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Story Synopsis:
Immigrants Rights:
www.apalc.org/
The 1996 federal
welfare reform legislation cut legal immigrants off of
SSI, Food Stamps, and several other assistance programs for the
aged,
blind, and disabled. Only a handful of states including CA were
willing
to dip into their own budgets to restore these benefits. Now those
benefits are threatened again.
Call Veronica
Geronimo, with Asian Pacific American Legal Center.
The Asian
Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) was established in 1983
as
a nonprofit 501(c)3 and has become the largest organization in
southern
California that provides Asian and Pacific Islander (API) and
other
communities with multi-lingual, culturally sensitive services
and legal
education.
Our in-house
attorneys and paralegals have developed expertise in a
variety of areas, such as immigration and naturalization, workers'
rights,
family law and domestic violence, immigrant welfare, voting rights
and
anti-discrimination, and have also worked towards building inter-ethnic
relations.
Rent Vouchers: www.lacehh.org/Section8Coalition
For the last
30 years, the Section 8 voucher program has helped low-income
families, elderly and the disabled afford decent, safe and sanitary
housing. Section 8 recipients only have to pay 30% of their income
for
rent, the federal government picks up the rest. The Bush Administration
is proposing to cut the Section 8 program by 40% over the next
five years.
Resulting in a loss of 250,000 vouchers nationwide, and 10,000
vouchers in
LA County.
Save the Section
8 Coalition is building a movement to stop these cuts
Walmart: www.noonmeasure4a.org/
Narr A victory
on the living wage jobs front. A coalition of community
groups, labor unions, and Inglewood residence were able to defeat
ballot
measure 4a, which would have allowed Walmart to build a supercenter
in
Inglewood. Walmart pays it's employees so little, that there official
training program teaches their employees how to apply for food
stamps and
other government programs.
The battle's
not over Wal Mart will be back
Mental Health: www.campaignforMentalHealth.org
A victory
on the mental health front,
The CA Council
of Community Mental Health Agencies, gathered double the
amount of signatures necessary to put The Mental Health Services
Act on
the November 2004 ballot. This ballot initiative would levy a
1 percent
tax on Californain's that have a net income, after deductions,
of over 1
million dollars a year. The Mental Health Services Act could raise
about
$600 million dollars in the first two years for mental health
services.
In addition the revenue stream would increase by about 7% per
year.
Mental health advocates, like Gilbert Saldato, say the bill will
actually
save money in the long run.
Interview Section
1:
1. CA Budget Project: www.cbp.org
The California
Budget Project (CBP) serves as a resource to the media,
policymakers, and state and local constituency groups seeking
accurate
information and analysis of a range of state policy issues. Through
independent fiscal and policy analysis, public education, and
collaboration with other organizations, we work to improve public
policies
affecting the economic and social well-being of low- and middle-income
Californians.
The CBP presents
research findings and policy analyses to state and local
policymakers in the form of testimony, written reports, and briefing
materials. To increase public understanding of state fiscal policy
issues,
the CBP conducts an active outreach program involving presentations
and
workshops for a range of state and local organizations. Along
with
periodic briefing papers and in-depth reports, the CBP publishes
a
quarterly newsletter, Budget Watch, keeping readers updated on
important
developments in state and federal policy.
2. Children's Defense
Fund: www.childrensdefense.org/
The Children's
Defense Fund Mission Statement
The mission
of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is to Leave No Child
Behind® and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head
Start, a Fair
Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful
passage to
adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
CDF provides
a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who
cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. We pay particular
attention
to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities.
CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages
preventive investment before they get sick or into trouble, drop
out of
school, or suffer family breakdown.
CDF began
in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by
foundation and corporate grants and individual donations. We have
never
taken government funds.
Interview Section
2:
Say Yes to
Children Network: 213.747.4211
A Coalition
of groups fighting to protect children in this next round of
budget cuts. They are also trying to create funding for childcare
and and
other social services. The Networks main method of working is
direct
action.
Interview Section
3:
Cuts to Childcare
Sydny Hemmlager: Crystal
Stairs: www.crystalstairs.org
Part of the
1996 federal Welfare Reform legislation was turn control of
welfare programs over to the states. Each state was then responsible
for
designing it's own welfare-to-work program. In California, welfare
is now
called CALWORKS.
However, in
all states, the mission of Welfare reform is to get welfare
recipients into the workforce. All CALWORKS participants must
work 32
hours per week, to receive their benefits.
Childcare
is critical to, helping moms enter the workforce. This section
takes a look at how CA is trying to eliminate subsidezed childcare
for
mothers struggling to make it on their own. In addition, the proposals
on
the table, are going to cut funding for childcare centers in general,
which will affect all working class families, whether or not they
have
ever received aid.
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Interview Section
4:
Welfare: CalWORKS
Cuts
Welfare Reform Advocacy
Project: 213.439.1070 www.lacehh.org
Up until now,
CA's welfare to work program has allowed moms to go to
school for up to two years, to satisfy their work requirments.
Governor
Schwarzeneger is now trying to eliminate that provision. He is
also
attempting to cut welfare grants by as much as 30%. Welfare grants
haven't been adjusted for inflation for years. The Cash grant
that
mothers receive is the same amount as it was in 1989.
Welfare Reform
Advocacy Project
Organizing,
outreach, action research, training and advocacy to monitor
and increase access to CalWORKs, Homeless Assistance and services
for
time-limited adults. Projects include: Walk-A-Mile where low income
people
are paired with policymakers to learn about each others lives;
the
CalWORKs leadership Project, to conduct a leadership development
program
for CalWORKs recipients; and the Time limits Monitoring Project.
Partners
include the National Campaign for Jobs & Income Support.
Interview Section
5:
Health Insurance:
Healthy Families
100% Campaign:
Kristen Testa: www.100percentcampaign.org/
Neighborhood Legal Services: Barbara Frankel: www.nls-la.org
Healthcare:
Insuring the Uninsured Insures the Rest of Us
Access to
health care is a problem facing families in poverty, but it
doesn't stop there. There are over 40 million people in America
with no
Health Insurance. The complicated web of publicly-financed health
programs are not reaching everyone in need. Estimates suggest
that up to
18,000 people die every year due to a lack of health insurance
and their
untreated conditions. Healthy Families is publicly funded health
insurance program for the most vulnerable people in our society,
Children.
Governor S is now going back on his promise to insure every child
in CA
children by capping healthy families. This will keep 300,000 kids
from
accessing healthcare in CA.
Interview Section
6:
In Home Supportive
Services Cuts:
75,000 people
could lose their jobs if the cuts go through, and 300,000
people will lose services.
Marty Omoto,
director/organizer
California Disability Community Action Network
1225 8th Street Suite 480 Sacramento, CA 95814
VOICE PHONE: 916/446-0013
FAX number: 916/446-0026
email: martyomoto@rcip.com
INFORMATION HOTLINE TOLL FREE NUMBER: 1-877-260-0267 (you cannot
leave
messages)
SAME INFO HOTLINE FOR SACRAMENTO AREA: 486-4652
Local 434B The Home
Health Care Workers Union
www.seiu434b.org
213.368.6875
Solutions:
Friends in
Sacramento:
Sheila Kuele:
Universal Health Care
Sacramento,
CA 95814
(916) 445-1353
Fax (916) 324-4823
10951 W Pico Blvd. #202
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 441-9084
Fax (310) 441-0724
Liz Figueroa:
Women's caucus permanent solutions for poverty for mothers
and children
State Capitol,
Room 4061
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-6671
Fax (916) 327-2433
43801 Mission Blvd. No.103
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 413-5960
Fax (510) 413-5965
Caravans to
Sacremento:
Ways to Lobby
your legislator in person and be apart of large Marches and
Actions. Many bus, car and plane caravans are heading for Sacramento
to
try to stop the impending cuts to social services for children,
immigrants, and the working poor.
For better
Children's program:
Better Choices
For Children Day:
April 28th
Children's Defense Fund CA Office:
www.cdfca.org
Call In: 800.394.4349
For more Childcare
programs:
Say Yes To
Children Action Day:
April 28th
ACORN/Childcare Providers For Action
213.747.4211
For Nutrition
programs:
Hunger Action Day:
CA Food Policy Advocates
May 11 & 12th
www.hungeraction.net
For Immigrants
Rights:
Immigrant
Lobby Day:
May 17th
Coalition For Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles
1-888-624-4752
Union organizing among the poorest workers.
The links between economic justice movements and unions
Tyrone Freema
President of Local 434B, The Home Health Care Workers Union.
Check out their website www.seiu434b.org for the Poor People's
Campaign.
Media:
Amy Goodman, Democracy
Now.
www.democracynow.org/
Share With the Other
LA:
An Organization
that points you in the direction of all these economic
justice organizations.
www.lapoverty.net
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