December 8 2003--At the lighting of the state Christmas tree, Governor Schwarzenegger and his family will have a young child with developmental disabilities flip the switch to light the tree. This traditional event highlights the dignity and worth of people with developmental disabilities, the very children and adults with disabilities who will be denied family supports, necessary medical care, needed therapies, and ultimately forced into institutions, should the Governor's mid-year budget cut proposals be enacted. People with developmental disabilities, family members, and friends will gather at the ceremony to confront the Governor directly in a silent, respectful, but poignant display of protest.
Event organizers will hold a press conference at 3:30 PM, Tuesday, December 9, 2003, at the North Steps of the State Capitol, where people with disabilities and their families will tell the press how the Governor's cuts would wreak havoc in their lives. They will then walk to the tree lighting on the west lawn of the Capitol and stand as a group in silent protest throughout the ceremony, which begins at 4:00 PM.
Arnold Schwarzenegger rode the repeal of the "car tax" to be elected Governor. Now he is paying for that $ 7.4 billion tax cut by cutting services to children and adults with severe disabilities, the elderly disabled, families who care for their loved ones with a disability at home, and young children with the most serious disabling conditions.
The impact of the mid-year reduction could eventually lead to the institutionalization of thousands of people with developmental disabilities, as their families become unable to care for them without modest state assistance, like respite. Additionally, the implementation of a caseload cap would lead to the denial of needed therapies and irreversible developmental damage for thousands of small children. People with disabilities and their families across California are terrified of the potential impact. Many of them will be present at the tree lighting ceremony to tell their stories and educate others about the underlying impact of the Governor's budget proposals.
According to Mark Polit, Executive Director of the California Alliance for Inclusive Communities, and himself a parent of young man with autism, "Arnold Schwarzenegger says he needs to be tough enough to make painful cuts. But focusing cuts on little children and others with severe disabilities isn't tough. It's cruel. If he was really tough, he would tell California that we all have to share the pain, even the well to do."
The Governor promised that he would balance the budget by eliminating waste and over-spending. "Governor Schwarzenegger did not reveal the details of his spending plan during the election campaign," says Shirley Dove, a parent and President of the Arc of California. "The reason has now become obvious: Californians would have rejected such a mean-spirited plan."
Not only would the proposed budget cuts cause immense personal suffering, they are ill-conceived, both fiscally and legally. The Administration proposals would:
� Cause the State to lose substantial federal revenues.
� Cost the State more than it will save as people are forced into unwanted and costly out-of-home living arrangements including developmental centers costing close to $200,000 per resident per year.
� Result in possible violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and other federal laws, opening the State to protracted and costly litigation.
Governor Schwarzenegger has said that he wants to see "a world where people with intellectual disabilities are fully accepted, and where every person has the opportunity to succeed." Yet his budget proposal can only destroy that hope, causing irreparable harm, dislocation, and pain.
The Silent Protest Vigil is supported by:
The Arc of California, a grass roots organization, formed by parents in 1954, who's mission is to improve the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities.
California Alliance for Inclusive Communities (CAIC), a leading family voice for inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream life of our communities.
The California Autism Coalition, comprised of organizations which represent, support and advocate for individuals affected with autism spectrum disorders and their families.
Protection &Advocacy, Inc. (PAI), a federally mandated non-profit advocacy agency that works with people with disabilities to advance their human and legal rights.
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posted by Laura @ 4:27 AM
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