"Promoting the socio-economic independence of persons with disabilities by providing peer-supported, consumer-directed independent living services and advocacy."

NEW! 2008 Budget Update . . . Here we go again. As of today, January 8th 2008, we are now wrestling with a 14 billion dollar state deficit. The Schwarzenegger administration is once again proposing life endangering cuts to all the safety net programs utilized by poor women, children, persons with disabilities, and seniors. Why?...because they are wrong mindedly committed to tax breaks and corporate loopholes for the rich. The cruelest and craziest of strategies is the continued holding of the SSI (Supplemental Security Income)/SSP (State Supplemental Income) cost of living allowances (COLAs). At first glance it seems reasonable...no raises in times of debt. If you look deep and have been keeping track you will see that the poorest SSI/SSP households in California have not received their annual adjustments on time for the last 20 years. If they had they would be receiving $1020 a month to live on instead of the current $880 per month. That $140 per month is critical in the current housing economy. As you know the waiting list for housing subsidies is five years and beyond. Fair market rents for Class C 1 bedroom apartments are out of reach at $750+ per month. We know there is no way a family can live on $100 after the rent is paid. The cuts to the IHSS program will guarantee more crisis and endangerment to the low-income disability community. This morning, Joan Lee, our esteemed coalition colleague from the Gray Panthers sent a letter to State Senator Darrell Steinberg asking him to utilize his new power as President Pro Tem elect to undo the proposed IHSS and other support services program cuts. Her written word is so logically fair and reasonable that I want to reprint it here for you. After reading Joan's letter I ask you to reflect for a few moments on the obscene thievery of the budget proposal. Once again we will be robbing the many poor to enrich the wealthy few. It's a reverse Robinhood that must not go uncontested. Get in touch with your sense of fairness and call our office and talk to Community Advocate, Michael Dunne (446-3074). Tell Michael we can count on you to work with RIL and our coalition partners to educate the public and the legislature to reject these life threatening program cuts. If you saved any of the old placards, buttons or T-Shirts from previous budget battles take them out and dust them off. We will be calling on you to rally and speak out on a weekly basis all the way through the May Revise process. Respectfully for a fair and balanced budget, Frances Gracechild, RIL Executive Director Ramona Garcia, RIL Board Chair

We Remember! New IHSS Cuts are 2004 Redux!

The Same Old Story
2004 IHSS Program Fights for Survival Again
by Frances Gracechild and Ramona Garcia

In November of 2003, amid a rancorous gubernatorial recall election, we witnessed a very wealthy, popular, Hollywood celebrity candidate optimistically proclaim that he would come to Sacramento and clean up the "deficit mess". He claimed California had no revenue problem. He insisted we simply had a spending problem. With the simplicity of that message he boasted that he could balance the budget without jeopardizing essential services for children and other at risk groups such as seniors and Californians with disabilities. Many well meaning voters believed him and took the leap of faith he required of them. They voted to replace Governor Davis and signed up for a change of power with the Schwarzenegger crew.

By mid January of 2004 that simple message was beginning to feel like a bait and switch scam. Not only was the Governor unable to structurally fix the deficit (balance revenues without elimination of essential program services) he also recanted on where he would go to save money. He took aim immediately at the In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program among other programs that serve seniors and children. Specifically, he went after what is called the IHSS Residual Program, a portion of the larger IHSS program which is compromised of IHSS workers that are family members of the IHSS consumer (spouses, adult children, parents). This proposed budget cut would devastate over 75,000 families desperately trying to keep loved ones from having to enter custodial care facilities (nursing homes).

Resources for Independent Living (RIL) and our many colleagues in other disability and senior programs joined forces with Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) Home Care Coalition. RIL reenergized the statewide Quality Home Care Coalition (QHCC) by staffing the outreach and communications campaign to over 200 individuals and more than 40 advocacy and service organizations. Evan LeVang, Executive Director of the Chico Independent Living Center, served as Chair of the QHCC.

RIL board member, Marty Omoto, Director of the California Disability Community Action Network (CDCAN) provided day after day organizing information and strategy advice. All through the rainy season of winter and spring and right on through the first summer heat waves in June QHCC produced and/or participated in over 10 budget protest rallies. There were thousands of disability and senior activists at every event. Legislative hearing rooms were filled to capacity. IHSS consumers and their care providers spoke up and told their compelling stories of survival.

The work of the QHCC resulted in the recension of all IHSS state funding cuts including the proposed rollback of IHSS worker wages to minimum wage.

Fiscal Year 2005-2006 will come around quickly and the state budget fiasco will reappear. This time there will be no previous Governor to blame. The Schwarzenegger administration will face the taxpayers and voters with more red ink and this time the credit cards have been charged to maximum
capacity.

RIL's Board of Directors, staff, and consumers advocates will urge the Governor to rethink his mantra regarding "no new taxes". The wealthiest California families (incomes of $250,000+ per year) enjoyed up to $70,000 in tax breaks to their individual family budgets. That tax break for the most financially fortunate families was purchased at the very high cost of borrowing money on the future of California's children. The debt service will result in even more draconian budget cut proposals to education, health, and human services for FY 2005-2006. RIL and the Quality Home Care Coalition will again defend the disability, senior, and low- income communities by engaging with the Administration, the Legislature and the people of California on the need for a fair and balanced budget. We invite all friends and supporters to join us. Call our Advocate Community Organizer, Michael Dunne, at 916-446-3074 and tell him you wish to be on our budget watch mailing list and be a part of the Quality Home Care Coalition.