The California Budget Battle Continues: Let It Shine: Candlelight Vigil

There is still a big legislative effort on achieving a budget increase for disability services.   People pushed for a 10% increase. But this was reduced to 5% by committee–and that could be reduced or eliminated as the budget goes through the legislature and to the Governor’s desk.  Now would be a good time to tweet, email and call.  If you can do all three, please do all three.  Here’s a video to link in a tweet and some hashtags to include.

#LetItShine #KeepThePromise #DoTheRightThing #CABudget

How to get involved in the virtual vigil

• Go to Lanterman’s YouTube page. Copy the link for the video, “Let It Shine,” and paste it to your Facebook or Twitter.

• Include the hashtags: #LetItShine #KeepThePromise #DoTheRightThing #CABudget

• And tag the two legislative leaders and governor: @kdeleon @ToniAtkins @JerryBrownGov

Here’s a message from The Arc & United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration:

Make 5 short calls or fax 5 short letters

For those who haven’t yet made five short calls or faxed (not just emailed) five short letters to the five top decision-makers, please do that as soon as you can, too. People who’ve been making the calls tell me that some of the staffers answering the phones are getting so many calls they can practically tell the callers what they are going to say. That’s a big tribute to our united community effort and a demonstration of our new political power. But we need a lot more.

Here’s who to call or fax:

–           Governor Jerry Brown, 916-445-2841 (fax 916-558-3160)

–           Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, 916-651-4024 (fax 916-651-4924)

–           Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, 916-319-2078 (fax 916-319-2178)

–           Senate Budget Chair Mark Leno, 916-651-4011 (fax 916-651-4911

–           Assembly Budget Chair Shirley Weber, 916-319-2079 (fax 916-319-2179)

What you might say

 

“My name is __ and my address is __. I’m calling about the developmental services budget because ___ [tell them why you care].

“The budget conference committee’s actions will not be enough to stop our community service system from continuing to crumble. But they will save some of our services that that will close without them. Please don’t allow any cuts from what the committee passed.

 

“And please support the system reforms that the committee approved -– especially the language that says the savings from closing the developmental centers should go to the community services.

“Thank you.”