Residents want seniors’ transportation restored
Jeff Mankie/News & Messenger
Woodbridge residents Shirley Van Ess, left, Doris Bodwin and Greg Reynolds plan to board or follow the bus behind them, owned and driven by Rick Clark, to protest the Board of County Supervisors’ elimination of their affordable bus service.
Zoila Zurica smiles less often since July, when Prince William County ended a bus program that allowed her and other area senior citizens to go to both the Woodbridge and Manassas senior citizen centers, as well as other spots around town.
The 80-year-old, who lives in the Ashland subdivision near Dumfries, says the lack of public transportation near her home now makes it nearly impossible for her to get around, see friends and remain active.
At the centers, she can receive a hot lunch, play cards or simply talk with others her own age.
"Right now we are saying to our senior citizens, 'Thank you for working hard and paying your taxes, now stay home.' Something is not right … this is the only county in the world that celebrates Thanksgiving, and this is the way we repay our own," said Marco Zurica, on behalf of his mother.
As county revenue continues to decline, the county's staff slashed more than $150,000 from its $254,116 senior center and adult day care transportation budget. The move forced officials to eliminate four positions, as well as sell a small fleet of 15-passenger vans used to transport seniors.
With the remaining funds, the county created a pilot voucher system that allows seniors to use taxi cabs or local transit buses to do routine tasks, such as go to the doctor, get prescriptions filled or go grocery shopping.
The board allocated $30,000 in additional funding to the new program, for a total of $130,000. Officials limited voucher recipients to those over age 55 who cannot drive, and to those who make less than $30,000 per year, or couples that make less than $40,000 annually.
The vouchers, ranging in value from $1 to $5, are few, many said. And once they are gone, there is no way for them to get to the senior center.
"Last year, we reassessed the persons who were using senior center transportation because we were faced with staffing issues and a hiring freeze," said Manassas Senior Center Manager Kathy Lee-Meredith. "We were not able to keep up with the service we were providing."
Meredith said 158 people used the county's senior bus service last year, at a cost of $968 a person. It made more than 300 trips to local doctor's offices and hospitals.
Between July and October, 50 people used the new voucher system—all of them age 55 or older and unable to drive—at a cost of $8,580.
Many have had to learn how to take taxi cabs or use the local bus system. Lee-Meredith admitted "bumps" in the road had to be worked out.
In lieu of the bus service, Meredith said funds have been used to double the number of seniors her staff is now able provide in-home care to, from 25 to 55 in the past year. Many of those who receive the care are at risk of being institutionalized, she said.
But others, including Catherine Marshall, wife of Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-13th, told Prince William board members Tuesday they could allocate $100,000 for senior transportation if they eliminated the county's annual Citizens' Satisfaction Survey.
Politics aside, those who volunteer at the senior centers say the time elderly men and women spend there could potentially add years to their lives.
Juanita Whitt, 66, volunteers at the Woodbridge center teaching seniors to play Nintendo Wii games. She says it keeps their minds active and makes them feel as if they are children again.
"When you sit home all day and you have nothing to watch all day but TV and four walls, you get depressed, you get blue, you even get suicidal," Whitt said. "… We don't want to be bad, we don't want to be the ones who commit suicide because we have no place to go and nothing to look forward to."
Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.
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Reader Reactions
marinm: Good for you{ Wish more
people would speak out to leadership.
Perhaps some feel that it will do
no good, anyway. However, back
to Sr. Transportation, can’t we
agree that if real cuts were intended
that it would “start at the top of
multi-millions”?
Just wondering.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Miss:
Yup, I ocassionally leave my cave here in Dumfries to attend BOCS meetings or other events.
I remember during the town hall meetings (for the county budget) being one of only two or three people asking that taxes not be raised, that current taxes be maintained and that instead the county adopt a 15% across the board cut on all services.
My oppositition to increased taxes and wasteful spending is ‘on the record’.
Marinm: Since you do not agree with
“frill” spending, have you addressed
these issues with PWC Government??
I have, and opinions seemed to go
into the “nuisance file”.
Don’t see the correlation between
“frill” spending and schools and
fire and police, however do see
“frills by some staff and supervisor
wanabees” in millions of tax money
wasted….Sr. Transportation was
a “feel good, we are doing something
to trim the fat”. Joke of the day,
in my opinion.
Miss,
I don’t disagree about the ‘frills’ and all the other wasteful programs paid for by the BOCS. It would be hypocritical of me to give the buses for senior a pass when I’ve said the same about other programs including the amount of waste in fire/ems/police and the school system (borderline criminal in my opinion).
I have not said that the program isn’t needed or shouldn’t exist at all. Just that it not be funded by taxpayers and instead be a free market solution (cabs) or something done by a charity/church group.
We need to stop this idea that sacred cow programs can’t be touched or can’t be eliminated from the county budget. It only breeds further waste.
Another option is bonds. If the citizens of this county vote to get this moved as a bond issue—then the people have spoken.
Marinm: If there were no other
expenditures in Prince William
County Government for “frills”,
your point might be better taken;
please refer to PWC using taxpayer
money to build, and perhaps support,
George Mason Performing Arts Center
to the “tune of 60%“.
Yes, $100,000.00 for a so-called
“satisfacton survey” is a COMPLETE
waste of taxpayer money.
Yes, regarding “the ferry”, although
initial “run” did prove a “no-go”
Prince William County “leadership”
has completed another study, costing
more than Sr. transportation requires,
and has now authorized a second phase
for “this study”....whatever source,
this is ABSURD.
Also, please review your taxpayer
money being spent to the tune of
millions, “to dig up history” by
some you seem to know so little
about this county.
Also, please review your use of
local tax dollars to pay all of
county employees retirement benefits.
Please also, review the fact that
$5,000,000.00 annual appropriation
was “locked in for payment of
retirement benefits before County
Executive retired.
Also, please review that this CX
made BOCS employees for benefits.
This is a few examples of how your
tax dollars are spent, marinm.
There are many seniors in this
County who have worked, lived,
and paid taxes for a lifetime….
This “cut” was not even a “hole
in the bucket” for the way your
and my tax dollars are spent.
mmarin is not a grinch. Just an ill informed citizen who forgets where money for the government comes from and where it goes. I, like other seniors pay a large amount in taxes because I have a good retirement. I wish most of my tax money went to senior projects but they do not. That is because about half my money goes to schools for children I don’t have in school. Since most seniors don’t have children in school, I think more of their tax money should go to senior programs. If it only took $100,000 to run the buses, I’m sure we could find it in the millions we spend on schools.
It is not a “hand out” issue. It is a decision of how the county decides where to put it’s tax money. The seniors have paid taxes for many years and continue to do so. They only want some of the money they pay in taxes to support some of their programs. Yes, mmarin you are an ill informed grinch.
Chris,
You make a compelling arguement but it still doesn’t stray too far from the ..they deserve it.. line of thinking. I might ‘deserve’ a vacation to Greece but if I can’t pay for it; I don’t go on one.
I understand (and do feel sympathy) for those that retired simply on Social Security and had no other retirement savings. Feeling sympathy for someone and offering them charity is one thing. Being commanded by my government under penalty of prison or death takes away my ‘choice’ of giving charity for the sake of aiding another person and simply doing what I must to avoid being put in jail.
I agree with the belief that seniors should be out more and enjoy those senior years (as having deserved them!) but not in any way that financially impacts taxpayers who get no benefit from this additional governmental cost.
Leave these services to charity organizations, church groups, even political parties (As Ron put it; I would drive any senior citizen in PWC to a gun store to buy a firearm as an act of charity). But, government? I respectfully disagee.
See Texas Seed Veto by President Cleveland for some context.
mmarin,
I don’t think these seniors many of whom are on a fixed income are looking for a handout. These seniors need a means of transportation to and from the senior centers. The senior centers are place for seniors to gather and be with others their age and enjoy a few simple things in life such as friendship, playing cards, bingo, Wii, etc. Our seniors are deserving of having a life outside of the four walls of their home.
I commend your want and desire to have your parents with you and your family. However, what happens if you and your significant are still working full time jobs and have to commute. Do you wish for your parents to sit around the house stare at one another, the tv, and sleep the day away while you and yours are at work? What if they are unable to care for themselves while you are working? Or heaven forbid you and yours become ill and are unable to work and/or care for your parents? Nursing homes, assisted living, and in-home care are all quite expensive. So,I hope you have a pretty deep pocketbook.
It’s also, important to note not everyone has living children to take care of them or any family at all. I think we as a community need to be more mindful of what our senior neighbors needs might be and offer a helping hand. You’d be absolutely amazed at what a ride to the drug store or grocery store can do for their spirits. I was brought up to respect my elders.
No one could be serious about begrudging seniors this pittance. This certainly is worth wild to do for our seniors who do not have the means. This is local, for pete sake, no one is asking for anyone to take care of the universe, just Prince William County seniors who need a little help.
A dollar twenty, please… this is a no brainer. Sign me up….
It’s not about being a grinch (Bull.Run) but about taking personal responsibility for my family.
When my parents get to be older they’ll move in with me and my family (if they wish to). They’ll be taken care of by family and not government.
I don’t need a handout from you and your family to take care of mine nor do I expect you to ask me for a handout to take care of yours. Increased taxes are a burden to the populace and the economic viability of a city/county/state.
So, I guess I *am* that stingy in that I believe that what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours.
This program is not a valid function of government and should not be funded.
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