Thanksgiving ~lal ........ " ... .8,9 Sports.. _"__ 10, 11 Calendar,""' .. ""' 12 Real Estate .........13 HelpWanted ..:····14 November 23, 1989 Sheriffs push boot camp proposal° for young offenders By Daiei Humritz tially processing some 750 individuals a year. While oo speciJic site has been RehabililMive boot camps may yet chosen, Rufo said that a number become the first pri90ll experience of ofappropriate sites are available. IDIDY young Mauachuseus criminals. Specific youths targeted 1be Mamcbuseus Sheriffs' Associa­ Eligible ORI candidates fit a a iscmrently eceking funding to estab­ very specific profile. They would lish a Musachuseus "Discipline and be first-time incarcerants, be­ RehabiliWion Instiaute," or ORI, some­ tween the ages of seventeen and where in the Slate. The ORI program twenty-six, who have been con­ would consist of 120 days of physical vicled of oon-violent crimes and nining. milling, thcnpy, and education, serving sentences up to two and llld serve m an alternative to lengthy, one-half years. llelllnent·free, prison sentences. Those The average candfdate, said ..ilonen who ccmplele it successfully Rufo, is "someone who has al- would Mve their seniences suspended. The program is designed to achieve tine goals, according to Sherrifs' Asso­ cialion President and Suffolk County Sheriff Robert Rufo: reduce recidivism, CMl'~ding and prepare Suffolk County Sheriff Robert Rufo (left) and bis fellow M8518Chusdts sheriffs believe Discipline and RebabDitatioll lmtitwtloas wUl nable tlltm to relieve the overcrowded 'Ole Sheriffs• Association is wcrking prisons in the state, such •the Charles Street Jail (above). n.e, Ulo beline Ille PfGll'8la IDelllblish a l»pcnon facility asa pilot will provide for adolescents convicted ofcrimes a path towards a respoesible role in IOdety. pmpam. It would lake prisoners from Derek Szabo Photo county jails IM>ughout lhe Slate, poten- Bowman says lack of interest $40 MILLION SHORTFALL FOR 1991 delays H.S. assignment plan City departments targeted for consolidation By Daniel Hurewitz cars by 73%, which netted the city only $120,000 more in a $1.3 billion budget Among the mayor's many proposals of Ciolek suggesled, however, that beyond money saving measures, last week, were serving to save money, departmental con­ several proposals for consolidating city solidations might allow for "more efficient government Faced with a looming $40 mil­ delivery of programs." By incorporating lion shatfall for fiscal year 1991, City Hall is these consolidations "with proper manage­ oot only looking for sources of new revenue, ment." said Ciolek, "you can get a bigger but for ways to tighten its own belt as welJ. bank for your buck." AccordingtoRobertCiolek,actingdirec­ Ciolek compared the city's strategy of tor of administrative services, four major proposing numerous areas for change to that consolidations have been proposed: combin­ of lhe Commonwealth last year, before ing the contracts management office with the drastic cutbacks were seen as necessary. purchasing division; combining the Mayor's "Youhavealotofpeoplesayingnow, 'Why Office of Jobs and Community Service with didn't people come forward and identify the the Economic Development and Industrial [state's financial] problem? ... Why wasn't Tiie faa.re of these Brighton High School stuaents is uncertain because or lack or Corporation of Boston (E.0.1.C.); combin­ there public debate in advance of the prob­ PnJll'tll i• deslping the new bigb school asignment plan, which would reorgani:ze ing the city's several insurance functions - lem?'" What the Mayor is doing, according Ille wllole IJllem. Derek Szabo Pholo health, unemployment. etc. - into one of­ to Ciolek, is precisely that: coming forward 87 Daniel Huewitz submitted to the State Board of Education fice; and placing the city's smaller boards and saying that "something of significance last week. Now it appears that a plan will not and commissions into one office. is going to have to be done." "The purpose A drlmaaic drop in school-related inter­ even .be ready for school committee evalu­ "You can save some money by that." said of mentioning an array of ideas for down­ est since the school governance referendum ation until after Thanksgiving, at the soon­ Ciolek, "but not a Jot. ••• When people talk sizing the city budget is . .. to let people bas left the high school student assignment est about unnecessary expenditures in any gov­ know there's going to be a problem and we plan swggling to find direction. Allston-Brighton's School Committee ernment. it usually does oot add up to a great need to start taking action." The plan, which will address city-wide member Kitty Bowman is chair of the sub­ deal of money." He noted that this year the This fiscal year, only the five major city ltUdent distribution and lhe creation of committee responsible for preparing the city reduced expenditures for out-of-state mgnet themes, was originally slated to be Continued on page 5 travel by 00%, for furnitme by 85%, and for Continued on page 6 ( SUBSCRIBE TO ALLSTON-BRIGHTON'S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ... Call 254-0334 Page 2 The Allston-Brighton Journal November 23, 1989 JOURNAL BRIEFS... Franciscan's feeling the state budget squeeze As the state legislature grapples with the need to cut its ing their ability to survive. board. Some say, moreover, that the costs of medical care budget, institutions around the state say the impact of those Locally, the Franciscan Children's Hospital is no excep­ have been allowed to increase unchecked, which has forced CUlS will be far-reaching. tion. Hospital officials say cuts in Medicaid are profoundly pe.ople to seelc Medicaid compensation who could Olher­ The loudest hue and cry is perhaps coming from the affecting their hospital and will result in inadequate hospital wise afford the care. health care indusuy, where hospital officials say budget care for needy children. State Rep. Eleanor Myerson (D-Brook:line/Boston) culS, specifacally in Medicaid funding, are seriously impair- The Brighton hospital, a non-profit and non-endowed noted that "one of our problems is that the cost of medical health care facility, is a rehabilitation services has gotten very, very high. We have to figme out center for multiply handicapped, medi­ how to do it without cutting Medicaid .... Any programs that cally involved and emotionally disturbed are funded by the government will be cut" children. State Rep. John McDonough (D-Boston), meanwhile, The hospital's vice president of finance feels that the issue should be addressed in a different light: and treasurer, Jeffrey Lieberman, said how health care is affecting state budget cuts? McDonough most of their problems are caused by de­ said that ways of controlling heath care rate increases must creased Medicaid funding, which results be found. He took issue with the charge that the legislature in less money for the hospital. is abandoning the hospitals. "We have worked very hard in Medicaid, is federal-state program that the legislature to keepourcommitments to the hospitals," he provides health care funding for people said. 'They will always say we are not doing enough." who can't afford it. The federal portion of McDonough, moreover, does not feel that Massachu­ Medicaid sets the standards for qualifica­ setts Medicaid is underfunded, claiming that "we have one tion for service, while on the state level of the most expensive and generous Medicaid programs in funds are allotted through local welfare the country." agencies. Director of Communications for the Welfare Depart­ "The Medicaid program, both nationally ment, Micheal Ragunberg, agreed. She said that the situ­ and in the Commonwealth are under­ ation for children in the state on Medicaid is better than in funded," said Lieberman. The lack of other areas of the country. The weekly average income for funds, he said, results in children not quali­ a family of three to receive Medicaid in other parts of the US fying, or only partially qualifying for aid. is $407 .25, she explained, while in Massachusetts the same "These children often go without care," he size family can bring in $775.00 a week and still be eligible noted. for care. Currently, the hospital is having prob­ . Ragunberg said the dispute exists in part because of a lems obtaining reimbursement for Cl\fe misconception of Medicaid's intent "Medicaid," she said, they have provided. "We are not able ~o "was intended to be a program for the poor." She also added recover a lot of our expenses and have a that Medicaid is only a portion of the income for most hos­ more limited resources that we can extend pitals. to children in the area." Responsibility for But despite charges that health care costs are inflated, this problem, said Lieberman, goes to the officials at Franciscan Children's Hospital and at other state legislature and how they've handled hospitals around the state say that without these Medicaid -:: the budget cuts. reimbursement they face fiscal troubles. .:; But legislators counter that in times of fiscal austerity cuts have to be across-the- By Elizabeth Fearnley The Provident Invites You To Attend a Free Seminar On A Harvest Consutner Credit OfHome FrotnA to Z Entertainment. Co-Sponsored by The Allston-Brighton Cummunity Devek>pment Corporation A Double Serving ofSavings. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Tuesday, December S, 1989 at 7:30 p.m. Treat your family to quality Brighton Evangelical Congregational Church home entertainment every 404 Washington Street, Brighton day with Cablevision's Family Cable package. 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