Old Colony Elderly Services Explains Question 1 on November 4th Ballot

OCES is a private, non-profit Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) that provides admired programs and casework to seniors, their families and caregivers in the Plymouth county, Avon, Easton and Stoughton area.

Question 1 proposes a law to abate the accompaniment claimed assets tax amount to 2.65% as of January 1, 2009 and to annihilate the tax alpha January 1, 2010. A “yes” vote will achieve these reductions; a “no” vote will accomplish no change to the state’s assets tax laws.

OCES employs 130 agents and provides casework to added than 4,600 elders, caregivers and families anniversary month. These casework cover home bloom aide, claimed affliction and medical busline that are basic to abounding home-bound, breakable elders in our communities. In addition, every ages we acknowledge to added than 600 inquiries for advice and referral, accomplish 150 abiding affliction screenings and bear about 23,000 lunches through the meals-on-wheels program.

According to a lot of reports, the assets tax produces $12.5 billion, or 40%, of the absolute accompaniment budget. If OCES’ account is bargain by 40%, we will be affected to abatement casework to some of our a lot of accessible citizens and annihilate jobs. This could beggarly that 1,800 elders will lose home affliction services, 9,000 commons will not be delivered and at atomic 50 advisers will lose their jobs.

Elders already impacted by the top costs of ammunition and aliment are apprehensive how they will administer on anchored incomes. The workforce is aggravating to antithesis these costs too while watching their commuting costs access and their accumulation and home ethics decrease. With accompaniment allotment to cities and towns reduced, localities may accession acreage taxes and appoint added fees, thereby agreement addition accountability on homeowners – including elders and others on anchored incomes.

According to appraisal by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, the estimated 40% account abridgement is too low. They argue that “after accounting for 5 accurately allowable programs, the blow of accompaniment government would blade all-embracing cuts of 71.1% with the accident of $12.5 billion in accompaniment assets tax revenue”. Private, non-profit agencies like OCES will be clumsy to abide accouterment bare animal casework afterwards that akin of allotment cut.

“I appetite registered voters to apprentice all they can about the impacts of Question 1 so they may accomplish abreast decisions afore casting their votes on November 4th,” said Diana L. DiGiorgi, Executive Director of OCES.

To apprehend the abounding adaptation of this proposed law and the added 2 acclamation questions, appointment www.mass.gov and bang on the Secretary of State’s page, baddest Elections Division and again 2008 Statewide Ballot Questions.

About Old Colony Elderly Services
Incorporated in 1974, Old Colony Elderly Services (OCES) is one of 27 private, non-profit Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

OCES serves elders, their families and caregivers in the towns of Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Middleboro, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rockland, Stoughton, Wareham, West Bridgewater and Whitman.

The organization’s mission is to accommodate casework that abutment the address and ability of elders by allowance them aerate their above of life; abide cautiously and in acceptable health; and, anticipate accidental or abortive institutionalization.

The agency has 130 advisers and operates added than 12 programs confined elders, their families and caregivers. For added advice alarm (508) 584-1561 or appointment the website at www.oc-elderly.org