From the JFA Moderator:
California disability rights advocates have been fighting for their lives against the severe budget cuts that Governor Schwarzenegger and the state legislature have been making.
From Christina Mills (7/8/09):
Advocates in California organized a blockade
in front of the Governor’s Capitol office yesterday. We’ve been advocating
against the State Budget Social Services cuts for months! SSI/SSP payments have
been reduced twice this year, Several Medi-Cal (Medicaid) Optional Benefits
have been eliminated, and home care continues to remain on the chopping block.
The Governor is referring to our home care program (In Home Support Services)
as a program that was designed to be fraudulent and rip off the tax payers.
From Jessica Lehman (7/8/09):
We had a sit-in at the State Capitol, blocking the main entrance to the governor's office and the hallway outside the office, for 7 hours yesterday. Several Democrats from the state legislature came down to address the group and apparently it was the buzz of the Capitol all day. We hope that it pushed the Governor and the Republicans to consider revenues, gave strength to the Dems to hold out against a cuts-only budget, and instilled energy in the statewide broad-coalition fight for a fair budget. In the end,12 of us were arrested at 7 pm, cited and released immediately.
See the following media reporting for additional coverage:
From ABC News 7
Protestors block governor's office
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/state&id=6903882&rss=rss-kgo-article-6903882
From the Sacramento Bee
15 protesters arrested at Schwarzenegger's office
By Bee Staff (July 10, 2009)
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2008290.html
From the MichaelMoore.com
15 protesters cited at Capitol
By Jim Sanders (July 8, 2009)
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=14174
From the ABC News10
Budget Crisis Stirs Conflict, Arrests, Boycotts
By Ayesha Thomas (July 8, 2009)
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=62755
From Newsvine.com
Capitol Alert: 15 protesters cited at California Capitol
July 8, 2009
http://dcstone01.newsvine.com/_news/2009/07/08/3006879-capitol-alert-15-protesters-cited-at-california-capitol
From Calitics
Wheelchair Warriors Take Up Positions in the Capitol
by Robert Cruickshank Jul 07, 2009
http://calitics.com/diary/9321/wheelchair-warriors-take-up-positions-in-the-capitol
From Health Access
by Anthony Wright
July 7, 2009
http://blog.health-access.org/2009/07/inspiring.htm
From the Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia) Tuesday July 7, 2009:
No sign of progress on Calif's $26B shortfall
The Associated Press
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/200907070407
Stay tuned for more as things develop in California.
My life is ruined becuse of these cuts to SSI/SSD.My husband passed away in January of this year. I was struggling to survive on SSI/SSD. I WAS BARELY MAKING ENDS MEET. NOW, SINCE THE CUTS, MY HOME MAS GONE INTO FORECLOSURE. MY SON AND I AM GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO LIVE ON $870/MO. hEELLO HOMELESS;HERE WE COME!
Patricia Patrick
Mistique2007@aol.com
Posted by: Patricia | July 10, 2009 at 05:15 PM
I'm not from California, but here, as far as I can tell, ALL of the disabled programs are fraudulent! The only people that are getting any good are the social people and the medical industry. I don't think that "cutting benefits" is the solution, but someone, somewhere needs to grow a brain and a soul.
And, not to beat a dead horse for the umpteenth time, it would be nice to get notice BEFORE the event. I know I would risk my life to be there.
Posted by: Ralph | July 10, 2009 at 06:11 PM