The Governor has declared a fiscal emergency and called a Special Session to address the budget shortfall of over $11 billion with an intention to pass the new budget by as early as late December 2008.
He proposes $3.5 billion in new taxes—including a three-year increase in the state sales tax— and $3.8 billion in new cuts. These new proposed cuts include Medi-Cal, CalWorks, SSI, Food Assistance, immigrant services, and the safety net. If these cuts are approved, it will severely impact low- income families, seniors and immigrants.
Major cuts that unfairly target immigrants and low-income communities include: (for more information www.krcla.org)
* Elimination of the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), which serves as a lifeline of living assistance for lawfully present elderly, disabled or blind immigrants
* Exclusion of lawfully present immigrants from full scope medical care under the Medi-Cal program
* Decreased parent eligibility for Medi-Cal and elimination of various services, including chiropractic, optical and adult dental care
KRC is raising our voices to oppose these devastating cuts in critical health and human services for vulnerable low-income families and immigrant communities. We are asking you to sign the form below and send it back to KRC via fax (323-937-3526) or email (sunhye [at] krcla.org) by December 19th, 2008.
Thank you for your support and collaboration.
Sunhye Choi
Health Access Coordinator
Korean Resource Center
Sample Letter
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
November 18, 2008
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,
Korean Resource Center (KRC) works to support and promote the Korean American community on the issues of education, health access, service, immigrant and civil rights, and voter empowerment. The undersigned organizations and community groups are deeply concerned with your recent budget proposal on essential health and human services programs. Immigrants, seniors and low-income families need the most help and support in these difficult economic times. If these cuts are approved, it will severely impact the lives of hard working immigrants and/or low-income families and seniors.
Of particular concern are:
Medi-Cal
•Eliminating services in Medi-Cal, including adult dental, chiropractic, speech therapy, podiatric, clinical psychology, and optical
•Cutting eligibility for parents in Medi-Cal from 100% of federal poverty line to 72%
oCutting parents from Medi-Cal who are working more than 100 hours a month
•Eliminating full-scope Medi-Cal for some lawfully present immigrants in California
Healthy Families Program
•Requiring new applicants to be in a waiting period of one year and until space is available
SSI/SSP
•Reducing state contribution to the federal minimum cuts $1 billion over a full year from the blind aged and disabled and reduces average grant funding by $77 per month.
•Eliminating Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
We believe that lifting up working families is the way to economic success. We call on the Governor and the Legislature to take a new and bold approach to solve our current budget crisis. It is time to make an increased investment in necessary programs and funding sources that help children and families thrive. With our recent economic crisis, many parents have lost their jobs and are in need of the safety net for their health and living. We need strong public programs that include services for immigrants and seniors, and more preventive support programs that reduce the need for emergency and crisis services. It is time to build a path to good jobs that sustain working families and communities, and reconnect our more vulnerable individuals to the support they need. We support your proposal for sales, liquor, and oil production tax increases and other creative ways to generate revenues. It is time to stimulate the economy by increasing taxes for those most able to contribute and sending those funds back into our economy.
Sincerely,
Organizational Endorsement Form
Subject Line: Signature: Organizations against Budget Cuts (November 2008)
Organization Name:
Representative:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Endorsing Organizations
as of 12/10/2008
Korean American Educational Research Center
Los Angeles New Times Presbyterian Church
Korean American Chamber of Commerce of LA
Algelus Plaza Korean Friendliness Club
Lomita Adult Day Health Center
LA Senior Citizens Society
FKACOUSA
Korean Resource Center (KRC)
Bethel Korean United Methodist Church
True Light Korean Presbyterian Church
Home on the Green Pastures
Korean Community Services, Inc.
Korean Chamber of Commerce of Orange County
Medical & Dental Association in San Fernando Valley
Korean Senior Citizens Association of S.F. Valley
Mejor Vida ADHC
Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team
California Partnership
Hunger Action LA
K.W. Lee Center for Leadership
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