Take Action and Protect Your Services · Did You Know that… California is facing a nearly 30 Billion dollar shortfall in its budget & Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing cuts that will negatively impact people with disabilities? · Did you know that Proposed State Budget Cuts Will Affect YOU… v If you are on SSI/SSP? If you are on SSI you will get $40 less per month if you are an individual and $117 less per month if you are a couple. v If you are on Medi-Cal? Certain Medi-Cal services are considered optional services and will be cut. These include: dental, optometry, psychology, audiology and speech-language services, as well as podiatry, optical, incontinence creams, chiropractic and acupuncture services. v If you are on IHSS? If your disability is not considered significant by your IHSS Social Worker, you may lose IHSS domestic services, including meal preparation, cleaning the house and shopping. Even if you get to keep your all of your IHSS benefits, the current proposal will reduce wages for your IHSS worker to minimum wage and reduce their health care benefits. This will make it more difficult to find IHSS workers and to keep them. · Did you know that your actions right now can help you keep those services you need? v What Can YOU do? Contact the Governor and the Big Six (who are the leaders in the California State Assembly and Senate). Click on the name to get the links to their websites. You can write your own comments in the forms on the websites about how these cuts will negatively affect you. Governor Schwarzenegger Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata Senate President Pro Tem-Elect Darrell Steinberg Senate Minority Leader Dave Cogdill Assembly Speaker Karen Bass Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines v You may also contact your local legislators by clicking on their name Rick Keene- Assembly Member, California Assembly District 03 (Chico, Paradise, Truckee, Susanville, Oroville, Marysville, Grass Valley, Gridley, Nevada City, Wheatland, Portola, Quincy, Colfax, and Loyalton Counties) Dave Cox- Senator, California Senate District 01 (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Plumas and Sierra Counties, as well as portions of Nevada, Placer and Sacramento Counties) Sam Aanestad- Senator, California Senate District 04 (Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba Counties) Doug LaMalfa-Assembly Member, California Assembly District 02 (Alturas, Anderson, Biggs, Colusa, Corning, Chico, Cottonwood, Dorris, Dunsmuir, Durham, Etna, Fort Jones, Gridley, Live Oak, Montague, Mount Shasta, Orland, Red Bluff, Redding, Shasta Lake, Tehama, Tulelake, Weed, Williams, Willows, Woodland, Yreka Counties) OR The following are letters on SSI/SSP, Medi-Cal and IHSS proposed budget cuts. You can use all or part of the letters provided and copy and paste those comments into the forms at the web sites. Please personalize the letter if you can. It is better if the letters are all at least a little bit different. If you want more information or would like to take further actions on these cuts you can contact FREED at (530) 265-4444 or visit the websites of: California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC) Disability Rights California (PAI) A more in-depth fact sheet, detailing the proposed cuts, follows the letters SSI/SSP: If you are on Social Security (SSI) and you are worried about having your income reduced, you may use all or part of the following letter: Dear Legislator: I am a person with a disability who is on SSI/SSP. I am very concerned with the budget proposal to reduce my SSI amount by $40. I know that $40 does not seem like a lot of money, but my current rent in nearly exceeds my SSI amount. If you take $40 a month from me, I may not be able to buy groceries for the whole month, purchase my over-the-counter medications or get transportation to my medical appointments. In fact, I may lose my housing, as well. It is important for me to be able to live in the community. It seems that taking money directly from people who are living in poverty is simply bad policy. Sincerely, Medi-Cal: If you are on Medi-Cal, you can use all or part of the letter below to describe how the proposed cuts may negatively impact you. Dear Legislator, I am a person with a disability who is worried about the proposed budget in relation to Medi-Cal optional benefits. These “optional services” are not truly optional- every single service is preventative. If you cut dental services, I will not be able to go to the dentist. Every cavity will have the potential to become an abscessed tooth. Teeth are very important to my overall health. In addition, optometry services and optical services are crucial to everyone, particular as our society ages. I need to know that when I need glasses in order to see, they will be available. If I am unable to see, I become more dependent on others—to read me my mail, to assist with my banking and to help me write my bills. Becoming dependent on others with my private information also puts me at risk for financial abuse. Podiatry is critical to people who are diabetic, speech therapy assists people who have had strokes in returning to their lives. When services like this are neglected or unfunded, chronic conditions may become more costly emergencies which can only be handled by surgery or extended hospital stays. Preventative health care is critical to maintaining costs and keeping people from enduring adverse health conditions. I urge you to reject the current budget proposal in relation to Medi-Cal optional benefits. Sincerely, IHSS: If you are on IHSS, you can use part or this entire letter to help explain how the proposed cuts may affect you. Dear Legislator, I am a person with a disability who is concerned about the proposed budget cuts for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). I use IHSS to help me live safely in the community. The services I receive assist me in staying in my home, rather than an institution. My care in an institution would cost more money and I would be living somewhere I don’t want to live. Living in the community is very important to me. If you cut domestic services, I will not be able to eat nutritious meals on a regular basis, my house will not be clean enough to be healthy and I may not even be able to get the food I need because my worker does all these things for me. If you cut my IHSS worker’s wages to minimum wage and reduce their benefits, it will be harder, maybe even impossible, to find people willing to work for me. I know that everyone is telling you how important programs are and why you should not cut education, or transportation services, for instance. I know that every program is important, but the IHSS program is all about saving people’s lives and health and keeping them in the community. If we all work together, we might be able to get through this without sacrificing the programs that keep people free and independent. Sincerely, Facts about SSI/SSP, Medi-Cal, & IHSS and the impact of the Governor’s proposed cuts: § There are approximately 429,200 seniors and people with disabilities who receive care through the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program (September 2008 CMIPS data). IHSS is a statewide public program funded by a combination of federal, state and county funds that provides essential personal care and domestic services to aged, blind or disabled Californians who are unable to remain safely in their own homes without such assistance. § There are approximately 407,000 IHSS providers (September 2008 CMIPS data). § There are approximately 1,263,000 SSI/SSP recipients who are elderly, blind, or have disabilities, and who depend on SSI/SSP grants for their subsistence. (September 2008, CDSS data). § Currently, the State has 3.9 million people over the age of 65 - the largest older adult population in the nation numerically. This figure is projected to increase by 172% over the next 40 years with most of the growth occurring in the next 20 years (Source: Dept of Aging). § IHSS is a budget solution – not a budget problem; alternative forms of care such as nursing homes cost six to eight times more than IHSS. California cannot afford the costs that would be associated with undermining this critical program. The annual cost of IHSS is under $10,000 per consumer vs. $60,000-$80,000 to pay for care in a nursing facility. § These IHSS budget proposals are in direct conflict with the 1999 United States Supreme Court Olmstead decision, which affirmed that unnecessary institutionalization is illegal. The IHSS program is, by the state’s admission, the foundation of California’s Olmstead efforts (which to this date fall far short of implementation of the decision). Thus, any erosion of the IHSS program is an erosion of California’s legal obligations to comply with Olmstead. It is likely that IHSS reductions would be challenged. Litigating Olmstead-related lawsuits would bring extra costs for the state. § “Domestic and related services” include preparing food, doing laundry, cleaning, dusting, changing linens, taking out garbage, grocery shopping, planning menus, setting a table and washing and putting dishes away. The Governor’s proposal would permanently eliminate domestic and related services for consumers with functional index rankings below 4. This proposal would cut $23.1 million in FY 08-09 and $71.4 million in FY 09-10. The message from the Governor is this: we know you need the services to be safe in your home but you are not going to receive them. § The Governor’s proposal would cut $12.3 million in FY 08-09 and $37 million in FY 09-10 by requiring individuals with a functional index score below four to pay their own Medi-Cal share of cost, if they have one. Approximately 7,100 IHSS recipients would be required to pay a new monthly share of cost, averaging $427, out of their own pockets. This proposal will jeopardize services to consumers, all of whom are poor and either elderly or disabled. The share of cost buy-out was intended to protect consumers who would otherwise have a much higher cost obligation under Medi-Cal rules. If these IHSS consumers can’t afford the cost, they could lose home care services. § The Governor’s proposal would reduce state funding for IHSS providers to the minimum wage of $8.00 per hour and reduce program funding by $82.9 million in FY 08-09 and $248.8 million in FY 09-10. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that 98% of all home care workers now make more than the minimum wage. That would mean that approximately 398,000 IHSS providers could have their hourly wage cut to $8.00. The average hourly wage for IHSS providers is currently $9.98 (Source: Legislative Analyst’s Office). Many IHSS providers already live in poverty and are eligible for food stamps, and few have access now to health insurance. Because of the loss of income, many IHSS providers may seek work elsewhere. § The Governor’s proposal would slash the SSI/SSP payment to the federal minimum effective March 1, 2009, reducing the grant for an aged/blind individual by $40 and for a couple by $117. The current SSI/SSP grant is only $870 for an individual and $1,524 for a couple. People who depend on SSI/SSP are supposed to pay for all their needs – food, shelter, utilities, and transportation – out of this amount. This proposed cut would reduce state funds for SSI/SSP by $348.9 million in FY 08-09 and $1.1 billion in FY 09-10. This cut follows cuts that total $3.75 billion to SSI/SSP since FY 05-06. For more information contact Melissa Richard, Systems Change Advocate FREED Center for Independent Living 117 New Mohawk Rd., Ste. A Nevada City, CA 95959 530-265-4444 Voice 530-265-4944 TTY 530-265-4644 Fax

MORE HARM THAN LAUGHS

Don't buy into Hollywood's endorsement of this harmful portrayal of PEOPLE with developmental disabilities!! This was written by a fellow Systems Change Advocate: Hello, my name is Daniel Garcia, and I am a Systems Change Advocate from Community Rehabilitation Services in East L.A. On Monday, August 11th 2008, I rallied against the movie, " Tropic Thunder" at the Premier in Westwood. It was a great success. I made a sign that said, "I would rather watch Forest Gump fifty times than to see "Tropic Thunder" once. Since I was the first person to arrive there, these two cops were staring at me like "we can take care of him, he just one person making trouble." Reinforcement came from the Special Olympics and Arc. It was a great time for anybody to network and support the people in the developmental disability community. Even, Kecia Weller, the President of the Los Angeles County Commission on Disability was there. I was very glad to see people with Developmental Disabilities in action and to be part of their awesome rally. The movie fans were against being against the movie. Some of them were hitting below the belt when they said they would like to use the word "retard" to describe the people with developmental disabilities that were there. Some people were holding signs against the rally because they were there for the actors. It made me wonder what if it was the "n"-word, instead of the "R"-word, would people still come and see it? Probably not, because those who do watch the movie would be labeled racist. This is how low movie fans can they go? I bet you anything that fans like those could go much lower against people with disabilities. The general public's acceptance of the "R-word" worries me a lot because, just like the African American community are worried about the reappearance of the noose in the south, we are also worried about going back to dark ages of pre civil right movements. These negative words and symbols that represent inequality is a regression to all that we fought against for so long. I would rather move forward to the day that these words and symbols of inequality get buried so deep into the earth that heat of the magna consumes them. People with developmental disabilities are being hurt by the R-word all over the country as well as all over the world because movies made in Hollywood are also shown overseas. Here are two excerpt of the movie where Actors Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. used the r-word in such a distasteful way that no wonder why the community is very concern and alarm. Ben Stiller's character: "There were times when I was doing Jack when I actually felt retarded. Like really retarded." Robert Downey Jr.'s character: "Oh yeah. Damn." Stiller: "In a weird way, I had to sort of just free myself up to believe that it was okay to be stupid or dumb." Downey: "To be a moron." Stiller: "Yeah." At another point, about acting like a person with intellectual disabilities, they say: Stiller: "It's what we do, right?" Downey: "Everybody knows you never do a full retard." Stiller: "What do you mean?" Downey: "Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Count toothpicks to your cards. Autistic, sure. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard." These two examples made people with developmental disabilities to feel like they need to take action because like "Snell" who has autism, has been repetitively called the R-word and was quoted in the Chicago Tribune by saying, "I hear the word retarded, it's basically like putting people down," Snell said. "I've felt that way when I was called retarded. I just wasn't motivated ... It hurts my feelings very deeply." Brita Segerhammer from California post a comment at the online site the "r-word.org" say that she felt hurt when she was in junior high school and kids called her by the "R-word" and other words. She had one person who stood up for her. History tells us that people who don't know history are allowing it to repeat itself. And those who know history must stand and deliver. For example, according to the book, "Beyond Ramp" by Marta Russell, she discovered that before The Holocaust ever started the elimination of the Jews, the Nazi Germans decided that the high costs of taking care of people with disabilities was what contributed to the country's poor economy, therefore, people with disabilities needed to be eliminated. There were two mathematical problems that were given to high school students from 1935-1936 to convince the public that people with disabilities were the cause of their economic failure. (problems 94 & 95) Problem 94 In one region of the German Reich, there are 4,400 mentally ill in state institution, 4,500 receiving state support, 1,600 in local hospitals 200 in homes for the epileptic, and 1,500 in welfare homes. The state pays a minimum of 10 million RM/dollars per year for these institutions. I. What is the average cost to the state per inhabitant per year? II. Using the result calculated from I, how much does it cost the state if A. 868 patients stay longer than 10 years? B. 216 patients stay longer than 20 years? C. 112 patients stay longer than 25 years? Problem 95 The Construction of an insane Asylum requires 6 million RM. How many housing units @ 15,000 RM/dollars could be built for the amount spent on insane asylums? (using your answer from problem 94) I would like to add here that in California, in our own state, we have a similar crisis. The public needs the attention to put on the people who participated in the "R-word" rally. Make no mistake, legislators are playing with the R-word on the hope that people with developmental disabilities don't care about the state budget. As bad as the movie, Tropic Thunder negatively portrays people with developmental disabilities; the thing that will have more of painful effect is the lack of the respect from our legislators. Organizations like The Special Olympics, ARC, Regional Centers, independent living centers, Eastern Seals, the L.A. County Commission on Disability and professionals in the field of the disabilities must come together and empower their community to advocate strongly for a responsible budget that allow people with disabilities to live in their own home by not cutting in home supported living and cost of living arrangement. These programs, shamefully but rightfully might benefit the wealthy people in California as well, but they are the essential factors that a lot of people with disabilities need to get on day by day basis.

Action Alert: Convince Obama & McCain to Attend Ohio Presidential Candidates Forum on the Anniversary of the ADA! Voters with Disabilities – We are three weeks away from the Presidential Candidates Forum on July 26th in Columbus, Ohio, of which NCIL is a sponsor. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has been talking to both Senator Obama’s and Senator McCain’s schedulers but they do not have a firm commitment from either candidate. This is not acceptable! It is time to turn on the pressure. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you can urge the Senators to attend this crucial forum! Please feel free to edit the sample text message provided, especially to elaborate about an issue that is important to you. Fill in the boxes with your contact information. When done, click the “Send Message” button. Yes, it’s that easy! Please take a moment to click on the provided link (Center for Disability Rights' website ) that'll lead you to an easy-to-fill-out form! It takes less than FIVE minutes. The form's already made out. Just add: DEAR SENATOR in the salutation. If appropriate, you might know other voters with disabilities to forward the alert to who are most likely to take action in your working network.

California State Budget Update

SACRAMENTO – The Budget Conference Committee last night finished reconciling differences between versions of the 2008-09 state fiscal plan drafted by the Assembly and Senate. “In every poll we've seen and every conversation I've had Californians are telling us don't decimate education, don't shred the safety net, don't close parks and provide healthcare for kids – don’t close clinics,”Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said. “The straight truth is that takes revenue. And the straight truth is we can help solve this budget deficit by closing tax loopholes and rolling back overly generous tax breaks that were given to big corporations and the wealthiest Californians – rolling them back to levels they were under other Republican governors.” “It's time to fix the state's fiscal problem, and we're not going to do that on the backs of the middle class," Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) said. "We are not going to make deep cuts that increase class sizes, lay off thousands of teachers and severely restrict access to California's state colleges and universities. We will not turn California into a second-class state.” The joint plan rejects the Governor’s deep cuts in education and health care, and includes $9.7 billion in new revenue, which is $1.8 billion lower than the Senate recommended and $1.7 billion more than the Governor proposed. During the last three budget cycles, the state has cut $12.3 billion.Now, the Governor’s plan called for cuts in education that would force thousands of teacher layoffs, reduced spending in Medi-Cal and health care that would jeopardize medical service for all Californians and slashing in-home assistance for the elderly and disabled. The Governor’s plan would eliminate thousands of jobs at the worst possible time, when the economy is struggling. The Conference Committee budget is a balanced approach. It closes tax loopholes, rolls back tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy and cracks down on tax cheats. The Conference Committee budget restores money to education, health care and public safety thereby providing California the services it needs to bolster the economy and remain strong, livable and competitive in the 21st century. On the expenditure side, the committee’s plan: •Provides $2.3 billion more for K-12 education than the Governorrecommended. •Restores $1.5 billion in health and human services the Governorcut. This includes restoring nearly $200 million in health care services to some of the state’s most vulnerable residents, the reimbursement rate for Medi-Cal providers and federal pass-through funds for the aged, blind and disabled. •Restores $57 million in financial assistance for college students. •Reduces corrections spending by $300 million with a reform packagethat helps reduce the prison population. On the revenue side, the committee’s plan: •It reinstates the tax brackets on the wealthiest Californians byreinstating the 10% and 11% tax brackets. Revenue generated: $5.6 billion. California’s personal income tax rates ranges from 1 to 9.3 percent (for taxable income above about $93,000 for joint returns). An additional 1 percent rate applies to incomes about $1 million (that money supporters mental health programs under Prop 63). Under this budget, this proposal imposes a new rate of 10 percent for taxpayers filing joint returns with taxable income above $321,000 and 11 percent for those with incomes above $642,000. This is similar to what Republican Gov. Pete Wilson did in the 1990s. •It closes a corporate tax loophole for large corporations. Revenuegenerated: $1.1 billion. California allows companies to carry forward a portion of losses (called Net Operating Losses, or NOL) incurred in one year and use them as a deduction against earnings in subsequent years.These tax breaks are used primarily by large corporations, many of them in the manufacturing and finance area. Companies with more than $5 million in gross receipts account for just 13% of total businesses but 80% of the NOL deduction. During an earlier fiscal crisis, this loophole was suspended. When the law was reinstated, the percentage of losses eligible to be carried forward was increased from 50 percent to 100 percent. The carry-forward period was also expanded to 10 years. The FTB estimates the value of NOL carried forward exceeded $260 billion as of 2006. The budget suspends the NOL for three years. •It suspends a tax adjustment for upper-income Californians.Revenue generated: $815 million. In a year where the poor, elderly, and disabled aren’t getting cost-of-living increases for SSI/SSP and CalWORKS, the state shouldn’t be adjusting all of the tax tables for everyone else. Suspension of “indexing” would result in a proportional increase for taxpayers with incomes of up to $97,000 (joint returns), and a flat increase thereafter. As an example, a taxpayer with taxable income of $50,000 would pay about $34 more while a taxpayer with income exceeding $97,000 would pay about $180 more. •It rolls back a tax loophole for upper-income Californians.Revenue generated: $215 million. Since 1997, taxpayers have received a nonrefundable income tax exemption credit for each dependent – regardless of their income. In 2007 this credit was $294. The LAO recommended making the dependent tax credit the same dollar amount as the personal exemption credit for all taxpayers. That credit was $94 for single taxpayers and$188 for couples. The Conference Committee proposal is a variation of the LAO recommendation. It would roll back the dependent credit for taxpayers with adjusted gross income (AGI) that exceeds $150,000. As a result, it would protect the credit for lower and middle-income households. •It restores the franchise tax. Revenue generated: $470 million.Virtually all companies are required to pay some amount of corporation tax. The top rate is now 8.84 percent. Prior to 1997, it was 9.3 percent.The Conference Committee proposal rolls back the 1997 tax cut, and restores the 9.3 percent rate. •It steps up tax enforcement. Revenue generated: $1.5 billion.Modeled after successful tax amnesty efforts in the past, this proposal will collect taxes already owed to the State. Part of this revenue has been owed for years. Part will be an acceleration of revenues that would be paid in the future. This is one-time revenue. Without revenue increases, the state would have to cut an additional $9.7 billion – about the amount it takes to run the state’s 33 prisons and more than the cost of the entire UC system.