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February 18, 2013 (Regular Meeting)
<br />Page 1416
<br />On behalf of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tom Earnhardt,
<br />Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman, presented County
<br />Manager Mike Downs with the Executive Level Leadership Award and expressed
<br />appreciation for his service to Cabarrus County.
<br />Mr. Downs graciously accepted the award.
<br />(D) INFORMAL PUBLIC COMMENTS
<br />Chairman Poole opened the meeting for Informal Public Comments at 6:57
<br />p.m. She stated each speaker would be limited to three minutes.
<br />Price Crutchfield, resident of 592 Love Street in Concord, expressed
<br />dissatisfaction with the County Manager, the Concord Police Department and
<br />the court system.
<br />Judy Grey, resident of 2710 Eva Drive in Concord, expressed
<br />dissatisfaction with the government, school system and Cabarrus County
<br />Sheriff's Department.
<br />Robert Simmons, resident of 584 Allison Street NW in Concord, made the
<br />following statement:
<br />I came before the Board six months ago and filed a complaint
<br />against the Department of Social Services for discrimination; I
<br />had been misinformed, refused help and even lied to, to keep me
<br />from getting medical treatment. After I filed that complaint, I
<br />was allowed to go on the program called CCP. In CCP, they are
<br />limited in what they can do. They did find out that I had a
<br />life- threatening problem with a blob of plaque in my neck. I
<br />thought it was a blood clot, but it seems to be a blob of plaque.
<br />But they couldn't do a, thing about it, or they said they
<br />couldn't. I had some other problems with the people they sent me
<br />to and one of those problems was in a sleep center. I documented
<br />it so that they would see what really happened. I brought that
<br />to them. When I brought that to them, they immediately told me I
<br />was terminated and unless I signed a statement basically give
<br />them my first amendment rights, not being able to complain about
<br />any of the medical providers I was sent too, I couldn't get back
<br />on the program. Well, in regards to healthcare, you have to be
<br />able to keep your first amendment rights because over a 100,000
<br />people a year die in hospitals because of mistakes like wrong
<br />medicine, wrong blood. I took care of both parents before they
<br />died. And I remember several times that I had to actually fight
<br />with doctors to make them do the right thing in regards to
<br />treating my parents. Otherwise they would have harmed them. In
<br />fact, one time my mother would have lost her foot had I not stood
<br />up and fought with these doctors for many hours to make them do
<br />what another doctor had done that had helped her previously. So
<br />anyway, I lost CCP, they would not talk to me about it, they
<br />would not communicate with me about it. They said I did not
<br />follow a plan of action. So, after a couple or three months of
<br />fighting with them, trying to get it back, I went ahead and
<br />applied for Medicaid. Something really interesting happened in
<br />Medicaid. I do not want disability, I want to go back to work.
<br />Even though I am 59 years of age and I could use a check, I would
<br />rather earn that check. So, I told them I did not want to be on
<br />disability, I just wanted Medicaid. However, the people at the
<br />Department of Social Services, kind of pulled a fast one on me.
<br />They told me they did not know whether or not I had to be on
<br />disability or not to get Medicaid. And they arranged for me to
<br />have a special medical examination. I thought they were going to
<br />check and see how badly I was injured so I could get the medical
<br />treatment I need to live,', because I am going to die without it.
<br />Instead, they had set me up for a under - the -table psychiatric
<br />evaluation. Now I am not crazy. I am a sick man. I am very
<br />angry and frustrated but if anyone has a conversation with me,
<br />they will see that I am a very sane and intelligent person.
<br />Anyway, when I told them that I wasn't certain I could do that,
<br />they told me that I would have my claim denied immediately if I
<br />did not have the psychiatric evaluation. I thought about it but
<br />unfortunately, I do not wish to give up my second amendment
<br />rights and that is what happens when you have a psychiatric
<br />evaluation. So, I denied it. I got told four times that they
<br />were denying my claim. What is really interesting is I never
<br />applied for disability and no one can answer that one question,
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