Come to the hearing on Monday too!

Bring – Back – KidsCare Campaign – the first of many efforts to restore health and human services gutted by Legislative actions.

·         In the last budget for 2010/2011 the Governor and the legislature made terrible devastating cuts to KidsCare and many other health and human services --- again. 

·         The federal health care reform bill requires states to maintain programs like KidsCare or lose federal matching fund for Medicaid entirely. 

·         Children’s Action Alliance along with PAFCO and many other community groups launched a campaign to restore KidsCare this week. 

·         Go to website www.BringBackKidsCare.organd send a letter to your legislator and the Governor urging them to bring back KidsCare to save up to $8 billion dollars of federal money and health care for 40,000 children and restore AHCCCS for 350,000 more Arizonans. 

·         No bill has restoring KidsCare has been introduced yet, although there is lots of talk about how to do it. 

·         You can download a radio clip by clicking on this link. http://www.box.net/shared/yrdhzog9nz - Bring Back KidsCare audio clip.wmv too.

·        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

PAFCO SUPPORTS PROP 100 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.