What's the matter with Kansas? Maybe this

[Dr.Phool]

I'm not taking a shot at people from Kansas. I just thought the book title was apt. And the setting is Kansas.

Kansas couple on trial for enslaving mentally ill

By Carey Gillam | October 4, 2005

KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Reuters) - A Kansas husband and wife who ran a psychotherapy practice went on trial on Tuesday on charges that they kept mentally ill people as slaves, forced them to perform sex acts on videotape and then billed Medicare nearly $1 million for the "therapy."


Prosecutors charged that Arlan Kaufman, 68, and his wife Linda Kaufman, 62, spent 18 years taking advantage of patients entrusted to their care. The couple ran a residential care facility in Newton, Kansas, where they worked with at least 20 mentally ill individuals from 1980 until 2004.

Jury selection began Tuesday for an expected five-week trial in U.S. District Court in Wichita.

(snip)

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/10/04/kansas_couple_on_trial_for_enslaving_mentally_ill/

[tompayne1]

1. so wrong.....

somebody get their voter records.

[SoCalDem]

2. Board & Care and Foster care is a CRIME in our country

There are a LOT of people making a LOT of money from the care of the "throw-aways" of society.. There used to be hospitals and government-run facilities where people were housed. I know there were abuses in those places too, but it was easier to uncover because of the numbers of people who worked there.. Someone would always blow the whistle..

When private citizens , often living in rural or outlying areas, start taking in "clients' to care for, they get paid well to care for them, and lots of times just pocket the money, and do NOT provide the care..

The people charged with checking up on them have HUGE caseloads, so sometimes they don't even KNOW how many "clients" are being housed, or what condition they are in.. Lots of times these people are estranged from their "real" families, so no one checks up on them.. They are a "source of income" and that's it!

Unscrupulous people can very easily "earn" thousands of dollars a month of public money, and just lock the "clients" away...just cashing those checks every month.. I suspect that some of them have even died in "care", and the providers just keep on cashing those checks..


Someone I know was a fosterer..she took in $4500 a month for 3 "developmentally delayed" teen aged boys.. These boys were not "allowed" in the house if she was not there.. When she left to do errands or visit someone, they were "put on the screened in porch" and locked out of the house.. They were not physically handicapped, and they did have access to the back bathroom and a tv...but it still irritated me because it always reminded me of "putting the dogs out"..:(

Eventually someone ratted her out , and she had them taken from her.. but the official reason was that they found a bottle of champagne in her cupboard...not because she limited their access in the home..Ironically, the champagne was her daughter's , who lived next door...

[Dr.Phool]

3. Yeah, my wife works for the privatized foster care agency

In Florida. It's become a cottage industry for some people. Some have 15-20 foster care kids in their custody. The state pays a higher rate for enhanced care kids, who have special needs, such as more doctor visits, counseling etc. These people blackmail the agency into paying the enhanced rate for all the kids, under the threat of returning them all.

Welcome to the ownership society.

[NorthernSpy]

5. they used to call that "babyfarming"...

Whenever I read one of those icky human-interest profiles of some "saintly" couple and their dozens of adoptees, I wonder what really goes on behind closed doors. Cynical perhaps, but there it is.

It just doesn't do to be too trusting.

:think:

[earth mom]

4. Disgusting sick evil people!

May they ROT in HELL! :grr: