December 2008 State Council Legislative Update
Date: Tuesday December 23, 2008Posted in: Funding, Legislation
Tagged: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Budget, California, California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Cost of Living Adjustment, Darrell Steinberg, Regional Centers, State Supplemental Payment, Supplemental Security Income
Sponsored by the wonderful and talented September Hargrove comes another update put out by the California SCDD with regard to how it will most specifically affect the council. Be aware there are other cuts looming in the process that may not directly affect the council, rather other agencies.
State Council Legislative Update - 2008-12-19
Democratic Budget - Darrell Steinberg - 2008-12-17
People with Disabilities Suffer from Inadequate Funding
Date: Saturday December 13, 2008Posted in: Advocacy, Funding, Health, Housing, Meeting
Tagged: Annapolis (Maryland), Budget, Cost of Living Adjustment, Direct Support Workers, Independent Living, Maryland, Wages
A grassroots effort has started in Maryland after gathering in a basement of a local church to discuss the upcoming budget issues and the problems people with disabilities will soon face. A few of the issues noted were the lack of COLA changes and local direct support workers’ wages frozen at $9 per hour.
More than 18,000 developmentally disabled Maryland residents sit on the Developmental Disabilities Administration’s waiting list, on hold for state-funded services.
The article also notes that more than half are in crisis mode, meaning they may be without a home or care very soon. Despite these issues, Governor Martin O’Malley is preparing a $200 million cut with more expected to follow next week.
Many families have applied for state assistance both with and without income restrictions, once accepted they just have to wait and find out. Though the state is one of the wealthiest in the United States, it ranks as one of the worst for providing funding to those with disabilities services.
Read the whole article here: People with disabilities suffer from inadequate funding
California’s SCDD Legislative Update
Date: Friday November 28, 2008Posted in: Funding, Legislation
Tagged: California, California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Cost of Living Adjustment, State Supplemental Payment, Supplemental Security Income, Taxes
California State Budget
Yesterday the Legislature failed to pass the Democrat budget-balancing plan. This Democratic proposal called for $8.1 billion in cuts and $8.1 billion in new revenues over the next 19 months.
AB 7xxxx, the Spending Reduction Bill, would have made $600 million in cuts to SSI/SSP over the next two years by eliminating cost-of-living increases. This bill was defeated in the Assembly 40 to 30.
AB 6xxxx, the Revenue Bill, would have raised $8.1 billion in new revenues by reinstating the vehicle license fee to the level it was at when Governor Gray Davis was in office and temporarily freezing the state’s income tax tables to last year’s rates. This bill was rejected by the Assembly 41 to 31.
The Senate never took the bills up for a vote, but Senate Republicans are opposed to any increases in taxes.
The Legislative session officially ends on Sunday. On Monday, December 1, 2008 the newly elected and re-elected members of the Legislature will be sworn in. It is expected that the Governor will call the new Legislature into another special session.
Opinion: Proposed Cuts Would Hit Disabled Too Hard
Date: Monday November 24, 2008Posted in: Civil Liberties, Employment, Funding, Health
Tagged: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Budget, California, Cost of Living Adjustment, In-Home Supportive Services, Independent Living, State Supplemental Payment, Supplemental Security Income, Taxes, Wages
The Sacramento Bee recently posted an opinion/editorial piece about the proposed state budget cuts and the special session called by Governor Schwarzenegger. Even though the budget has not been finalized, many fear services will be cut and taxes will be raised which will place undue burden on those most in need.
The story of one person (Dena Wright) within the piece says that she lived with her parents until they were no longer able to care for her, then she moved into a nursing home. The resident now lives independently with the help of a caregiver. Wright also noted that life in an institution is no life at all, rather an existence.
While in nursing homes, Wright says, she “only existed” and felt as if she were among people who “were just waiting to die.”
“I finally have my freedom and independence,” she told me in a written message.
The Governor’s proposed cuts would remove much of the funding allowing many people to live independently thus forcing them to return to nursing homes. The cuts of the budget would bring the SSI/SSP payments from $870 a month down to $830 on top of a rise in taxes and cut Medi-Cal which many rely on for health care. The cuts would also affect IHSS, which help those with disabilities and aged live independently; which would place more burden on counties throughout the state to make up the cost in order to have skilled people within the program.
Read the whole Sac Bee Op/Ed piece here: The Conversation: Proposed cuts would hit disabled too hard
Another related story was posted by the Press Enterprise also discussing cuts proposed by Governor Schwarzenegger. That article can be found here: State in-home aid to disabled on cutting block
CDCAN Report #236-2008: Governor Propose Big Cut to Medi-Cal Optional Benefits - IHSS, SSI/SSP and Regional Centers
Date: Friday November 7, 2008Posted in: Education, Funding, Health, Housing
Tagged: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Budget, California, California Disability Community Action Network, CalWORKs, Cost of Living Adjustment, Department of Health and Human Services, In-Home Supportive Services, Medi-Cal, Regional Centers, State Supplemental Payment, Supplemental Security Income, Taxes
SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) - Faced with a growing budget shortfall that is now over $11 billion and growing, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a wide range of major cuts, as expected, to health and human services that impact children and adults with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, the blind, low income children and families, providers across California. The Governor also proposed big cuts to public education (K-12) that will have major impact on children with special needs, though he made no specific cuts to special education. The Governor estimated that the shortfall could grow another $13 billion during the 2009-2010 State Budget year that begins July 1, 2009 – meaning the total budget deficit that the State needs to bridge this year could be nearly $25 billion.
The proposals, which the Governor wants the Legislature to approve and go into effect this budget year (meaning in some cases as soon as December 1, 2008 and in other cases, March 1, 2009 or later) will be considered by the Legislature in special session. The Governor issued formally his proclamation calling the current Legislature – who have 100 of 120 members whose terms will expire on November 30th, back into a special or extraordinary session to consider his proposals. Newly elected or reelected legislators who were up for election November 4th, won’t take office until December 1.
The Governor wants these proposed cuts be approved by the current Legislature, would apply for this budget year which began July 1, 2008, but also extends the cuts for the entire budget year that begins July 1, 2009 and ends June 30, 2010.. In some cases – such as the proposed elimination of the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, which provides SSP level state funded grants to eligible legal immigrants who have disabilities, blind or seniors, would be permanent, as would the cuts proposed for IHSS and Medi-Cal..
Governor said his package of spending reductions for the special session total $4.5 billion or nearly half (about 49%) of what the projected current budget shortfall is. Proposed revenue increases account for about $4.7 billion or just over 51% of what the current project budget shortfall is.
The Governor will provide additional proposals – that will likely include more spending reductions, when he presents his proposed budget for the 2009-2010 State Budget year, on January 10, 2009.
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