May 23, 2008

REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO "GET IT MOVING." 

·         The Budget Clock is ticking. Only 38 days (from May 23) till next fiscal year.

·         Republican Leadership continues to do the budget without bi partisan input and behind closed doors. 

·         They continue to discuss deep cuts. Reports (Arizona Capital Times May 23) say talks are breaking down within the caucus over cuts or bonding for school construction.  Some members stopped going to budget talks because they became disgusted with the process and content.

·         Families are concerned what will happen on July 1.  Will they have the supports they need to keep going to work, to feed their families, to get health care and child care, to keep their homes and shelter, to be safe from abuse, to remain independent, and to weather the storm of this recession?

·         Health and human services agencies (and schools and local governments along with families too) are trying to figure out their budgets for next year.  What should they plan for as demand for critical health and human services continue to increase?  Demand continues to grow with many newly poor or desperate coming for help.

·         Will there be budget cuts or flat budgets (meaning also real cuts) because of rapidly rising costs for gasoline, fuel, food, health care and utilities. 

·         Should the Governor and legislature be discussing how to increase resources and agencies' capacity rather than cutting services at this time in this critical time of need for some many families?

·         Leadership appears to be using the Chairman's cuts original list as a template.  Go to February 15 PAFCO update at http://www.pafcoalition.org/-weekly-email-update-archive/  to get full list of potential cuts and impacts.  Clearly, these types of cuts must be rejected and would be devastating as demand for critical services increases.   

·         GET IT MOVING - GET IT OUT FROM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS!!!  It is the people's business, not some elite group's private enterprise.  Many families are suffering. Families deserve to know what their elected representatives are doing about their futures. How can the leadership do the people's business behind closed doors when some many families are suffering? Why are they doing the people's business in private? What are they afraid of? What deals are they cutting that can't stand the light of public scrutiny?

Our advocacy message to the Governor and Legislators:

·         Do NOT cut critical safety net health and human services for children and vulnerable adults when demand is growing.

·         Protect current services to current people being served and protect current capacity during this critical time of an economic downturn.

·         Don't lower eligibility limits in programs.  Working families need critical supports during an economic recession.

·         There are reasonable options for 2009 including bonding, rollovers, additional sweeps, the rainy day fund, and other revenue generators.

·         Demand continues to increase. Some community agencies are experiencing increases of 40% to 60% in requests for essential services for the necessities of life.

·         Flat budgets will already be a cut as costs for transportation, health care, and food, and other services increase.

·         Finally, open the budget discussion with more transparency and meaningful public input.

There are budget solutions for FY2009   There are options and solutions for the 2009 budget that do not require deep cuts to critical health and human services for children and vulnerable adults.  The chart below outlines those options.   These options will be highly debated. Some are very controversial. Nevertheless, they demonstrate there are solutions which can protect health and human services during an economic downturn when demand is growing.  And there are other options still not on the table like tax reform which should be considered.