Budget Battle Update

Last week, I was in Washington D.C. with other advocates at The Arc's National Disability Policy Conference where we reviewed the President's 2011 budget request to Congress. The budget level-funds most disability related programs, provides small increases for some priorities and cuts or consolidates others. Members of The Arc, UCP and other leading advocacy organizations have responded with our own recommendations affecting housing, health care and education for our constituency.
The attached FACT SHEET provides our summary. Work on the FY 2011 Budget Resolution begins in mid-April, so we'll keep you posted.

On the state front, the Schwarzenegger administration asked the Legislature on 4/26 to cut another 1.25% from the amount the state pays to community service providers, and the same percentage from the regional centers' operating budgets. That's on top of the 3% cuts last year.

Together with the loss of adult education and other funds, that would cut some service providers by 10%.

Please take this opportunity to let legislators know cuts to services for people with developmental disabilities is not the fix that's needed. Our Legislator, Senator Mark Leno, needs to hear from clients, service providers and family members regarding the impact further cuts to services will have on people with developmental disabilities, from the continued erosion of basic services and supports to the possible closure of some service resources. Contact Senator Leno today.

Keep advocating!
Tim
CEO, The Arc of San Francisco

CEO Advocacy Update

Over 500 advocates attended The Arc's National Disability Policy Conference last week, including our own self-advocate Mark Marshall, parents Pat Napoliello and Jackie Kenley, and myself. We heard presentations and national budget recommendations on Health Care Reform, Employment, Housing, Education and Legislation in need of reauthorization. We then visited our legislators on Capitol Hill, urging their support. We were able to personally meet with Senator Feinstein, Senator Boxer, and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (who worked with our clients earlier in her career). We were even able to get into the offices of Senator Pelosi and speak with two of her top aides on Education and Health Care.
Our Governor has requested more funding and an extension of the enhanced federal share of MediCaid spending (FMAP) for California, or he will eliminate our In Home Support Services, CalWorks, and Healthy Families. These services severely impact our clients, including current cuts in MediCal. We asked for their support. We advocated for the passage of the Direct Support Professional Training Act, which would offer increased training and salaries to Direct Support Professionals. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) needs adequate funding for programs like the former No Child Left Behind. Over 40,000 uncertified teachers are currently teaching in Special Education throughout the country.
We gave examples of the serious housing needs in the Bay Area, and informed legislators of the new 53,000 Section 8 Housing Vouchers for which our state should be applying! Mark Marshall shared how important his job coach is to him, and that both the Vocational Rehab Act and Work Initiative Act (WIA) should be reauthorized. Finally, the CLASS Act (Community Living Asistance Services and Supports) is currently part of the new Health Care Reform. It creates a new national long-term care insurance program for people to pay into; so that they can remain independent, employed, and engaged in their community if they develop a functional impairment, thus not having to declare bankruptcy, which is the current situation. We asked our representatives not to vote this out of the new Health Care Reform Act.
I will sharing more on the issues that we emphasized, and I hope that you too will take this opportunity to contact our legislators.

Keep advocating!
Tim
Tim Hornbecker, CEO

Dish It Up!

This week we have an entry from Helen Yu who loves to cook and share good food with her friends.

Seredipity's Recipes

Hi everyone, I'm Helen. This is my first recipe for The Arc's BlogTalk with many more to come!
When I first tasted this recipe from my instructor Howard, I asked him, "Can you give this recipe to me please?" After I tried it, I felt like this is my favorite recipe and I really love it. It is also very easy to make and healthy to eat. When it was my birthday, I made this recipe and at the same time Howard left me a message saying 'Happy Birthday' and it was serendipity.

Howard's Recipe
7 1/2 lb. salmon, skin removed (or 4 pre-packaged salmon patties)
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dill
1 egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon reduced fat mayonaisse
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 onion
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Mix all ingredients except the cooking spray in a medium size bowl. Form into 4 equal-size patties. Coat a medium nonstick pan with the cooking spray, heat over medium high heat. Cook the salmon patties on both sides until golden brown. Serve. Serendipity!

Dish It Up!

March: Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

More Alike Than Different
That's the title of a book by Lee Bussard, still available on Amazon.com.
Lee was an ardent advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But he was also a motivational speaker and comedian with cerebral palsy who spoke at conventions and to Fortune 500 companies worldwide.
His goal was to take the "D" out of D-isabled. Labels like "disabled" or "handicapped" emphasize what people with disabilities (note the people first language; not 'disabled people') cannot do, instead of what they can do.
Lee would say that all of us are more alike than different, with the same hopes, dreams and desires for self-determination, dignity and quality of life.
In March, Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we invite you to join The Arc in celebrating our similarities rather than our differences.

The Vision of The Arc of San Francisco
A community where disability is a distinction without a difference.

Tim Hornbecker, CEO

End the "R-Word" Now

The Arc is just one of thousands of organizations joining the "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaign. Tim Shriver and the Special Olympics have collaborated with The Arc to meet with the White House staff in seeking a public apology from Rahm Emanuel's use of the words "f----- retarded" in a closed door rant against some liberal activists' idea to run ads against conservative Democrats.

Then we have Rush Limbaugh almost 'rushing' to Emanuel's defense, and objecting to Sarah Palin's condemnation of the use of the "r-word" by saying on the air, "Our politically correct society is acting like some giant insult's taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards." (See story.)

Last year, The Arc sponsored a Rally for Respect in reaction to the use of the r-word in the movie Tropical Thunder. I marched outside the Lowe's Theatre with Ray, one of our clients. He told a news reporter and me how hurtful it was to be called "Retard Ray" in grammar and high school. There are thousands like Ray, and enough is enough. Can we finally put an end to the use of such demeaning, damaging terms, equal to using the n-word?

Please do your part. So far, 55,000 people have pledged to "change the conversation" by logging on to www.r-word.org, the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign. We're hoping to obtain at 100,000 plus signatures. Help us get there and make your pledge today!

Tim Hornbecker, CEO

Create a Job, Get a Tax Break

While Mayor Newsom's State of the City address cited San Francisco's 10% unemployment rate, the city's most vulnerable citizens have taken the toughest hits from our faltering economy.

The unemployment rate for people with developmental disabilities is over 70%--a dire statistic with huge consequences for the clients we serve already living at poverty levels.

For most of our job-seeking clients, even getting an interview has been next to impossible. Business have tightened their belts and fear hiring new employees in such an uncertain economy.

Payroll tax waiver can make a difference

That's why the Mayor's proposal to waive payroll taxes on all new hires for two years makes sense. This waiver would incentivize employers to hire new staff, provide significant savings, and inspire businesses to invest in the human resources needed to expand now. The exemption is also a huge incentive for businesses to relocate to San Francisco.

The Mayor has proposed three different tax proposals to address the budget shortfall: the payroll tax waiver, a $2,000 tax credit for small businesses mandated to provide health coverage, and tax incentives for biotech companies moving to our City.

I think our Supervisors should give serious consideration to all three proposals--especially the tax waiver for new hires.

The true force behind a healthy economy is its workers. People with developmental disabilities who work are more self-sufficient, they're less of a drain on social services, and they funnel more money into the economy through their spending and by paying taxes.

Let your Supervisor know that you want the San Francisco Board to give serious consideration to Mayor Newsom's tax proposals.

Tim Hornbecker, CEO