URGENT ACTION ALERT
Monday, June 8, 2009
HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSAL CUTS MH/DD/SA SERVICES
UPDATE: The House HHS Appropriations Committee passed their revised budget on to the full Appropriations Committee without any changes. This budget is significantly worse than the previous version and includes 3 billion in cuts to the Health and Human Services budget including many that will directly impact people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and addictive disease. This budget cuts direct services, threatens our ability to draw down federal funding and will result in tens of thousands of lost jobs.
YOUR ADVOCACY IS WORKING! House Democrats are discussing a revenue package, but there is still much more support needed for it to pass. We need you to tell your neighbors, family members, churches, co-workers, people you do business with that the impact of these cuts will be far reaching and includes them! Your Legislators and the Appropriations Chairs need to hear from you!
Here are some examples of the harmful cuts:
o $74,000,000 in state funds – means elimination of a large array of services including crisis services, START programs, local inpatient beds for example
o 50,000,000 in state funds for direct services
o Elimination of the continuation budget in Medicaid – means there is no safety net
o CAP MR/DD services are reduced or eliminated
o Community Support is eliminated: 33,000 people will be removed from this basic service that includes case management and support to live in the community.
o 5.5-6% reduction in provider rates means many providers will not be able to survive; jobs and services will be lost
o Special assistance decrease – impacts everyone in the mh/dd/sa community
IMPACT
The system will collapse
People with disabilities will lose services
People providing services will lose jobs
The state will lose tax revenue and federal funding
ACTION STEPS
1. Contact the Appropriations Committee Chairs and Speaker Hackney’s office TODAY – Tell them this budget harms people with developmental disabilities, addictive disease and mental illness. Tell them they were elected to protect their constituency. This budget does not do that because people will be hurt and jobs will be lost. They need to raise taxes to protect services and supports for people with MH/DD/SAS; SEE LIST BELOW for Appropriations Chairs and Speaker Hackney’s office. Or http://capwiz.com/cdpmi/home/
2. Contact your own legislators with this same message and let them know you are a voter in their district and you want them to raise taxes to prevent cuts to MH/DD/SA services. A listing of House members and info on how to find yours can be found at www.ncleg.net Personal contact is always best, but if you cannot call you can email through our online advocacy at http://capwiz.com/cdpmi/home/ (This site will also give you detailed info on your NC House Representative).
3. Letters to the Editor: write to your local paper expressing your concern. Short personal examples are best.
Appropriations Chairs:
Rep. Mickey Michaux- 919-715-2528 Mickey.Michaux@ncleg.net
Rep. Alma Adams- 919-733-5902 Alma.Adams@ncleg.net
Rep. Martha Alexander- 919-733-5807 Martha.Alexander@ncleg.net
Rep. Jim Crawford- 919-733-5824 Jim.Crawford@ncleg.net
Rep. Phillip Haire- 919-715-3005 Phillip.Haire@ncleg.net
Rep. Maggie Jeffus- 919-733-5191 Maggie.Jeffus@ncleg.net
Rep. Joe Tolson- 919-715-3024 Joe.Tolson@ncleg.net
Rep. Douglas Young- 919-733-5821 Douglas.Yongue@ncleg.net
Speaker of the House:
Rep. Joe Hackney- 919-733-3451 Joe.Hackney@ncleg.net
Additional Talking Points:
This budget harms people with developmental disabilities, addictive disease and mental illness.
The cuts in the House budget will result in collapse of the MH/DD/SAS system, a loss of services and service providers, and resulting loss of jobs will contribute to a worsening of the state’s economy.
Legislators are elected to protect their constituency. This budget does not do that because people will be hurt and jobs will be lost.
We need to raise taxes to protect services and supports for people with MH/DD/SAS. Stimulus funds are not preventing cuts to critical services – more state revenue is needed.
Health and Human Services are taking more than their share of budget cuts: new revenue needs to go back into the MH/DD/SAS and Medicaid budget to protect people.
