Spokane7
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October 7, 2011 in City
Health district looks to cut programs for kids, water
The Spokane Regional Health District proposed cutting some programs for children with special needs and eliminating its water testing lab as it tries to make do with $2.1 million less next year.
Health Officer Joel McCullough is asking the Board of Health to approve a $21.4 million budget for 2012, an 8.7 percent decrease from this year.
The cuts, which are the result of a decrease in state and federal funding, will force a 7.6 percent reduction in the health district’s workforce, or about 10 positions.
“The public health system is under considerable strain, McCullough said. “We have worked hard to minimize the impact of our shrinking revenues on employees and the services we provide to the community.”
In order to preserve funding for programs mandated by law and programs critical to preventing disease and injury, the district is proposing its largest cut to the Children with Special Health Care Needs program.
“Some of our most vulnerable citizens will not be served because of the loss of this program,” McCullough said.
State and federal grants only cover about half of the $561,000 cost of the program, which coordinates health care for children with chronic health, developmental or behavioral problems. About 12,000 to 15,000 children qualify for this program in Spokane, the district said.
Among services and positions being eliminated are the Cleft Lip and Palate/Maxillofacial program, some public health nurse home visits and the district’s WorkFirst initiative, which provides nursing evaluations for the children of families on welfare.
The district’s Water Laboratory tests water systems and private wells for contamination. McCullough said private labs in the area are capable of doing this type of testing, though the district also provided “additional expertise.”
The cuts received preliminary approval from the Health Board’s budget and finance committee on Thursday. The full board will considered the budget at its regularly meeting at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at the health district offices, 1101 West College Ave.
Rights panel poorly understood 
PlanB on October 07 at 6:18 p.m.
Nothing to worry about, I’m sure that faith based organizations and the ultra-wealthy will volunteer to cover the difference.
misjustice on October 07 at 7:10 p.m.
Ahhem, those special needs kids just need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.
Where’s my tax cut?
nslopeofw on October 07 at 8:40 p.m.
misJ-
9-9-9 is where your tax break is. If you pay less that 9%, you are not paying your fair share.
misjustice on October 07 at 8:47 p.m.
Where’s my tax cut?
I don’t want to pay for any free loading “special needs kids”; they need to pull themselves up by their lil’ bootstraps! Get a JOB, kids and pay your own way! Lil’ free loaders with their tiny lil’ grubby hands out. What makes them so “special” anyways?
Are there no prisons? No workhouses?
Hunterman on October 07 at 9:46 p.m.
We need to dump more money inti Afghanistan. We need to give more to the 1%!
We are the 99%!
Our master’s tax cuts at work once again…
Hunterman on October 07 at 9:52 p.m.
We are the 99% tumbler:http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/
greenlibertarian on October 07 at 9:56 p.m.
Export the kids to China, they can make I-Pods and Happy Meal toys.
k9coug on October 07 at 10:02 p.m.
Sorry kids. We have more important priorities such as paying for clean needles and methadone for unemployed adults who made poor choices in their lives. Their entitlements must not be denied.
misjustice on October 07 at 10:58 p.m.
I like that idea, green; China gets (more) cheap labor, we get to dump these lil’ beggars, and we get useful stuff imported back into our country on the cheap. WE COULD RULE THE WORLD!
Where’s my tax cut?
; )
nslopeofw on October 08 at 4:28 a.m.
Got to agree with k9coug, we cant afford stupid stuff like schools for special needs kids, ‘cause, special needs adults make poor choices. And, who needs clean water when those same adults need a warm shelter and food stamps because they got fired from their jobs and then defaulted on their mortgages.
Where is my methadone, free housing, and food stamps?
nslopeofw on October 08 at 4:42 a.m.
Oh, and MissJ? you don’t apparently need a tax cut, because you are paying WAY less than your fair share anyway.
If one isnt going to get a tax break @ 9%, then they are not paying enough taxes.
Should be no reason why anyone in our country, who has a job, should not be paying at least 9% of their gross income to help pay for all the programs like schools, clean water, and free abortions.
The ONLY fair income tax is an equal percent. That is why 9-9-9 is so great. Corporations pay 9%, (no more free-bee’s for GE) we all pay 9%, (the more you make in salary, the more you pay in tax) and the rich folk who buy a lot of stuff will pay quite a bit more for their 9% national sales tax than the rest of us that don’t buy a lot of stuff.
And, with a flat rate, there really is no need for more than a couple of IRS agents per state to insure employers are withholding the 9% on all paychecks. No more write offs, no more loopholes no more audits, no more major companies paying 0% because they contributed a ton of cash to an election campaign.
Lulubelle on October 08 at 8:23 a.m.
No taxes, no safety net.
Of course, our 5th CD Representative, Cathy McMorris-Rodgers’ special needs son won’t have to worry….he’s covered on his momma’s Federal tax subsidized health insurance plan…….no stinkin’ public health programs for that family!