Home · - Weekly Email Update Archive · April 2, 2010

April 2, 2010

In this issue

·         Are they really going to sue to lose money???

·         PAFCO Action Days – Tuesday and Wednesday  

·         PAFCO supports Prop 100 – VOTE YES on May 18!

·         What happens if sales tax fails --- more cuts coming.

·         What’s next – the fight is not over!

The Legislature passed the bill along partisan lines and the Governor signed it to sue the federal government over health care reform, but does it make any sense?

·         JLBC staff put out a report this week that Arizona will gain $2.3 billion dollars over the next ten years from health care reform while covering many more people. 

·         Our legislators should be fixing KidsCare for at least a couple of reasons --- one that low income children need health care just like the rest of us and it is good for the economy too. 

·         And then the Governor and Legislature should be fixing the Prop 204 AHCCCS cuts to avoid jeopardizing all the new health care funding Arizona will get. 

·         The Governor is promising to fix KidsCare but also planning to sue.  How this all makes sense for children and families has yet to be determined. 

·         PAFCO urges restoration of KidsCare and AHCCCS cutbacks --- as well as therest of health and human services that have been cut so drastically abandoning many vulnerable people. 

·         There are plenty of alternatives.  Go to the JLBC website for detailed information --- http://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/5yearplan.pdf 

·         Urge the Governor and Legislature to fix KidsCare, save millions of dollars and show some compassion.  

ARIZONA TO GAIN $2.3 BILLION FROM HEALTH CARE REFORM --- Despite partisan rhetoric – the JLBC Analysis of federal health care legislation indicates that Arizona benefits $2.3 billion over the next ten years and covers many more low income individuals.  Seems like a good reason to fix Kids Care and AHCCCS cuts for details go to the JLBC analysis at;  http://www.azleg.gov/jlbc/FederalHealthcare.pdf

SOME HOLIDAY RELECTIONS - PASSOVER and EASTER 2010--- stories of liberation and hope

 

The holidays of Passover and Easter are grounded in inspiring stories of liberation and hope. 

·         Health and human services at their best are sources of healing, freedom and hopeand renewed life. 

·         The essential public safety net of health and human services are a part of the fabric of our community life like schools, faith communities, unions, businesses, and community groups that support and enable our families and communities to flourish and all of us to live together in dignity, freedom, and equality. 

·        Health and human services liberate people from addictions, enable families to escape violence andpoverty, overcome stigma, enable families to work and be healthy, provide healing for loss and loneliness, empower independence, restore dignity, provide critical help at a time of crisis, and provide hope in desperate times. Government actions in partnership with community based organizations and faith communities can be a source of hope, support and resilience for families.  

·         But the current Legislative approved and signed state budgets destroy and dismantle critical and essential elements of the health and human services safety net constructed with public and private funds over many years.

·         There are alternatives.  These bad budgets can be undone. Our advocacy is the source of hope to each other and too many others.  We arepowerful voices to stop and undo these draconian proposed cuts.

·        We are all linked together by our shared humanity.  There is much work to be done to improve our communities and our democracy and stop the destruction of these bad budgets. 

·        Let’s empower each other to be signs of hope and resilience during this spring time of renewal.  

·        The measure of a humane society is how it treats its most vulnerable members particularly at their time of critical need.  

WHAT IF THE PROP 100 -- THE SALES TAX FAILS IN MAY.  CHILDREN’S ACTION ALLIANCE HAS PREPARED AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONSEQUENCES AND ADDITIONAL CUTS.

See the link below.  http://www.azchildren.org/MyFiles/10%20Legislature/Sales_Tax_Fails_3-30-10.pdf

 

PAFCO SUPPORTS PROP 100 – a one cent increase in the sales tax.

·         On May 18, 2010 the State will hold a special election to approve a temporary 1% sales tax increase. This increase would generate approximately $1 billion in revenue to cover the $3.5 billion deficit Arizona is currently facing.

·         PAFCO supports this ballot initiative for two distinct reasons:

1) Arizona needs to generate additional revenue, but more importantly

2) Passing this initiative would send a clear message to our legislature that the citizens of Arizona are willing to tax themselves in order to assist in remedying the state budget crisis and to maintain funding to programs that aid our most vulnerable populations.

·         A “NO” vote on this initiative could send the wrong signal that that average citizens do not want to be taxed and will in turn make more cuts to more desperately needed, publically funded programs.

·         Turn out at the polls on May 18, 2010 and let our legislature know that the citizens of Arizona are willing to do what it takes to protect health and human services for our most vulnerable populations.

·         Tell your families; tell your neighbors, tell your friends, tell strangers…. Get the word out! 

·         Here are some things you can do right now:

·          Register to vote. You can do this online. The last day to register to vote is April 19, 2010.  

·          Register to receive a permanent early ballot. Request your early ballot through your county recorder's office.  The last day to request an early ballot is May 7, 2010.  

·          Tell your family, friends, and neighbors about Prop 100 and why it's important to public education in Arizona. Tell them to visityeson100.com.

·          Vote Yes on Prop 100 on May 18.

·         The budgetfight is not over --- tell the story of the consequences of these cruel cuts. 

o        Don’t let any opportunity pass without sharing your story, the story of the people you serve, the agency impacts, the layoffs, and the pain and suffering. 

o        If the consequences are invisible, the general public will not know or understand the great disservice of these cuts to our shared community life.

o        Be present at the Legislature on PAFCO Action Days and let the Legislature know these cuts are bad and not acceptable and we will hold them accountable for these bad decisions.

o        Continue to write the Governor and your legislators with your stories of impact. Share them with PAFCO and others.

o        Be a voice of reason and compassion and good economic sense in the midst of cruelty of these cuts.

o        Urge the Governor and Legislature to restore KidsCare.  CAA will start a major campaign on Monday, April 5.

·         Organize and turn out the vote for May 18 - Prop 100 sales tax referral election.  (www.yeson100.com)

o        It is not just about the money, the extra billion dollars that is badly needed. 

o        The billion dollars would not stop these cuts but will prevent more and deeper cuts. 

o        But more importantly a Yes vote will send the message that Arizonans care about the quality of their lives, their children’s education, their neighbors and our communities. 

o        If there is a NO vote, that message will be that Arizonans don’t want government and government support of education and health and human services and other vital services.

o        This is also a referendum on the future of Arizona.

·         Organize and do voter education and voter registration for the August Primary and November General election.

o        This Primary and November election will also be a referendum on the future of our state.

o        It will determine the nature of our public policy and which values for our shared communal life will prevail.