Dear viewers
On 5 June 2010 Thomas Schmidhauser resigned in protest against the policies of the Pro Tools auditorium from office back as finance chief. In an interview with SL-TV, he explained the reasons for that decision.
Part 1
Part 2
Q: Good day Mr. Schmidhauser. Thank you for coming to us. You were six years at the Central Secretary Pro auditorium Switzerland and three years of its financial chief. Now you have resigned suddenly. What was the reason?
A: There were two main reasons: one, important Reason was that I was with the policies of each auditorium Switzerland in relation to the future hearing aid fitting could not agree. Pro auditorium Switzerland has evolved over the past two years, more and more consistently and for a state procurement of tools, in our case, especially hearing aids, are used. Now I was really clear from the start that with a state procurement of tools, the situation of disabled people is not quite improve. It is rather complicated. It is probably not much cheaper. And I have been put into question.
addition, Pro auditorium Switzerland since last summer at the urging and advice of the Federal Social Insurance Office eine sehr teure, amerikanische Firma für Öffentlichkeits-Arbeit angestellt, beauftragt und teilweise selber bezahlt, mit IV-Geldern, mit Spenden und mit Mitglieder-Geldern. Und diese amerikanische Gross-Firma hat nichts anderes zum Ziel, als im Parlament Stimmung zu machen für diesen staatlichen Einkauf.
Und als Zentral-Sekretär konnte ich es einfach nicht mehr verantworten, dass Pro Audito Schweiz in diesem Jahr rund 300‘000 Franken ausgeben wird, allein für diese Öffentlichkeits-Arbeit. Wir haben eine Verantwortung gegenüber Mitgliedern und gegenüber Spendern und wir können nicht einfach Geld ausgeben für Zwecke, wie sie in der Privat-Wirtschaft üblich sind. Eine Behinderten-Organisation hat einen Sonder-Status. Sie hat ein sehr grosses Ansehen in der Öffentlichkeit und mit Massnahmen, wie sie Pro Audito jetzt durchführt, wird dieses Ansehen beschädigt. Und das war für mich der Punkt, an dem ich zurücktreten musste.
F: Für uns ist es eigentlich fast nicht verständlich, wenn man sich überlegt, was es für Konsequenzen haben muss, dass der Staat Hilfsmittel einkauft – und es geht ja nicht nur um Hörgeräte, es geht um Hilfsmittel. Das Gesetz spricht von allen Hilfsmitteln. Theoretisch kann der Bund nachher das Gesetz verwenden, um Rollstühle, oder was immer, einzukaufen. – Wenn man sich das Ganze überlegt, ökonomisch überlegt, ist es für uns fast unverständlich, as a concerned organization can thus support a proposal. With all due understanding of the economy measures that are necessary for the IV. Although the idealistic notion of the true IV, it is about small sums that can be saved in this way. But how come that the state purchasing and ensure that the supply of tools have been selected by the state, could be an advantage for us? How exactly is up with the Pro auditorium? How does each auditorium you to make such a decision and then support it?
A: The story actually began in 2005 when the federal government behind the back of each auditorium new contracts with suppliers the industry, in this case again the hearing aid supplier, graduated. At that time Switzerland was ruled Pro auditorium of any conversation. And the results of those contracts were quite simply that the hearing impaired were virtually take over the entire savings of the Federal Office, which is the IV. This was the first blow. Then came the second coup in 2008, when the Federal Office on discretion and secrecy, the Pro auditorium invited to set the standards for all state procurement of hearing aids. This was in many meetings set in secret Sun It could not come to the public, because the federal government itself, the Office itself was not sure whether this state Shopping would really come through. And then was so ago by the industry, the hearing aid industry brought forth the whole thing pre-federal administrative court has rejected this and the state procurement without legal basis.
And then, the Federal Office again approached each auditorium and is now used Pro auditorium to this state procurement and in Parliament, that is to advertise in public. It seems to me that the management of Pro auditorium Switzerland simply do not want to see the consequences. Just imagine: E is about 600 relatively frequently purchased tools. There are about 350 hearing aids, so that would be a separate species. You have to imagine now that the federal government want to buy or approximately 1,000 different small and large number of tools with hundreds of suppliers. And ever the idea of numbers makes you realize that this can certainly not go well, that would simply mean that the disabled individual is either very long wait for its other means to have or not get the right for him or herself to the market has to go and everything still have to buy the privately that he will not get from Berne. And this whole thing is to just economically, and above all from the perspective of those affected nonsense.
Well, the Federal Office stresses the time: Yes, it will only because the legal basis so that they as a means of pressuring den Lieferanten einsetzen kann. Aber wenn man das so macht und schon zum Voraus den Lieferanten mitteilt: „Ja wir machen das gar nicht, wir wollen euch nur unter Druck setzen.“, dann werden diese ja lachen. Also das wird ja sicher kein Druckmittel sein, wenn man im Voraus sagt, dass mans nicht einsetzt. Also kann es nicht sein, dass man es nicht einsetzen will. Man will es sicher einsetzen. Und das ist klar, aus der Politik, der Zukunft des Bundesamtes, damit hat man natürlich eine Macht-Verstärkung gegenüber der ganzen Hilfsmittel-Industrie.
F: Und gegenüber den Betroffenen.
A: Und gegenüber den Betroffenen, das ist richtig. Das ist so eigentlich glaube ich der Grund, warum da Pro Audito in a completely wrong direction has fallen and no longer sees the consequences and also will not get out. For it promises to himself and a power gain for the association.
Q: If you read the comments from Agile and DOC to IV revision 6a, one realizes that the decision has actually caused the decision to Pro auditorium at Agile and DOK, to support this. And again without thinking what that actually has consequences for the victims, but in a reflex of solidarity has been said. "Yes if the deaf the like, then we can not but say no to" Have that on Pro audito those concerned about this ganzen Pläne informiert und befragt? Haben überhaupt Betroffene in grösseren Zahlen dazu jemals Stellung nehmen können?
A: Nein, Betroffene wurden eigentlich nie orientiert. Es ging eine Orientierung an die Vereins-Vorstände. Also Pro Audito hat ja rund 50 Sektionen, Vereine. Diese wurden orientiert zu einem Zeitpunkt, als alles eigentlich schon ganz klar war, also als die Sache in Richtung staatlicher Einkauf lief. Man hat ja auch festgestellt, dass bei den Betroffenen selber mindestens in diesem ersten Stadium grosses Unverständnis herrschte. Man sah natürlich als Einzelner auch nicht richtig durch. Aber ich glaube der Einzelne, der alle sechs Jahre Hörgeräte braucht, oder sogar in kürzeren Perioden, who immediately said: "Yes. yes, it can not be, that I will not more of my hearing, but by a central office in Bern must refer" That the individual has actually noticed, but this is in the direction of Pro auditorium was never really accepted as an argument.
This is altogether a bit of the current regime in that association, that actually the votes, we are now saying even "the base" not to be heard. This depends of course on the structure of the collective membership. So it's not every individual member, but only the club.
Q: Do you see any other way? So what proposed by the federal government seems so at vielen Politikerinnen und Politikern Sympathie zu finden. Ich hab so den Eindruck, dass vorallem die Linke aus einem Reflex, „Anti-Abzocker“-Reflex jetzt eigentlich dafür stimmt, auch wieder als Kaskade: „Wenn die Agile dafür ist, wenn die DOK dafür ist, wenn die Pro Audito selber dafür ist, können wir ja nicht dagegen sein.“ Und dann dieser Reflex: „Diese bösen Abzocker müssen bestraft werden!“ ohne sich wirklich Gedanken darüber zu machen, was das für die Betroffenen schlussendlich für Folgen haben könnte. Sehen Sie eine Möglichkeit, wie man anders, bei der Hörgeräte-Versorgung zum Beispiel, anders vorgehen könnte, und einen Spareffekt erreichen könnte?
A: Ja, wir haben ja bereits zu Beginn des Jahres 2010 einen Vorschlag ausgearbeitet. Der wurde sogar in der ersten Runde von der Führung von Pro Audito Schweiz einstimmig angenommen. Der hat keinen staatlichen Einkauf mehr vorgesehen, sondern eine Aufgliederung: Wir gehen davon aus, dass für mittel bis stark schwerhörige Menschen die Hörgeräte kostenlos von der IV und der AHV abgegeben werden müssten. Dagegen sind wir der Auffassung, dass die rund 50-60% der sogenannten „Lifestyle“-Geräte, das sind Geräte für Menschen die ohne weiteres hören, aber die besser verstehen mit einem Gerät, - das ist ja in letzter Zeit eigentlich die grosse Kostenzunahme, nicht die Schwerhörigen itself. - Whereas there is a flat rate for these devices. About this package you have to negotiate how much will that be. That one individual but the slightly hearing impaired absolutely can choose whether they want to shop in this store or other business.
F: or abroad.
A: or abroad, which is also licensed. And then there is the so-called "lifestyle" devices cheaper. The federal government had taken a large proportion of these devices cost far less. And the hard of hearing would be preferred on the other hand, that the strong hard of hearing, in which she could really rely on it: "I get my hearing aids for free. "
savings are easiest when requested at the slightly hard of hearing no mandatory medical examination. After the medical examination costs in each case 700 francs, for about two times 20 minutes short work and that is slightly hard of hearing absolutely unnecessary. So if you calculates that half of these medical expertise is omitted, then you have already saved 20 million. Now hear this of course does not like the doctors. And the situation was so ridiculous that that doctors have resisted in the beginning with vehemence against the state procurement, which are considered to be awful. And suddenly is a complete reversal takes place because you could also noted: "Wow, now we must be careful, otherwise someone gets the idea that one could halve the expertise." This is the current situation.
F: Article 74 has so very special meaning for the disabled organizations. The article deals with the financing of private disability organizations by the disability insurance. Without these items, there would probably no disability policy that would have a say in the disabled. There would be no voice of disabled people in politics heard.
This article is now under attack from all sides. The Federal Office for Social Insurance, a study conducted to determine what is the effect of Article 74. And if you just read the study, so the result is above all that the Office has made in all the years never bothered to formulate a policy for what should be really achieved with this Article 74. Without commenting on the results of this study is even now he proposed disability insurance revision 6b that you can do there massive cuts in Article 74, not with respect to any policy, but simply through the band.
As you can see the behavior of each auditorium with respect to the Federal Office for Social Insurance and 74? What impact will this have on the political debate whether the article at all nor necessary and what is its function?
A: Yes, I see just the danger of this article. The article 74 is very valuable, as you have already defined. There would be handicapped in Switzerland hardly organizations from donations and membership payments alone could develop any meaningful activity. Since envy us so, for example, all foreign organizations for the disabled that are rarely promoted in this way. So I think you have to fight in any case, this Article 74. If it is necessary, if it were safe even then a referendum should be sought.
The thing I like the whole thing with Pro auditorium just regurgitates very angry is that diese ganze Haltung und die Zahlungen an diese Gross-Firma eben genau dann diese Kräfte stärken, die sagen: „Das wollen wir doch nicht mit IV-Geldern unterstützen, dass die quasi gegen uns im Parlament antreten.“ Also diese Stimme hab ich jetzt bereits schon sehr stark gehört. Ich bin ja Sekretär der parlamentarischen Gruppe für Hörbehinderte. Und diese Stimmung ist schon da, dass man sagt: „Also wenn das soweit kommt, dass die Behinderten-Organisationen eigen Firmen für Öffentlichkeits-Arbeit anstellen, dann müssen wir das unbedingt kürzen, dann ist zu viel Geld vorhanden. Das würde ich als ausserordentlich gefährlich und schädlich für die ganze Behinderten-Bewegung ansehen.
So I think because we have to be in any case already prepared that if this is really intended in large measure shall be taken, 6b, or even legally installed, then all that we need to think if a referendum in the eye. It is of course so that the total IV in large parts of the Swiss people now wrongly has a bad reputation. So that has changed tremendously in recent years.
Q: And there was actually over the years now so respond, that you actually getting the issues that have been applied from the right-middle classes against the IV, that one has actually always handled these issues and therefore actually not always encouraged has without having worked on the positive side of it, the people also to make clear again what the IV is actually there. It has really only talking about bogus handicapped and abuse and so on. And that was the main theme. And now even the behavior of the disability insurance, which gives the Pro auditorium indirectly an order: "Give a few times for 100,000 Swiss francs from one of the most expensive advertising agencies that are there anyway." It is precisely this reaction IV, this criticism even further increased and finally the people makes it plausible why the whole IV could fall out of the same traffic.
A: That is correct. Now you have rightly said: Man has only the negative aspects of the whole social insurance sector, especially its emphasis IV. In the human population has no idea what to do all the associations for handicapped persons in voluntary work to improve the situation of people with handicaps. The few people know, because you never talk about it. The Federal Office has to my knowledge hardly ever come forward in some form to it. And of course there is a shortcoming because that many people think: "Why does the money get from the federal government, what is the" One who does not understand, has immediately that impression.
Q: If I might add there's a question. I have from our point of view produces the impression that these so-called Checks on the performance of the disability organizations, the part that is really the most important part, namely the immense volunteer work that trigger the federal funds that the Office never interested in it. I know the statistics, we actually push through more, which would almost certainly somewhere, that volunteer work is also done. But controlled really only paid work, the rest seem to care not at the Federal Office.
A: And you have probably never even thought about what that would cost now, even if the whole state does. Of course, the DI can, if poorly läuft eben diesen Artikel 74 verändern, oder überhaupt streichen. Und dann verbleiben einfach viele Aufgaben dann wieder beim Bundesamt. Und das kommt sicher wieder teurer.
F: Aber es gibt dann viele Stellen beim Bundesamt.
A: Es gibt viele Stellen beim Bundesamt, natürlich, die sind aber sehr viel teurer, als all diese tausenden von Menschen, die ehrenamtlich arbeiten, das ist sicher.
F: Oke, Herr Schmidhauser, herzlichen Dank.
A: Gerne, ich bin gerne gekommen.
F: Es freut uns, dass wir da auch eine gemeinsame Sicht entwickeln und miteinander kämpfen. Ich möchte Ihnen am Schluss einfach, nicht nur danken, sondern wirklich auch herzlich gratulieren to courage, for I think it is unique, having the courage to stand up to this point and say, "so I can no longer continue." This has indeed used for courage and you also had personal consequences. And I congratulate you. Thank you very much again.
A: You're welcome.
Q: Goodbye, Mr. Schmidhauser.
We thank Thomas Schmidhauser for his visit, SL-TV 2010
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