HHS Network CA Blog

Thank you for your support of our rallies that took place earlier this week in Fresno, San Francisco, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles.  Together, we raised a strong and powerful voice against Governor Brown’s $2.5 billion in cuts to health and human services in the new budget.

We had such a strong response to our rallies that we want to keep the momentum going.  We’re planning a “State of the 99%” rally and press conference in Sacramento timed to coincide with the Governor’s “State of the State” speech next week.

Here are the event details:

When: Wednesday, January 18 at noon

Where: South Steps of Capitol Building

Contact: Forest Harlan of Independent Living Services of Northern California at 530-513-3594 or forest.harlan@ilsnc.org for more information.

We’re letting Governor Brown know that more deep cuts to essential services at a time of rising need for CA families is simply unacceptable.  Come make your voice heard!

We’re calling on legislators to budget for the 99% and uphold the social safety net that’s crucial for so many families.  California needs a state budget that prioritizes the needs of the 99% – including families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities!

Hope to see you on January 18^th in Sacramento.

As you may have heard, Governor Brown released his 2012-2013 CA Budget ahead of schedule yesterday.  The budget included severe cuts to Health and Human Services in CA – nearly $2.5 billion total.

We are appalled that Governor Brown’s solution to California’s budget crisis is $2.5 billion in cuts to essential health and human services. Since 2008, California’s health and human services have suffered an astounding $15 billion in cuts, and this budget only continues the gutting of the social safety net that so many California families depend on.

How the $2.5 Billion  in Cuts Breaks Down:
From our quick analysis, the Governor is making a $946 million cut to CalWORKS, an $842 million cut to MediCal, a $163 million cut to In-Home Supportive Services, a $447 million cut to child care programs, and $87 million in cuts to various other HHS services. You can read a summary of the budget at the Sacramento Bee for further details or this San Francisco Chronicle article for the general story.

How You Can Get Involved:
We must roll back the tide of continual cuts that target the same low-income and vulnerable Californians year after year.  Instead of cuts, we need a budget that provides for the needs of the 99% in California and supports the health and social programs that will help restore this state to prosperity. We are California and we will fight for a budget that puts us first, not last.

Join us across the state for our January 10 rallies as we make our voices heard in support of a budget that prioritizes families in California! Help us kick off our 2012 efforts to fight for the necessary revenues to fund essential services for the 99% in the CA Budget.

Los Angeles
When: noon
Where: State Building at 300 S. Spring Street
Contact: Astrid Campos at acampos@communitychange.org, (213) 407-5840

San Bernardino
When: noon
Where: State Building at 464 West 4th Street, Rosa Parks Building
Contact: Maribel Nuñez at mnunez@communitychange.org, (562) 569-4051

San Francisco
When: 3:00pm
Where: State Building at 350 McAllister St.
Contact: Pete Woiwode at pwoiwode@communitychange.org, (510) 504-9552

Fresno
When: noon
Where: State Building at 2550 Mariposa Mall
Contact: Rose Auguste at rauguste@health-access.org, (510) 842-6770

If you can’t attend one of our rallies, join our social media campaign! We suggest the following tweets and Facebook posts:

Twitter
CA needs a #CABudget that provides for the 99%! $2.5 billion in cuts to health and human services are unacceptable!

2012-2013 #CABudget includes $2.5B in cuts (on top of $15B since ‘08). Simply Unacceptable. Time 4 revenue solutions.

Facebook
Governor Brown’s solution to California’s budget crisis is an appalling $2.5 billion in cuts to Health and Human Services.  CA’s essential services have already suffered a $15 billion in cuts since 2008. We should instead be budgeting for the 99% – now is the time to protect the social safety net that so many CA families depend on!

Before we move into the New Year, we want to take a moment to thank everyone in the Network for your hard work in 2011, and fill you in on everything that’s happened across the state in the last two weeks. With recent cuts announced by the Governor, we’re deeply concerned about the Golden State’s essential services and programs. But we want you to know that in the midst of these tough times advocates have been hard at work telling the stories of what these cuts mean for the California families you serve and making the case for protecting our social safety net.

We kicked off the statewide week of action on Friday, December 9th with a Budget Forum and Press Conference in front of the Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles. Jean Ross of the CA Budget Project spoke about the human costs of the cuts to a large audience of advocates, and later Nancy Berlin of California Partnership gave a radio interview targeting Trigger Cuts.  The following Tuesday the Governor announced the cuts ahead of schedule, and we made our voices heard with a Vigil and March Against Trigger Cuts in Downtown Riverside. The march included a “Trigger Cuts Grinch” at the downtown Christmas display, and ultimately ended at the Occupy Riverside site. Check out the extensive coverage of the rallies by the San Bernardino Sun and the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

On Thursday, December 15th the Network had THREE events across the Golden State. Rallies in Sacramento, San Jose, and San Luis Obispo saw excellent turn-out, and received great media coverage, including by local TV stations. The Sacramento and San Jose rallies even featured holiday carols cleverly rewritten as Trigger Cuts protest songs. Our favorite new version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”: “You better not cut/ You better not bow/ You can raise revenues/ We’re telling you how/ Revenues are needed this year!”

Our Five-City rally was also covered twice by the Wall Street Journal, as well as many political blogs. You can check out all of the clips on the HHS website.

Finally, we’ve put together a Facebook slide show of the social safety net advocates who braved cold weather and rain to stand up for families in California. You are an inspiring sight! Our strong cry for revenue solutions before cuts is hitting home, with a poll showing that more than two-thirds of Californians are against Trigger Cuts, and revenue initiatives emerging for the November 2012 ballot.

We can’t wait to work with all of you in January, as we continue our fight to protect California’s vital services and social programs in next year’s budget. We’re planning a Statewide Day of Action on January 10th, with events in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, and San Bernardino to coincide with Governor Brown’s release of the new budget. Check out the details and get a flyer on the HHS website.

Photo Credit: San Bernardino Sun

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!

We’ll see you in the new year with a Statewide Day of Action on January 10, 2012 with press conferences and rallies in four cities across the Golden State! With the Governor’s early release of the budget, and with our social safety net in the balance, we’re organizing now so we can make our voices heard in support of essential services in CA.

We’ll roll out more details for you in early January, but below are the basic logistics. Please help us get the word out! You can also download our flyer to email to friends or print and post.

Fresno
When: noon
Where: State Building at 2550 Mariposa Mall
Contact: Rose Auguste at rauguste@health-access.org, (510) 842-6770 or Mari Lopez at mlopez@communitychange.org, (213) 369-9460

Los Angeles
When: noon
Where: State Building at 300 S. Spring Street
Contact: Astrid Campos at acampos@communitychange.org, (213) 407-5840

San Bernardino
When: noon
Where: State Building at 464 West 4th Street, Rosa Parks Building
Contact: Maribel Nuñez at mnunez@communitychange.org, (562) 569-4051

San Francisco
When: 3:00pm
Where: State Building at 350 McAllister St.
Contact: Pete Woiwode at pwoiwode@communitychange.org, (510) 504-9552

Yesterday, the Governor announced that almost $1 billion in trigger cuts to health and human services and education will take place.  We know that you – as an advocate for health and human services – will have many questions about how these cuts will affect the people you serve and how and when they will take place.

We want to share with you what we know so far, and we’ll continue to update you as we get more information about how these cuts will be implemented.

Trigger cuts to health and human services include the following:

• $100 million in cuts to developmental disability services
• $100 million in cuts to In-Home Supportive Services (note – a temporary restraining order prevents the IHSS cut from going into effect, pending a court hearing)
• $23 million in cuts to child care programs
• $8.6 million in cuts to Medi-Cal

If you’re interested in looking at the full list of trigger cuts, which also include cuts to education and other programs, we recommend this useful graphic provided by the Press-Enterprise.  For more analysis of the situation, we also suggest this article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

We want our leaders in Sacramento to understand the real consequences of trigger cuts, so we’ve started a statewide movement to call attention to the human cost of these cuts and the need for revenues to restore critical services.  We hope you’ll consider getting involved by attending an upcoming event and spreading the word.

Already, hundreds of people have come together at events in LA and Riverside.  Check out this article on the rally and vigil in Riverside, including great photos of the event.  Members of the HHS Network have also been featured on radio shows across the state this week talking about the human cost of trigger cuts.  We’re making sure California hears our message – enough is enough with cuts to the social safety net!

Tomorrow, we’ll continue this movement with events in Sacramento, San Jose, and San Luis Obispo.  The full details of these events are below.

Thank for you all that you do to stand up for health and human services, especially during these tough times.  We understand the challenges you face and recognize your hard work and dedication to California’s families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities.

Event Details:

San Luis Obispo

When:
December 15, 2011
Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Where:
Sidewalk Outside of Sen. Blakeslee’s Office
605 Santa Rosa Street
San Luis Obispo, CA  93401

Contact:
Mollie Culver at Culver.mollie@gmail.com

San Jose

When:
December 15, 2011
11:00 a.m. – Noon

Where:
State Building
100 Paseo de San Antonio
San Jose, CA 95113

Contact:
Pete Woiwode at Pete@communitychange.org

Sacramento

When:
December 15, 2011
Noon

Where:
State Capitol, North Steps

Contact:
Pete Woiwode at Pete@communitychange.org

As you may recall, in mid-December the State is set to announce if the California will cut up to $2.5 billion from health and human services and education programs.

From December 9th to December 15th, health and human service allies like you are coming together for five rallies across California against these impending trigger cuts.

At the events, we’ll bring attention to the human cost of more budget cuts and remind California how Republican legislators refused to consider revenue solutions that could have prevented this situation.  We’ll hear from the people who will be affected by these cuts and we’ll call for revenue solutions to rebuild and restore our social safety net.

We hope you’ll consider attending an event and encourage your communities to do the same!

Los Angeles
When:  December 9, 2011
Budget Forum:  10:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Trigger Cuts Press Conference: 12:45 p.m.
Where:  Planned Parenthood LA
400 W 30th Street
Los Angeles, CA  90007
Contact: Astrid Campos at acampos@communitychange.org

Riverside
When:  December 13, 2011, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Where:  Meet at 4445 Magnolia Ave.
Riverside, CA  92521
March from Magnolia Ave. to Downtown Riverside, last stop @ Occupy Riverside
Front of Riverside City Campus (Magnolia/Terracina Drive) Sidewalk
Contact:  Maribel Nunez at (562) 569-4051 or mnunez@communitychange.org

San Luis Obispo
When:  December 15, 2011, noon – 1:00 p.m.
Where:  Sidewalk Outside of Sen. Blakeslee’s Office
605 Santa Rosa Street San Luis Obispo, CA  93401
Contact: Mollie Culver at Culver.mollie@gmail.com

San Jose
When:  December 15, 2011, 11:00 a.m. – noon
Where:  State Building
100 Paseo de San Antonio San Jose, CA 95113
Contact:  Pete Woiwode at Pete@communitychange.org

Sacramento
When: December 15, 2011, noon – 1pm
Where:  State Capitol
Exact Location TBA, contact Pete Woiwode for details
Contact: Pete Woiwode at Pete@communitychange.org

Please take a moment to forward this email to your friends, family and communities – anyone who you think is interested in protecting health and human services.

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

We’re going to start the drum beat early with a social media campaign on trigger cuts. Join us! We have a few suggestions here for Twitter and Facebook, but you can find a whole list on our website. One tweet or Facebook post a day will help us create an echo chamber of support for health and human services in California.

Twitter

With a rising poverty rate for CA children, let’s shine a spotlight on our social safety net, and find an alternative to trigger cuts! #cabudget  #priorities

CA families = golden state’s recovery engine. Let’s support them w/healthcare, education, and vital services, not trigger cuts. #cabudget

Revenue solutions before trigger cuts! Essential services and HHS jobs are a vital part of an economic recovery in CA. #cabudget

@JerryBrownGov Let’s prioritize CA families by finding revenue solutions, not cutting pgms and edu. We will stand behind you. #cabudget

Facebook

Trigger Cuts in CA only add to a failing approach – the nearly $15 billion in cuts Health and Human Services in California have already suffered since 2008. Let’s steer a new course by rebuilding our social safety net and restoring the golden state with revenue solutions.

The GOP blockade of revenue solutions in CA is hurting our state’s health programs, education, and social services. CA families need these services more than ever in this economy. Let’s budget with revenue solutions, not cuts, as we steer a path to economic recovery.

Cuts to health and human services are not the only way to budget! A few alternative solutions to trigger cuts: tax oil production, eliminate corporate property tax loopholes, raise income taxes on the richest 1%, and eliminate corporate tax breaks that don’t pass jobs tests. It’s time to get serious about revenue solutions in the CA budget.

You may have already heard that Governor Brown is expected to announce a multibillion dollar revenue initiative tomorrow, one in a wave of revenue solutions that have been discussed for next year’s ballot. We are pleased to see so many new revenue solutions at the center of the CA budget discussion.

We thought we’d give you the lay of the land as we start to define and examine California’s options in steering away from drastic cuts to social programs and towards rebuilding and restoring prosperity in our state with a strong social safety net. With a potential deficit this year of $3.7 billion, and a potential $13 billion shortfall next fiscal year, revenue solutions are sorely needed.

Governor Brown’s Tax Initiative
According to current reports, Governor Brown’s proposal would add an extra 1% tax on individual income above $250,000 a year. Individuals making between $300,000 and $500,000 would be taxed an additional 1.5% for that income, and those making more than $500,000 would see an additional 2% hike. Those temporary hikes, coupled with Brown’s proposed sales tax increase of half a percent, could raise about $7 billion dollars for California.
Status: Brown could file his initiative for the November 2012 ballot as soon as tomorrow.

California Federation of Teachers
The CFT is proposing a hike on personal income taxes for CA’s top 1%, those who make about $500,000 annually. This would raise about $6 billion dollars for the state’s general fund.
Status: Still in discussion/planning stages.

Think Long Committee for California
The Think Long Committee, a coalition of big names in CA politics and business, proposed an initiative this week that would overhaul the state’s tax system. The initiative would raise $10 billion by expanding the sales tax to all services except health care and education, while reducing personal and corporate taxes. The sales tax on goods would also drop by half a percentage points. The TLC also proposes changing Proposition 98 to eliminate the guarantee that 40% of the state budget goes to K – 12 education.
Status: Expected to file in the next few days.

The Oil Tax to Fund Education Act
This initiative proposes a 15% oil and natural gas severance tax to fund K-12 education, CA Community Colleges, the California State University System and the University of California.
Status: The initiative has been filed with the CA Attorney General, but is unfunded.

The Advancement Project
The Advancement Project, a national civil rights organization, is sponsoring an initiative that would raise $10 billion for K-12 education and preschools by raising the state income tax an average of 1%, primarily on the rich. The initiative targets low-income students, who’d get a larger piece of the funding.
Status: The initiative will likely be filed this week, and has promised funding. The Advancement Project was co-founded by Molly Munger, the daughter of Warren Buffett’s investment partner. Munger has promised that she and others will put up the millions of dollars needed to qualify and promote the initiative.

We’ll keep you updated as news of revenue solutions rolls out and the November 2012 ballot takes shape.

Dear Allies,

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and communities.  Now that we’re back, we want to update you on last week’s Super Committee developments.

You may have already heard the news that the Congressional Super Committee charged with reducing the national debt by $1.2 trillion did not reach a compromise agreement.

While reducing our federal debt is an admirable goal, we were deeply concerned during this process that the Super Committee would achieve their objective by slashing social service programs.  As you well know, this would have a devastating effect on a social safety net that’s been already deeply cut.

Making matters worse, Congressional Republicans on the Super Committee made only superficial attempts at putting revenue solutions on the table.  One proposal put forth would have actually cut taxes for the wealthy and instead shifted the tax burden to low and middle-income Americans.

We’re glad that Democratic Representatives of the Super Committee stood strong against these disingenuous offers and protected the social services that many families depend on – from Social Security to Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and food stamps.

So, what happens now?

Because the Super Committee didn’t reach an agreement, $984 billion in automatic cuts will likely go into effect over the next 10 years.  These cuts will be split evenly between defense and social programs, starting in January 2013.  That works out to about $55 billion in cuts annually each year from defense and social programs.

Social Programs

Thankfully, Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and food stamps will be exempt from these cuts.  Medicare will suffer a two percent reduction, and other programs that play a key role in the social safety may also suffer some cuts.  While we don’t like to see further cuts to health and human services, a compromise from the Super Committee might have slashed these programs across the board.

Defense

These automatic cuts also more fairly share the burden between social and defense programs.  If the automatic triggers go into effect, the Department of Defense budget will be cut by approximately 11% or around $450 billion over the next decade.  That will bring the Defense budget back to 2007 levels; though even at these levels the United States will still spend four times more than China.

News of the Super Committee’s inability to reach a compromise has also brought rumors that the GOP is drafting legislation to reduce the Defense Department’s burden in automatic cuts.  Although President Obama has promised to veto such legislation, we will be keeping an eye on these developments.

Real Revenue Solutions

As you well know, further cuts to social programs will be devastating for American families.  Data from the 2010 census shows that the poverty rate for American children is approaching 25%, making our youngest generation the largest to grow up in poverty since the Great Depression.

Now is the time for us to prioritize American families in the federal budget. With that in mind, read our blog post about revenue solutions to help prevent cuts to health and human services.

Thank you for your time and advocacy efforts!

Last week brought news that the Congressional Super Committee charged with reducing the national debt by $1.2 trillion did not reach a compromise agreement.

While reducing our federal debt is an admirable goal, we were deeply concerned during this process that the Super Committee would achieve their objective by slashing social service programs.  As you well know, this would have a devastating effect on a social safety net that’s been already deeply cut.

Instead of more cuts, we’d like to discuss some revenue solutions that will help us balance the books and prioritize families and communities – our country’s economic engine – within the national budget.

Congress should let the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire. That would save our national budget $2.5 trillion from 2012 to 2019, and reduce the deficit to 3% of the economy, an acceptable level.  It makes no sense to cut deeper into our social safety net when the wealthiest Americans have been enjoying historically low tax levels since 2001. You can read more about the Bush tax cuts in this report by the Center on Budget and Policy priorities.

Congress should make smart and sensible adjustments on tax policy – ones that are favored even by Warren Buffet. Creating new tax brackets for annual income starting above $1 million, and taxing income from capital gains and dividends at the same rate as income from work for taxpayers with income above $1 million, as proposed by the Fairness in Taxation Act, H. R. 1124, would raise about $784 billion over ten years.

We must close corporate tax loopholes that let billions slip through the cracks, including tax breaks for the oil and gas industries and corporations that move jobs and profits overseas. A more robust set of corporate tax reforms proposed by Citizens for Tax Justice would raise $451 billion over five years, or roughly $900 billion over the next ten years.