David Hacker Writes to Governor Davis
To: Governor Gray Davis
May 16, 2003
State Capitol Building,
Sacramento, CA 95814
CC: Doug Huskey
From: David Paul Hacker
WRC (Willowbrook Residential Care)
155 Willowbrook,
Ben Lomond,
CA 95005-9714
Phone: 831-336-3476
email: appletester@hotmail.com
Subject: State Mental Health Budget Cuts
Hello Governor Davis,
My name is David Paul Hacker. I am a mental health client at WRC in Santa Cruz
County, California.
The NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) California magazine states:
“$49 may not sound like a lot of money to most folks, but as you know, even that
small loss of funds would be crippling blow from which many consumers could not
recover.”
“the proposed reduction that, if passed, would take an individual from a life of
bare existence to a life of despair.”
“The biggest budget deficit in California’s history will undoubtedly effect the
Medi-Cal program and mental health consumers” with a proposed 20% projected cut.
“Governor Gray Davis’s midyear budget cut proposal suspended the SSI/SSP $21
cost of living adjustment (COLA’s) for aged, blind, and disabled people
receiving benefits .... In addition, the Governors proposed budget for 2003-04
... with the suspended COLA would mean a loss of $70 a month”.
I am trying to pay off my dentist bill for my crowns of $800 paying $50 a month,
the balance Medi-Cal will not pay.
Please increase my State benefits and Medi-Cal 17% so I can pay my dentist bill.
I need to get out of debt and pay for my necessities like this. A state budget
cut of $70 a month would make it impossible for me to get out of debt.
Please Don't cut my mental health benefits for my Dr. visits (psychiatrist),
mental health coordinator, and Primary Care Physician benefits. These are
essential for my physical and mental well being.
I pay $818 for rent, food, and medication at WRC. After my monthly dentist bill
payment of $50, my monthly computer payment of $50, 1/3 for my computer balance,
until I can quit I pay $4.60 a day for cigarettes (or $144/Month), my renters
insurance of $21 a month to protect my valuables, $17/mo. ($200/year) from the
state department of rehab for internet access for school, $12.50 a month for
books and software for school, ($150/year), $25/month for glasses and
prescription glasses ($300/year) and a $70 budget cut leaves me with a total of
$1206 a month in expenses or $201 in debt every month. Won't you please increase
my state benefits 17% to cover my necessary basic expenses?
Otherwise if you don’t increase my state benefits, I won’t be able to pay off my
dentist bill, pay my school expenses for internet access, books and software, my
renters insurance, sodas, snacks, eat once a month (at McDonalds for example),
cigarettes (very hard to quit), and make my computer payment?
The budget cut would effect me greatly. I would not be able to pay for
essentials in my life that I once was able to barely afford.
Please don’t cut my state mental health, dental, and physical health benefits,
It would make my life difficult and cause me great stress and worsen my mental
health. If anything, please increase my State Health benefits 17% to meet my
very basic expenses and do not cut my state benefits 20% as proposed!
Thank you.
Best regards,
David Paul Hacker
Last Updated on
04/08/04
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