California Budget Crisis

CIAC Media Alert
"Our Children Are Not Waste and Fraud!"
Regional Center Budget Alert

CIAC Media Alert

Watch for articles on Governor Schwarzenegger's mid-year cut proposals in your home town newspaper.  The focus on the failed Bond measure and Spending Cap is passing, and they will now focus on the Governor's spending cut proposals.  And we are the major part of his spending cut proposals.  (A list of proposed budget cuts affecting people with developmental disabilities is at the end of this mail.  Talking points and background information are available at www.ciac.org.)

Articles will appear regularly that either just mention the mid-year cuts or are feature stories.  We need to respond immediately to any stories in our hometown newspapers with a letter to the editor.  Ask your friends and relatives to write also!  The Governor's proposals may be voted on in the next month.  We have little time to fight this.

Why:  This administration rules through PR.  The battleground will be as much in the media and press as in the Legislature.  Newspapers need to know that these proposed cuts are horrific, that children and families will be hurt very badly, and that we care.  If we don't tell them, they will not know, the public will not know, and policy makers will assume that we are not a visible constituency.  Letters are the simplest easiest way to have an impact - we can all do it.  We need to flood the papers with letters.  POlicy makers always have staff scan the letters to the editor and report to them what issues surface.

Who should write:  Everyone

What to write:  The best letters are short and to the point and reflect your own experience or the people you know - but most important is just to write!  Very few letters get published, but every letter that is sent improves our chances of getting some letters printed.  And all letters tell the Editorial Board that these issues matter.

A great technique is to give yourself 15 minutes and send what you have.  That makes it short and from the heart.  The results can be amazing.  What not to do is to spend hours trying to make it just right - it will never be just right, and you'll never send it!

Reference the article in your letter, "Saturday's article on Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to disabled children..." or "Your article, 'Governor Seeks to Cut Services to Disabled and Elderly,'..."

Where and How to send:  Check the editorial page of your newspaper for directions, including word limit and where to send.  Usually we are asked to include our name, address, and daytime phone number.  Street addresses and phone numbers are not published.  Letters can usually be sent by mail, fax, or e-mail.  (Do not send e-mail attachments.)

Proposed Budget Cuts

1. Cap regional center caseload at the January 2004 estimated level.  Waiting lists would be established, and as attrition occurs, new enrollmetns would be permitted up to the capped level.  Would add 11,000 children to the wait list each year.
2. Suspending the Lanterman Act, which provides an entitlement to services for the developmentally disabled.
3. Eliminate Respite.
4. Eliminate "Non-Core" Regional Center Services - camping fees and expenses, travel fees for camping, social and recreational activities, nonmedical therapies including equestrian therapy, music therapy, and art therapy.
5. Eliminate "state only" In Home Support Services (IHSS), including payment of relatives as providers, protective supervision, heavy cleaning, transportation, non-medical personal care, and respite.
6. 10% Medi-Cal Provider Rate Reduction to be added to the 5% reducation already enacted for the current fiscal year.
7. Cap caseload of Genetically Handicapped Persons Program and California Children's Services (CSS) state-only program at January 2004 caseload level (would make sick children wait for treatment).
8. Reduce Funding for Community Care Facilities (CCFs) by increasing the fee for licensing activities from DSS.

Mark Polit, Executive Director
California Alliance for Inclusive Communities
510-654-7099
mpolit@ciac.org
www.ciac.org

"Our Children Are Not Waste and Fraud!"

What You Can Do

1. Call your state legislators' offices
You can find out who your state Assemblymember and state Senator is and their contact information by going to www.vote-smart.org/index.phtml and typing in your zip code.  Tell your legislator how the cuts will affect your child and family.  Give specific examples.  (Example: I will be unable to work and pay taxes.)  Let them know, "My child is not waste and faud."
2. Visit your state legislators' offices
You can call and set up an appointment to meet with your legislators or their staff person in their local office.
Take your child or bring a picture of your child and tell your legislator how the cuts will affect your child and family.  Give specific examples.  If they ask you "what do you think we should cut?"  Tell them, "I don't know, I just want to tell you how devastating these cuts will be to my child and family.  Let them know, "My child is not waste and fraud."
3. Send a holiday card to Governor Schwarzenegger with a picture of your family
Write a message to the Governor about the cuts and how they will affect your child and family.  Let him know, "My child is not waste and fraud."
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA  95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
4. Send a holiday card to your legislators with a picture of your family
Write a message to your legislators about the cuts and how they will affect your child and family.  Let them know, "My child is not waste and fraud."

Regional Center Budget Alert

Governor Arnold Schwarzegger has called a special legislative session to approve the first round of massive budget cuts proposed for this fiscal year and next fiscal year.  Proposed cuts to teh Department of Developmental Services will require the suspension of the entitlement provisions of the Lanterman Act.  Changes may be implemented as early as January 1, 2004.

1. Implement an enrollment cap that would limit the number of regional center consumers to the January 1, 2004 estimated caseload level.  This would require regional centers to establish waiting lists, adding new consumers as sttrition permits.  (This proposal would require the legislature to suspend the entitlement provisions of the Lanterman Act.)
2. Prohibit regional centers from paying currently-funded services, such as camping, social and recreational activities, and non-medical therapy such as music, art and equestrian therapy, and respite services.
3. Implement enrollment caps for other programs, including Healthy Families, State Hospitals, rehabilitation programs, the Genetically Handicapped Persons Program and the California Children's Services state-only program.
4. Enact a 10% rate reduction for specified Medi-Cal providers including physicians, medical transportation, home health, and other medical providers and services.  This reduction is on top of the 5% reduction of the 2003-04 budget act.
5. Revoke the wage rate adjustment approved for long-term care facilities.
6. Eliminate the In-Home Supportive Services Residual program.  (This state-only program provides certain services such as heavy cleaning, transportation, non-medical care and respite services.)
7. Reduce CalWorks grants by 5%.

We will continue to post budget crisis updates on our Web site at www.nlacrc.org.

Sample Letter to Write to Governor and Legislators Concerning Proposed Budget Cuts
Legislator Contact List