Budget

Budget to close in on mental health

2009-04-08T00:49:25Z

Nearly 100 people stood outside the County Administration Center at 700 H Street on Tuesday at noon, while the County Board of Supervisors Meeting had its lunch break. Consisting of mental health patients, mental health clinicians, and their supporters, the gatherers protested proposed mental health budget cuts being discussed in the meeting.

"We have 2,400 clients, and by June 31, we have to cut our number of clients to 1,000; it's kind of hard to let go of all of those mental health patients," said Marilyn Washington, a member of the regional support team for Turning Point Community Programs, a mental health agency.

"It's going to cost the city more money, since we are the ones who help [the patients figure out their] SSI, medicare, and everything else, but the biggest issue is people ending up without mental health services," she added.

"Because of the impact on people receiving services, the county will lose more money since it will cost more for hospitals, law enforcement, and ER — some patients may even risk dying," added Amedu Kyubwa, a case manager for Turning Point. In addition to being a case manager, Kyubwa helped start a petition against cutting funds for mental health services which has gathered a total of 1200 signatures - 500 online, 700 by hand.

Kyubwa, who helped create the website savementalhealthservices.org, said that there was a good turnout at the rally by people who were in mental health services.

There was also a big turnout of mental health patients, like Lilian, who did not give her last name. "They cut services to people who need it most, like the mentally ill, disabled, and homeless, because they are not a large enough group," said Lilian, who lives in Cardosa Village, an apartment complex which provides transitional housing for the homeless who are diagnosed with a mental illness.

By 1 p.m. the crowd had thinned to several dozen people, and the crowd dispersed completely at 1:30, half an hour before the scheduled end of the rally, due to rain.

SEIU Protest

2009-01-16T02:31:43Z

Thursday, less than two hours after Governor Schwarzenegger finished his State of the State address, a few hundred members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 gathered to protest on the south steps of the State Capitol.

The SEIU, whose mission is to improve the lives of workers and their families, held seven simultaneous protests against budget cuts for state workers, including gatherings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

For many California families, problems with our national economy compounds the problems within the state's budget.

Although the crowd was roughly half the size of the previous day's protest, today's chants were louder and led by several protesters using megaphones. The protesters nearly all wore the same purple t-shirt and held the same SEIU sign which read "Value Us".

Tensions seemed to be escalated because of the Governor's presence in the Capital Building, and a handful of police officers on bicycles circled the group.

Yvonne Walker, President of the SEIU Local 1000 was the first of three speakers to address the audience.

When asked when she lost faith in Governor Schwarzenegger, she said, "I lost faith when he stopped governing California, and started governing sound bytes." She made it clear that the SEIU would do whatever they could until the governor fixes the state of the California.

"We can eliminate contracts for private employees who do the same job as state workers do for twice the price" she said in her speech. Her statement "We, are not a strain on the state budget, we are value added," drew loud cheers from nearly everyone present.

Meanwhile, another protester, Tom Stroud, said that recent budget cuts had affected "continuing training for teachers, cut funds to buy new textbooks, and eliminated other education programs entirely."

Stroud, a teacher in the state prison system, explained that he lost faith in the governor in 2005 when Schwarzenegger backed propositions 75 and 76 aimed at cutting state workers' pensions.

Proposition 75 passed, effectively prohibiting union members such as teachers, nurses, and law enforcement officers from voicing opposition to budget cuts. He promises to attend more SEIU protests whenever he could.

As the speeches neared the end, organizers led the crowd into spirited chants such as "Furlough Arnold", "We need California Safe", and "Value Us".

As the crowd dispersed, many stopped by a table where a few organizers handed out sack lunches and soda, a reimbursement to members for spending their lunchtime to protest together.

SEIU came about in the year 1921 when a group of janitors and security officers joined smaller unions in the Chicago area. In addition to being the most diverse union consisting of 56 percent women, the SEIU also represents the largest group of immigrant workers, more than any other union. They are the largest healthcare union in the U.S. and the second largest public services and property services union.

Was anyone there? Did you feel that the crowd was different from Wednesday's protest? Are you a state worker, and how is the budget affecting you? How can we solve the budget?

Furlough Friday in Sacramento

2009-02-06T21:37:30Z

From under a tent erected to protect them from the rain, three state workers addressed the media as nearly 30 Service Employees Union International (SEUI) members stood behind to show solidarity, and answer questions.

A few dozen state workers gathered on the steps in front of the Department of Social Services in downtown Sacramento on the first-ever "Furlough Friday."

State worker Rod Gonzalez, a Geographical Information Systems Analyst for the Department of Fish and Game said, "the Governor wants to save $1.3 billion, but [furlough days] will have a negative impact on the economy, costing nearly $3 billion to the state. It's like taking one step forward and two steps back."

One of the keynote speakers, Bridget Jacobo, a Department of Social Services Disability Evaluation Analyst, noted, "I work for a federally-funded program, and the furlough is wreaking havoc on my department because we are forced to take the day off."

DMV worker Roland Becht, who also addressed the public audience, added that "there's no cost saving for the state" in furloughing workers.

"250,000 licenses and registrations will not be processed today," said Becht. "You won't want to go to the DMV on Monday."

Besides, Becht added, "That's going to create a whole lot of overtime. There's another problem created that we didn't even have before."

Reminder: VOTE!

2009-05-19T02:57:17Z

Tuesday, May 19th, polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. for a statewide special election for six budget-related propositions. For those Sacramento Press readers who already registered, the following is a resource guide to make sure your vote gets counted:

Statewide, the Official Voter Information Guide is a great place to read a summary of the issues 1A-1F in a number of different languages, and it includes the following forward from Debra Bowen, Secretary of State:

Dear Fellow Voter:

By registering to vote, you have taken the first step in playing an active role in deciding California’s future. Now, to help you make your decisions, my office has created this Official Voter Information Guide that contains impartial analyses of the law and potential costs to taxpayers prepared by Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor, arguments in favor and against all ballot measures prepared by proponents and opponents, text of the proposed laws proofed by Legislative Counsel Diane F. Boyer-Vine, and other useful information. The printing of the guide was done under the supervision of State Printer Geoff Brandt.

Voting is easy, and any registered voter can vote by mail or at a polling place. The last day to request a vote–by–mail ballot is May 12.

There are more ways to participate in the electoral process. You can:

Be a poll worker on Election Day, helping to make voting easier for all eligible voters and protecting ballots until they are counted by elections officials;

Spread the word about voter registration deadlines and voting rights through emails, phone calls, brochures, and posters; and

Help educate other voters about the issues by organizing discussion groups or participating in debates with friends, family, and community leaders.

For more information about how and where to vote, as well as other ways you can participate in the electoral process, call (800) 345-VOTE or visit www.sos.ca.gov.

It is a wonderful privilege in a democracy to have a choice and the right to voice your opinion. Whether you cast your ballot at a polling place or by mail, I encourage you to take the time to carefully read about your voting rights and each ballot measure in this information guide.

Thank you for taking your civic responsibility seriously and making your voice heard!

See if you are registered in Sacramento.

Find your local polling place.

You can track the election night results for Sacramento County.

You can also track the precincts in Sacramento.

State of the People

2009-01-15T17:05:00Z

Wednesday, on the eve of Governor Schwarzenegger's annual state address, droves of people gathered at the State Capitol to protest the recent budget cuts. Various state, union and trade organization members, as well as local students and state workers, attended the rally entitled "State of the People."

The recent cuts -- totaling $10 billion in 2008-09 -- have left many throwing blame at each other for the state's financial problems. In the meantime, many California families' financial problems multiply in the midst of our nation's economic crisis.

This protest is held annually, with a similar larger one scheduled during the Governor's address. Though upwards of a thousand people showed up, they were a passionate and peaceful crowd.

Evan LaVang, director of the Independent Living Resource Center of Northern California, warmed up the crowd and emceed. "Budget cuts have deeply wounded our families," said LaVang.

Roughly a hundred stood behind him, holding signs with slogans such as "We need jobs not layoffs," "School cuts won't fix the economy," and "Families are losing their homes."

The overall message of the nine featured speakers was that regular people -- teachers, health care providers, the elderly -- suffer disproportionately from the budget cuts.

One speaker, Herb Meyer, a disabled 73-year-old, is not only a veteran of a foreign war, but a veteran of the protest.

The Marin County resident said in his speech, "This is the fourth year in a row I've been here." A recipient of In Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Meyer relies on home workers to help him with his daily activities. "IHSS is one of the most cost effective programs in the state of California," said the disabled veteran from his wheelchair. But if the Governor’s proposal passes, IHSS will be eliminated.

Audience member Juan-Antonio Molina, a home care worker from San Francisco, was also visibly angry about the effects of the yearly budget cuts.

"Every year it is the same," Molina said. "Home care and health always get cut first, but everybody needs it; it's not a luxury. The elderly need and depend on the home care workers. Why not cut money from the rich people?"

When asked about what the protest meant to her, Berta Perez, another home care worker, said, "It means that we have hope. It's not right what he's cutting, especially for the elderly because they need to live with dignity. The governor should sit down and realize that the elderly and disabled people need the most financial help."

The Governor’s budget proposes that grants for elderly and disabled individuals to receive money from Social Security Income and the State Supplement Program will be reduced to the 1983 standard level.

Speakers led the crowd in chants such as, "Enough is enough!", "No more cuts!", and "Walk one day in our shoes!"

Most speakers targeted Governor Schwarzenegger as the person to blame. California families wanted to make it clear that the "State of the People" is grim, and to see Schwarzenegger's plan is faulty.

Was anyone there? If so, what was your impression of the protest? How has the state's budget cuts affected you? How can we solve the state budget problem?