Commission On Aging Denying Senior Services

[Pam Grassmick]

Despite the Commission on Aging (COA) meeting which took place on January 19th and the activities listed in the January 28th Forum post, steps by COA have been taken to significantly decrease the availability of senior in-home services on Beaver Island. This weekend, the Beaver Island Christian Church, Holy Cross Church, and the Lighthouse Fellowship distributed form letters to be submitted to the Charlevoix County Board of Commissioners. This letter asks that assurances be made that all Charlevoix County residents be given equal and adequate COA services year round and that these senior services be restored. If you would like to obtain a copy of this letter in support of restoring Beaver Island's senior services and submit to the Charlevoix County Board of Commissioners, the letter can be picked up at the Community Center, the library, or McDonough's Market.

Thank you for your consideration and assistance in efforts to restore vital senior services. Without action, COA will deprive island elders of hard-fought services such as light housekeeping, laundry, medication reminders, nutritional meals, and personal care.

[Avandyke]

Thanks Pam, I'll be picking up a form.

[medic5740]

For those not on the island and who wish to submit a letter, or for those who want immediate access to the letter, a PDF of the letter is available online here:

http://beaverislandnews.com/2016%20Febr ... Letter.pdf

Courtesy of Beaver Island News on the 'Net


Joe Moore

[BobTidmore]

Beaver Islalnd sends a bunch of money to Charlevoix County for Seniors. My analysis of the taxes paid show we send $74,705 for the Council On Aging services and $86,198 for Grandview in East Jordan for a total of $160,903. Our 2013 census shows a population of 610, which means we send $263 per person to the mainland.

Also don't forget to also send an email to our County Commissioner Nancy Ferguson. Here is what I recently sent her.

nancyfern1965@gmail.com

Nancy

The decision on reducing COA funding for the island is very disturbing especially considering the amount of tax the Island sends to Charlevoix County. I would hope that you are leading the charge to correct this inequity.

Sincerely

Bob Tidmore
26025 Main Street
Beaver Island, MI
231-448-3088

[sallys]

I notice that the address on the letter and the address on the envelope are not the same! Here is the address from the commissioners' website:

Joel Evans
10448 Lord Rd.
East Jordan, MI 49727

[sallys]

And here is the address for Nancy Ferguson:

11665 Shaw Rd.
Charlevoix, MI 49720

[pam moxham]

....and the word went out to all the land ....write ! call ! e mail ! stop the drain of good workers and protest the mis use of our taxes......and some responded....and yet many did not....

this isn't a ripple effect any longer people....it is a riptide.. ALL will be affected.


good luck pam and ted...thanks for all you did and tried to do.

[medic5740]

I am personally very disappointed in this for more than the loss of one very caring, and personally interesting individual who was good at her job, provided needed services, and continued on a strong dedication to seniors on Beaver Island.

The reason that I am concerned is that this may very well be the beginning of the disastrous beginning of the decaying of the infrastructure here on the island. Lost workers in construction, lost workers in other areas, and now loss of senior needs support can lead to the opposite of the "Age in Place" philosophy and end up with loss of our seniors, and the island cannot afford to lose many more population groups. Lots of people planned to retire here. Will they now change their minds and look elsewhere?

Instead of listening to those speaking at the January meeting held here on the island, the COA went right ahead and moved forward with their plan to dismantle the program. As a taxpayer, this makes me angry. I wrote my letter. I emailed. I sent ideas. They were all ignored.

Joe Moore

[E. Naranjo]

A lot of disturbing trends have begun to play out in the U.S.A.

[Campbell60tr34@aol.com]

At 68 I have served my 12 to 15 at hard labor, with time off for good behavior. I'm moving.

[John Bolton]

** A comment from a part time resident **

Ignored letters, ripple effects, misuse of funds, decaying infrastructure, workers looking elsewhere, inability to afford to retire here...the way you are disdainfully treated by those folks who control your funds from over on the mainland...

As a soon to be retired person myself, I too, see a disturbing trend of paying taxes into the County's general tax fund, and then witnessing a pitiful Benefits/Return ratio... being a member of the largest taxpaying demographic while having no one listen to me as I do not have a political (voting) voice....

Oh, wait, that's been happening with our particular demographic a long while....

It stings a little, doesn't it...?
Welcome to Our World...

[Gillespie]

It doesn't matter if there is one person in need or 100! This service should be the same for all who need help. If the county does not spend the money from collected tax for these services on Beaver Island they will definitely spend YOUR tax dollars on these services on the mainland. People need to stand up here and take note. You are paying the money anyway! When I was liaison to the COA for the county board this was discussed and stopped. Our residents deserve the same level of treatment and people standing by for services or YOUR TAX DOLLAR will be spent on others on the mainland! If our hired people have little to do we can find things for them to do! At least your money is circulated locally! Taxation without representation is not right!

[duffer]

i am very very saddened to be losing more good friends who have worked hard to be here only to be sent packing like we don't give charlevoix lots of money. and john bolton is right who will want to retire here if we have no senior services??? its getting ridiculous!