Hundreds of People with Disabilities, Families, Advocates Protest In Los Angeles Against Governor's Proposed Cuts And Lanterman Act Suspension

LOS ANGELES  -  Hundreds of children and adults with developmental and other disabilities, their families, local Los Angeles County community organizations, In-Home Supportive Services workers, other direct care workers and other advocates from the Los Angeles area protested at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Building Monday morning against the mid-year budget proposals by Governor Schwarzenegger that will cut many critically needed health services for people with disabilities and seniors, including elimination of the In-Home Supportive Services residual program, respite services for families with children with developmental disabilities, and the permanent suspension of the landmark Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act – considered by advocates as the civil rights act for people with developmental disabilities. The protest was covered by many Los Angeles area news media, with news accounts carried on several stations throughout the day.

Assemblywoman Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) spoke at the protest rally just outside the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors chambers, prior to the hearing, pledging her support against the Governor's cuts to services for people with disabilities. She vowed her opposition to the suspension of the Lanterman Act, drawing cheers from the crowd.

The crowd of people with disabilities, families and community groups also included members of ADAPT, IHSS workers from Service Employees International Union and members of Health Access, all who were clearly outraged at the Governor's proposals. The crowd later packed the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Chambers for the Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing chaired by Sacramento Democrat Sen. Deborah Ortiz, which featured the testimonies of dozens of people with disabilities and families on the personal impact of the Governor’s cuts. The hearing chambers, which can hold  700 people, according to the building security, was filled to near capacity.

Besides Sen. Ortiz, Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sun Valley), Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) and Sen. Edward Vincent (D-Englewood) were on hand for the 3 hour hearing.

An African American man in wheelchair asked the committee "whenever there is a budget crisis, it is the poor and disabled that get cut first."
Sen. Ortiz responded, looking at the large crowd and the media attention that "we ask the same question. Some people say you aren't very powerful.  I say you are today."

Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) added that "Nothing more important than to see the faces of the people who live by the policies we make. Your voices at the most important ones we can hear."

The committee was concerned about the impact to health and human service programs that would occur should the Governor’s proposed cuts are enacted and heard from panels of parents, other family members and people with disabilities who will be impacted by the Governor's cuts including:
* Jared Moses, who works for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office who is the father of twins with autism, and how significant early intervention has been in their lives and that limiting who can receive such needed services would be bad.
* A mother of four children, with a son with asthma, said with emotion that one attack and he will die.  She said her husband works hard just to pay for food and rent and that they could not afford health insurance. She said that the Governor's proposal to cap the caseload of Healthy Families - a health insurance program for children from families with low incomes, would be detrimental to "our family and so many others."
* Howard Jacobs, a person with AIDS for the past 14 years who said the Governor's proposal to cap caseload for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program was "mean spirited".
* Elizabeth, mother of 2 children, both with developmental disabilities receiving services from a regional center, had to quit her job as a tax consultant to help provide needed support for her children as their In-Home Supportive Services worker.
* Diane Jung speaking in Chinese, said she was a former professor at a college but had to quit to take care of her husband, who is in a wheelchair requiring 24 hour care as his In-Home Supportive Services worker.
* Sherlene Allen, mother of 3 children - 2 of them with autism, said with emotion that "without respite I would not be able to spend time with each of them [her 3 children]. We would not be able to spend time my older son - his life is incredibly stressed...without respite I cannot attend support groups which gives me inner strength to continue on...without respite...my husband and I would not be able to spend the time together to recharge our batteries and help each other stay focused... We've had to become almost professional advocates to obtain most of the services for our sons. Now we're looking at elimination of respite and implementation of parental deductions for services. We will have to look at what we are able to do for our kids and make hard choices as to which child will get which services.  How can I choose which of my sons will get the therapies they need?, " she pleaded, asking the committee to "be their hero - consider the choices. They are not a line item."
* A mother, pregnant, with 2 other children, including a 4 year old son with autism, showed a picture of what he looked like before he was diagnosed, and a picture, taken 6 months later, after he had therapy - a dramatic difference. She cannot, the mother said of herself,  go to the park by alone with her two children, nor to the store or anywhere else without help because of her son's behavioral problems.  She called the Governor's proposal to eliminate respite as "shortsighted".   With respite, she said "I find joy in this special journey in large part because of [these] regional center services."
* Randy Horton, a person with disabilities who receives services in the LA area and a longtime advocate, said that his wife, Kim, and him live in their own home and that if In-Home Supportive Services residual program is eliminated,  "we would end up on the street", almost pleading to the committee to  "Save us.  Save us.  Save Us.  Save us."

The protest in Los Angeles, follows a massive protest rally at the State Capitol on December 10 that attracted thousands of people with disabilities and advocates for a Senate budget hearing, and protests around the state during the Governor's tour in support of his bond and spending cap measures.

NEXT STEPS
* SENATE - No vote or action yet on the Governor's proposed cuts to the current year budget, except two informational hearings on his proposals held with huge crowds in attendance on December 10 (Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services) and December 15 today (Senate Health and Human Services).  No action was taken at either hearing - though both receive substantial media attention. The Senate adjourned Friday, December 12 and will not return most likely until January. No further hearings on the Governor's proposed cuts - including the suspension of the Lanterman Act, elimination of respite and IHSS until probably mid-January - after the Governor releases his 2004-2005 budget by January 10, which is likely to contain additional cuts to the current budget.  Approval of the Governor's proposed cuts would require 2/3rds vote.
* ASSEMBLY - No vote or action yet on the Governor's proposed cuts to the current year budget. The Assembly adjourned Thursday, December 11 until January most likely. The Assembly has not yet conducted any hearings on the Governor's proposed cuts to the current budget and no hearings are expected at least until early or mid-January. Approval of the Governor's proposed cuts would require 2/3rds vote.
* GOVERNOR - The Governor and his staff are working on assembling his proposed budget for 2004-2005, which he must submit to the Legislature no later than January 10.  He is expected to also include more additional cuts to the current year budget (2003-2004) now in effect.  More cuts to health and human service programs are expected.  The Governor will deliver his first "State of the State" address to a special joint session of the Legislature on January 6, that will hint on what his budget proposal will contain.

BACKGROUND OF THE CUTS PROPOSED BY GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER
* Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed in late November, proposals to cut spending the budget California is now operating under. These reductions include massive cuts to health and human service programs impacting people with  disabilities and seniors - and is a separate proposal from the spending cap measure and bond measure that were passed by the Legislature 12/12 and approved by the Governor for placement on the March 2004 primary election ballot.
* The Governor's proposed spending cuts to the current budget includes historic cuts to rights and services for infants, children and adults with developmental disabilities - and major cuts to other people with disabilities and seniors, people with traumatic brain injuries, mental health needs. The Governor's spending reduction plan to the current budget includes:
* The Governor became the first governor in California history, to propose the permanent suspension of the landmark 35 year old Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act - considered by advocates as the civil rights act for people with developmental disabilities. That act was authored by the late  Republican Assemblyman Frank Lanterman, passed by a Republican controlled Legislature in September 1969 and signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan. No governor - Republican or Democrat - has ever called for the
suspension of this historic act until now.
* Governor's proposal includes a strict limit or cap on who can actually receive services (called a "caseload cap) for regional center services, habilitation services (work activity and supported employment programs), vocational rehabilitation, Genetically Handicapped Persons Program, AIDS Drug Assistance Program, state hospitals for people with mental health needs, healthy families insurance program for low income children,
California Children's Services and many other health programs. The Governor's proposal also calls for creation of waiting lists for each of those programs - meaning a person would have to wait, advocates say for years, before he or she can receive any services, despite the fact that he or she meets all eligibility requirements or the severity of their disability and health needs. (It would be like capping enrollment of public education to the number that is now attending public schools in December - and anyone seeking entry into public schools above that number would be placed on a waiting list.)
* The Governor's proposal strips away appeal rights/fair hearings (except for those involving Individuals With Disabilities Education Act or the California Early Intervention Act) when the state changes, modifies or eliminates an individual's  program plan, considered cornerstones of the civil rights of people with developmental disabilities.
* Governor's proposal calls for permanent elimination of respite services for families with children with developmental disabilities (including children with autism), elimination of many recreational programs and services, including non-medical therapy programs that people with developmental disabilities rely on.
* Governor calls for permanent elimination of the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) residual program for over 74,000 low income children and adults with developmental and other disabilities, seniors or Blind, which allows parents or spouses to care for their loved ones so they can remain in their own homes. The proposal would eliminate protective supervision services to persons needing around the clock care, advance payment for
services for persons with severe disabilities; services to persons who only require assistance with in-home chores and restaurant meal allowances to those people who receive that service.
* Governor proposes additional 10% rate reduction to Medi-Cal providers - further reducing access to health care to people with developmental and other disabilities, seniors and others.
* More massive cuts to health and human service programs are expected to the current budget, and also in the budget proposal for 2004-2005, when the Governor submits both January 10.

OTHER ACTIONS PLANNED BY ADVOCATES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Besides the protests and march on the Capitol planned for January 6 Tuesday after 4 PM at the State Capitol - to coincide with the Governor's State of the State address in the Assembly Chambers, and in April, the California Disability Community Action Network is also planning the following to build a permanent advocacy force for disability rights, based on today's townhall telemeeting:
* Statewide TownHall Telemeetings And Video Conferences
WHY: To mobilize more people in communities, a series of statewide "townhall telemeetings" linking community groups and others across the state by conference call line is being held - with the first one attracting over 100 people in 12 different locations to talk strategy, next steps and updates on the Governor's proposed cuts.  On the call were families, people with disabilities, independent living centers, community-based providers, regional centers, and others.
NEXT TOWNHALL TELEMEETING: The next statewide townhall "telemeeting" is scheduled for December 19, between 10 AM and 11:30 AM. A speech to speech person - to assist people with speech difficulties, will be scheduled on the call too.  For more information contact martyomoto@rcip.com.
VIDEO CONFERENCES: In addition, a series of video conferences are also being planned to take the mobilization effort to the next step.  Key legislators and other officials will be invited to speak briefly on the townhall telemeetings and also the video conferences being planned. The Community Technology Foundation of California sponsored the first townhall telemeeting.
* Voter Registration/Campaign to place Lanterman Act & Disability Rights In Constitutional Initiative
This effort will be fully announced with more details at the December 19 statewide townhall telemeeting. Announced briefly two weeks ago, this effort is meant to be a vehicle to further organizing efforts in communities with people with disabilities, families, workers, and others with an effort to put major critical elements of the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and also other disability rights in a constitutional initiative. Coinciding with that effort is a coordinated voter registration campaign in every community.
* Letter/Phone Call Campaign to Governor and Target Legislators
This effort, begun on November 25, is being revised with different legislators - but with the Governor the focus. See California Disability Community Action Network Alert #16 tomorrow for details, letter sample and addresses and fax numbers.
* March and Protest at the State Capitol To Coincide with Governor's State of State Address
Scheduled for January 6, Tuesday at 3:30 PM (tentative time), marching from the Sacramento Convention Center to the sidewalk area in front of the North lawn of the State Capitol (grounds closed to public events due to the State of the State Address). Protest will march back and forth in front of the Capitol in opposition to the Governor's proposed cuts to services and rights to people with disabilities and seniors - including suspension of the Lanterman Act. A second march and protest at the State Capitol planned for  April 12-14.
* 1-800 Phone Updates
In order to broaden the effort of informing people of up to the minute reports, alerts and other information, a 1-800 number is being set up in the next few weeks for people with disabilities, families, community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers and advocates on the status of the Governor's budget reductions; alerts; next steps and what people can do; announcements of meetings, rallies and other timely information. We will work to have this in other languages to broaden the outreach.
* Website and Training
A website, still under construction, should be available soon, with community-based list serves, also issue based list serves (that will allow people interested in the same issue, or people in the same community to contact each other and exchange information.  In addition, community advocacy training will be available to organizations, groups and others.
* Reports and Alerts
The regular California Disability Community Advocacy Network Capitol Reports and also Alerts will continue.
* Media
At the next statewide townhall telemeeting, teams of people with disabilities, families, community organizations, workers will be set up in different communities to approach their local newspaper editorial boards, radio and tv stations (for public service announcements) to raise visibility on the impact of the Governor's proposed cuts.

CONTRIBUTIONS/DONATIONS TO CONTINUE ADVOCACY EFFORT
Until grant funding is finalized, contributions from people and organizations will help keep the advocacy efforts going for the next one to two months. Please make check or money order  to:  California Disability Community Action Network/Marty Omoto (or abbreviate CDCA/Marty Omoto). CDCA is not yet a non-profit organization, but will be in the coming month or so.
Send contributions to: California Disability Community Action Network,  1225 8th Street Suite #480, Sacramento, CA 95814. Thanks - and we will get through this!