[lbo-talk] a shred of hope

[Marta Russell]

>
>Marta-- that is a completely false and disingenuous description of what's
>going on.  The Democrats (including even Davis who doesn't go as far as
>Burton) have proposed billions in tax hikes.  But under the Gann limits,
>they need a two-thirds vote to pass any tax bill and the Republicans have
>more than the third of votes needed to veto any tax bill.
>
>
CA UCP Capitol Report #35-2003
>APRIL 9, 2003 - Wednesday morning
>
>Over 2,500 People March On State Capitol for Rights of People With
>Developmental Disabilities
>
>Protesting Governor Davis' proposed massive cuts to services for people
>with developmental and other disabilities, over 2,500 people marched from
>the Sacramento Convention Center, following a rally, to the State Capitol
>Monday afternoon (April 7), chanting "we have rights!" and "no more
>cuts!!!! to the beat of drums and clapping.
>
>Advocates claim that the Governor's proposals would all but eliminate the
>civil rights act - California is the only state that has one - for people
>with developmental disabilities (the "Lanterman Developmental Disabilities
>Services Act" authored by Assembly Frank Lanterman and passed in 1969 and
>signed by then Governor Ronald Reagan.) Advocates also claim that massive
>cuts proposed by the Governor to Medi-Cal, including elimination of
>"optional benefits" and Medi-Cal provider rate cuts, cuts to Department of
>Rwhabilitation programs, cuts to SSI/SSP, and enormous increases in
>workers compensation and insurance costs to community based providers is
>devastating services for people with developmental and other disabilities.
>Many programs, services and facilities that serve people with
>developmental disabilities have already closed down, according to these
>advocates.
>
>Several of the State Capitol and local police who observed the march on
>Monday, said yesterday that it was one of the largest in recent memory and
>unofficially estimated the marching crowd at between 2,500 to 3,000.  Two
>officers thought the crowd was even larger than that. An exact number was
>hard to estimate since the huge crowd covered the entire 8 block route
>from the Sacramento Convention Center to the area on the Capitol grounds
>bordering N Street, where they congregated until the legislative budget
>hearings started later that day.  Sacramento City Police provided traffic
>control due to the large size of the crowds, stopping traffic on L and
>12th and 11th and L Streets.
>
>Later, hundreds of the marchers entered into the State Capitol from three
>entrances to pack the hearing rooms and hallways where the Senate (and
>later the Assembly) held budget hearings to consider the Governor's
>proposed cuts to services and supports to people with developmental
>disabilities.  Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata), chair of the Senate Budget and
>Fiscal Review Committee Chair and also of the subcommittee that deals with
>budget issues impacting health and human services, told the packed chamber
>that it was largest crowd he has ever seen in the hearing room. His
>remarks were televised on TV monitors and seen by crowds outside in the
>hallways on the fourth floor, third floor and in a hearing room on the
>second floor of the Capitol to accommodate some of the overflow crowds.
>
>Both the Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees that met April 7th heard
>testimonies from large numbers of these people, many who have never been
>in the Capitol before.  Both hearings went into the evening hours - with
>the Assembly budget hearing, chaired by Assemblywoman Judy Chu (D-Monterey
>Park), which convened late, not adjourning until close to 9 PM.  No final
>actions were taken by either subcommittee - though there seemed to be
>growing opposition by committee members regarding the Governor's proposal
>to implement requirements for families to pay some level of payment for
>community-based services for their children 3-17.  [Note: please see UCP
>Capitol Report #36-2003 for more details on what the Assembly and Senate
>budget subcommittees did on April 7th]
>
>Prior to the march, about over 1,500 jammed an exhibit hall at the
>Sacramento Convention Center for a 75 minute rally, with hundreds more in
>the lobby and sidewalk outside.  Those inside heard short 30-second
>testimonies on the impact of the Governor's proposed cuts from people with
>developmental disabilities, family members, parents, direct care staff,
>community based providers, regional center staff and other advocates. The
>crowd also saw a video presentation and heard songs from person with a
>developmental disabilities, Michael Valcour.  A moment of silence was
>observed at the beginning of the rally in honor of the US (and Coalition
>troops) who died in Iraq.  The moment of silence was also in memory of the
>late United Farmworker Union leader Cesar Chavez, whose birthday
>observance was March 31, and for civil rights leader Martin Luther King
>Jr. who was assassinated 34 years ago in April 1968.
>
>The rally, march, and the hundreds who packed the hearing rooms on Monday,
>April 7, was organized by the California Community Advocacy Network, a
>non-partisan network of people with developmental disabilities (including
>self advocacy People First groups across the state), parents and other
>family members, direct care staff, providers and other advocates, statwide
>associations of providers, parents and other groups, regional centers,
>independent living centers, area boards on developmental disabilities and
>other community groups and organizations.
>
>The events on April 7th followed a successful gathering on April 5th of
>about 200 people gathered on the State Capitol, organized by a coalition
>of 27 different groups focused on the developmental disability of autism.
>The coalition of autism groups later met on Sunday, April 6th in an effort
>to unify and organize efforts. These same groups also participated in the
>April 7th rally and march on the State Capitol.
>
>NEXT STEPS
>[Note: please see UCP Capitol Report #36-2003 for more details on what the
>Assembly and Senate budget subcommittees did on April 7th]
>* Organizers intend to follow-up the rally and march - and attendance at
>the budget hearings, with continuing efforts to organize advocates in
>every state legislative district. Teams of advocates (including people
>with developmental disabilities, families, direct care workers, providers,
>regional centers and others) have been already organized in many
>legislative districts.  Organizers say the intend to hold legislators and
>the Governor "accountable" - and intend on continued advocacy efforts on a
>"permanent basis".
>* Another rally is being planned by the organizers of the California
>Community Advocacy Network in May to protest what is expected to be more
>bad news when Governor Davis releases his revisions to his proposed budget
>- referred to as the "May Revise" on May 15. More details will be released.
>
>NOTE: This is a report for Californians with developmental (& other
>disabilities), parents and families, providers and other advocates from
>the California Coalition of United Cerebral Palsy Associations. If you
>would like to get on this distribution (and conversely, get off of it)
>please send an email with that request to: martyomoto at rcip.com. Additions
>can be added immediately.  Sharing information is part of our organizing
>effort. Please feel free to forward/copy this (attribution is nice).
>Thanks! Remember - we are all in this together.
>
>FOR MORE INFORMATION
>Marty Omoto, Legislative Director
>CA Coalition of United Cerebral Palsy Associations
>1225 8th Street Suite 480 Sacramento, CA 95814
>916/446-3204  FAX: 916/446-3206 email: martyomoto at rcip.com
>Coalition Chair: Michael Williams (UCP of the Golden Gate)
>Immediate Past Chair: Ron Cohen (UCP LA and Ventura Counties)

-- 
Marta Russell
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.disweb.org