>>i'm the program director of the ombudsman program and i've spoken here before that's why. >>are you -- >>program director. >>program director. >>correct. >>you came to our commission for many times an you oversee the san francisco nursing homes? >>we go to skilled nursing, both long term and the rehabilitation nursing facilities, some of which are actually included in the acute hospital buildings. i've come to the advisory group, i've i've come to legislative group over the years, yes. >>right now the agency going to get $148,000. will it include -- we listen to you for many times. you always [inaudible]. >>it will improve or ability as measured in the number of unannounced visits to see what's really going on that might make vinls living in these places unhappy an dissatisfied and overall, if we can sustain this augmentation through capacity building and future years, it will certainly improve our oversight and hopefully improve some of the conditions affecting residents or patients and skilled nursing, both short term rehab as well as long term, as well as in residential

i'm here today seeking additional funding for the ombudsman program. the ombudsman program is currently operated by the fell ton institute, formerly known as family service agency. the funding we're looking at today, $148,000 will be going to this fiscal year. the greatest need is for increased staffing so the majority of this money will be going towards that. with this new money we'll see a slight increase in current staff and the hiring of five new part-time sub contractors. as a result of this increased staffing the ombudsman will be better able to respond and strengthen other aspects of the program. does commission have any questions today? >>just a motion for discussion. do we have a motion? >>so moved. >>seconded. >>any questions or comments? commissioner sims. >>a couple of questions. one, kind of a small knit, but the budget summary page, there's a typo. it's the indirect costline

not conducting an internal investigation, but a lot of people might say why not have an outside ombudsman or investigator look into this and it comes back to what you're saying. you have the guy who is the an authorize, the managing editor, the celebrity, are you on the payroll, it's hard to take that person onan authorize, the managing editor, the celebrity, are you on the payroll, it's hard to take that person on . >> and people are laying on on to whether that person survives. and if that person controversy, those under him don't want to be on the wrong side and punished for that later. i agree about the independent look. perhaps if i were in charge i would think of bringing somebody in like the pointer institute or ask a news organization to come in and help. but then you are stuck. you've invited and outsider to come in and look at your organization. and if they find things embarrassing or damaging there's not much you can do about it. >> i would say too bad. at least you're showing that you'll be open that you're letting somebody who has an independent judgment investigate and let t

there was a report by the public protector ombudsman last year which pointed to severe transgressions and recommended and made findings and suggested remedial action to be taken which included the fact that the president must pay back a portion of the benefit that he has accrued back to the public purse. the president has failed to respond to those findings in that report, and that levels of frustration not just amongst the e.f.f. but ordinary south africans is very high. i don't think this was the correct occasion on which to raise this issue. we know that a question session has been scheduled in parliament for next month when an opportunity would arise for these questions to be put to the president once again so it was a violation of the pardon parliamentary rules. >> you think this might have been a case of theater. it might not have been an he will lent demonstration but presumably a lot of south africans feel upset by the misallocation of funds shall we say, state funds to the president's own private refurbishment of his house. are the people approving or disapproving of what was

one of the regulations is you have to have the ombudsman essay it is now an insurance company so theyon't skimp on care the way we wished we had regulations that make insurance companies skimp out on the care that they approved. but if you did that come of the hospital would have no incentive to go for test were over treat me because the bill in the testing and over trading would be going to the hospital so they would be building themselves. so that is the ultimate accountable to organization. it's the ultimate bundle. you say that it's been ridiculed. >> i think what has been ridiculed as the notion of the big monopolies in the clinic in ohio and all of new york taken over by columbia. >> that's what i said. new york four x-xray for washington it would be three or four or five and they compete. now when you see one on the west side of the highway that billboard is meant to give them more leverage and it's not to me directly because it's my employer buying insurance that's going to send me there so this would make the competition cleaner. the only place you have monopolies is when you

we have a knew ombudsman we will hire or appoint. your 2nd question in terms of what we actually have to do, we have a process going forward we have to see a government federal register, and i suspect some provider we will seek a court state. before we even get to actually enforcing something we have to go through a number of rounds. but at that.we will have to see what the actual it is because they're is so much vagueness provided under this item, authority provided to determine. it doesn't die as be have to? they don't have to. no one is obligated. what about existing plans? do they comply? well, we are not saying that either. it is wide open on what could be viewed as problematic going forward. [inaudible question] 's. >> the report is 3200 pages and they criticize how it is not published. can you give us contact context into how long regulation usually is and what it is published to the public before a vote? >> 3200 pages, 332 pages. >> but how long is regulation usually? >> it's quite large. it fluctuates depending upon the item

they would have to settle the issue with an only bulledsman from the patent office -- with an ombudsman from the patent office. the right to use court would be denied. and they let it drip off like water off a duck's back. it is just a huge violation for us to try to diminish their ability to enforce the rights of their own property. so i draw attention to h.r. 9. last congress, the house judiciary committee held a hearing on almost this same bill. the witnesses at that hearing, including former patent office director campos, made it clear we should move slowly and with great care in making any changes to the papt patent law especially in light of the fact that no one yet understands the implication of a similar patent law that was passed two years ago. the american invent -- the america invents act. the process is just now from that act, is just now being implemented. i think it's going to have a very negative impact. we need to know that that's what's going to happen. we need to work that into our calculus of whether we should pass even more restrictions like our first -- like are in