERFUL ALLY WITH LEVERAGE. FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR SENATOR MATT MILTON HELD AT THE MINIMUM-WAGE BILL UNTIL FUNDING ISSUES WITH DIRECT CARE WORKERS WAS SETTLED. WOULD GIVE US HOPE IS THAT THE BUDGET COMMITTEES ARE REALLY THE ONES WHO HAVE TO MAKE BUDGET DECISIONS AND WE HAVE SOME GREAT CHAMPIONS ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEES. SO WE’RE LOOKING FOR THEM TO RESTORE THE FUNDING AND KEEP THE PROMISE TO MARYLANDERS WITH DISABILITIES.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —Advocates for the developmentally disabled called on state lawmakers Thursday to restore $12 million in funding cuts made by Gov. Larry Hogan this year.

Several hundred developmentally disabled people, their advocates, family and friends descended upon the State House Thursday, asking lawmakers to keep their promise to address a growing waiting list for services and to restore cuts in wages to caretakers.

“The cuts to the direct support staff really do represent a clear and present danger to lives of Marylanders with intellectual disabilities,” said Mat Rice, public policy director of People on the Go.

The governor cut $9 million from the pay increase given to direct-care workers last year. The raise was designed to reduce turnover. Slashing the raise means that Walmart and fast-food jobs pay better.

“The direct support staff we hire have to be skilled, they have to be trained, they have to be certified oftentimes, and when those jobs become minimum wage, it means we are competing with far less stressful jobs,” said Laura Howell of the Maryland Association of Community Services.

Advocates are pressing lawmakers for another $3 million to help relieve a waiting list for services. More than 8,000 people are on the list, 125 of whom are considered in critical need.

Stephanie Peterson, whose 32-year-old son is one of those critical cases, said it has become difficult for her to work or do anything else but take care of him.

“He’s gotten more volatile. He’s gotten more aggressive. He bites, so the waiting with no end in sight, there’s no money to help people like my son,” Peterson said.

Last year, the community had a powerful ally with leverage. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mac Middleton held up the minimum wage increase bill until funding issues with direct-care workers were settled.

“What gives us hope is that the budget committees are really the ones who have to make budget decisions, and we have some great champions on the budget committees. So we are looking to them to restore the funding and keep the promise to Marylanders with disabilities,” Powell said.

Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford addressed the crowd on Thursday but did not say whether the administration would reconsider funding cuts.

 

Customer Spotlight JibJab – Chasing the Great American Dream

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Customer Spotlight JibJab – Chasing the Great American Dream

One of Everyone Loves Buttons® newest clients is JibJab out of Venice, CA. They have such an inspirational story that we wanted to feature them in our customer spotlight. JibJab was founded in 1999 by Evan and Gregg Spiridellis and can truly be considered one of the pioneer companies of online digital entertainment, production and distribution. JibJab escalated in popularity during the 2004 US presidential election when their political satire video of George W. Bush and John Kerry singing “This Land is Your Land” became a hit. The company creates, produces and distributes original content. On their website there are three main sections which include eCards, “Everyday Fun Sendables” such as funny videos; and “Originals,” including “This Land,” “Time for Some Campaignin’,” and “Big Box Mart.” JibJab is based in Venice, CA and employs over 90 people which include artists, comedians, writers, musicians, performers, technologists and business people to produce world-class original entertainment on the Internet. Originally Gregg was an MBA student studying investment banking at the Wharton School of Business while Evan was an award winning animator. In 1999 production costs were low while distribution opportunities were opening up. Although the brothers lacked media industry experience, they believed that they could create a ground-breaking brand of entertainment. They got a few thousand dollars together and created JibJab in a Brooklyn apartment. Originally they produced high end eCards for other websites. In February 2000, they had their first viral video hit which was an interactive video of the Founding Fathers rapping about the Declaration of Independence. They then had an even larger hit featuring George Bush and Al Gore in a rap battle for the 2000 presidential election. This video was one of the web’s first viral videos, landing on Fox’s MadTV, ABC News, CNN and a host of other national media outlets. Although the brothers were well on their way to success, the dot-com crash occurred and they lost all of their clients. Finding a way to keep their business alive, the brothers created a line of gag gifts and sold them through clothing and gift stores. They also created animations for companies like Disney, Noggin and Kraft. They even published a children’s book with rap super star LL Cool J! In 2002, they decided to leave Brooklyn and head out west to Los Angeles for greater opportunities, determined to make a living while making people laugh. The first two years were challenging but productive. They published a best-selling holiday book for Disney, produced a series of viral animations for Sony and created a film that was part of the Sundance Online Film Festival. It wasn’t until July 9, 2004, that Evan and Gregg Spiridellis released THIS LAND that their dream was realized almost overnight. The video instantly went viral around the world and got instant media attention. The Today Show, ABC News, Jay Leno, CNN, FOX, CNBC, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Variety, Los Angeles Times and hundreds of other media outlets from around the world covered the story. Evan and Gregg grew JibJab into a nationally recognized brand by being obsessed about the quality of the programming and products they produce and always keeping the American dream alive.