Brian Hensgens
To our local legislative delegation:
Let us start out by thanking you for your difficult job you have chosen to undertake, our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.
As you well know, as the budget stands right now, anyone who makes more than $750 a month in income will no longer be eligible to stay in nursing homes. Our calculation of homes statewide show that this will mean that 80 percent of residents in nursing homes around the state will be discharged to home after July 1. In Acadia and St Landry parishes combined we have over 800 residents above this income level that would have to be sent home if no more revenue is found. The nursing homes in Acadia and St Landry also employ over 1,400 employees, the vast majority of which will be laid off sometime after July 1.
We as much as anyone appreciate your stewardship of the state’s budget; no one wants unnecessary spending. When you all asked for a temporary 1 cent sales tax two years ago we too wished the economy would grow fast enough to eliminate the tax. Two years later it seems your good efforts have fallen short and the bridge needs to be extended. In our opinion eliminating half of the new penny and extending the other half for three years will finish the job you all started and extend the bridge allowing our economy to outgrow the need for the additional revenue.
We know the structural problems in the Louisiana budget are not your fault, and we applaud your attempts and successes in change. We do not believe you are playing games with the budget. We have looked at the situation and understand with the money you have now there are few programs that can be cut to make up the shortfall. Discharging over 15,000 nursing home residents statewide on July 1, many with nowhere to go, is not the answer. The layoffs in our area will be devastating to the local economy and many families will have to decide who now quits their job to stay home and look after their loved ones.
Again we know your decisions are difficult, but we can promise you by reducing our sales tax from 5 cents to 4.5 cents for now and back to 4 cents in 2021 is worth it to not only your local economy but the lives of many in your district.
Brian Hensgens
Adminstrator
Acadia St. Landry Guest Home
LNHA Region 3 Vice President