For Immediate Release
June 25, 2008
Contacts:
Caroline Lee, (213) 814.8772, English/Korean
Sookyung Oh, (267) 334. 5918, English
“Protecting All California Seniors and Children!”
(Los Angeles, CA) During this critical moment of deliberations over California’s state budget, approximately 200 California residents, including children and elderly will gather in front of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Los Angeles District Office to voice opposition to cuts to health and human service programs. At that time, community members and advocates will also deliver over 7,000 signatures, collected in just 7 days, from Californians requesting that the Governor reconsider cuts to vital safety net programs.
“In his May Revise, Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing to eliminate critical benefits to seniors, the very people who nurtured and taught us to value human life. These cuts will take away their only lifeline. To deny legal immigrant parents and children access to preventive health services is harsh and mean-spirited. We need to stand up for community values, the bedrock that ensures that everyone has a chance to laugh, work hard and be proudly contribute to California’s growth,” stated Caroline Lee, Health Access Director, KRC.
Immigrants and low-income community members pay taxes that support all Californians and help make up the backbone of the economy; to deny them access to the very services they support is discriminatory and wrong.
Who: Korean Resource Center, community members
What: Rally against California's State Budget Cuts
Press conference: 12:10p.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Speakers: Caroline Lee (KRC), Ja Ae Choi (Korean American community member), Korie White Flournoy (Community Health Councils, Inc), Jennifer Hernandez (California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation / Having our Say Coalition), Jeong Yoo Lee (Korean American community member)
Legislative Visit: 12:30 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Delegates: Jennifer Hernandez, Caroline Lee, Eun Sook Lee (National Korean American Services and Education Consortium), Mark Parades (Community Health Councils, Inc.)
Where: Governor's Office in downtown L.A. (300 S Spring St, Los Angeles CA 90013)
When: Friday, June 27 at 12:00 PM
NOTE TO EDITORS: Attached are profiles of community members who would be impacted by Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts in CAPI, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families and will be present during the rally to be available for interview. To schedule an interview, please contact Caroline Lee at 213.814.8772, clee [at] krcla.org or Sookyung Oh at 267.334.5918, soh [at] nakasec.org.
Community Members Impacted by the Inhumane Cuts to Safety Net Programs
Jeong Yoo Lee
Jeong Yoo Lee is a 72-year-old Korean American legal permanent resident and has lived in the United States for the past 21 years. Like many other immigrants, Mr. Lee has worked very hard for a better life. For 9 years he worked at a swap meet selling picture frames. His health started to fail and he could no longer work. For various reasons, Mr. Lee was unable to naturalize. Living alone without children and ineligible for Supplemental Security Income and disability benefits, Mr. Lee’s only lifeline is CAPI. He asks “How am I supposed to live? Eliminating CAPI would be the same as asking me to put my life on the line.”
Ju Yeon Ryu
Ju Yeon Ryu lives in Anaheim, CA and works as a parent advocate at a non-profit. Her husband runs a small acupuncture clinic in Maywood, CA. Their combined income covers the basic necessities. About 18 months ago, their lives were blessed with their baby, Jongsun. Unable to afford private coverage, Jongsun is enrolled in the Healthy Families Program, California’s version of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). With Congress’ failure to reauthorize long-term SCHIP expansion along with the Govenor’s proposal to raise Healthy Families Program premiums, she asks, “How will California’s working parents care for their children?”
Ja Ae Choi
Ja Ae Choi is a 75 year old Korean American who to this date, has lived in the United States as a legal permanent resident for four years. She is also a Medi-Cal beneficiary. If the Governor’s proposal to restrict full-scope Medi-Cal to legal immigrants who have lived in California for over 5 years, seniors like Mrs. Choi who help fund these public services, will be cut off. She asks, “Will I get cut off? If that happens, I will have no other way of seeing a doctor when I’m sick.”
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