Distributed by emasil, January 6, 2012
HHS Network of California

As you may have heard, Governor Brown released his 2012-2013 CA Budget ahead of schedule yesterday.  The budget included severe cuts to Health and Human Services in CA – nearly $2.5 billion total.

We are appalled that Governor Brown’s solution to California’s budget crisis is $2.5 billion in cuts to essential health and human services. Since 2008, California’s health and human services have suffered an astounding $15 billion in cuts, and this budget only continues the gutting of the social safety net that so many California families depend on.

How the $2.5 Billion  in Cuts Breaks Down:
From our quick analysis, the Governor is making a $946 million cut to CalWORKS, an $842 million cut to MediCal, a $163 million cut to In-Home Supportive Services, a $447 million cut to child care programs, and $87 million in cuts to various other HHS services. You can read a summary of the budget at the Sacramento Bee for further details or this San Francisco Chronicle article for the general story.

How You Can Get Involved:
We must roll back the tide of continual cuts that target the same low-income and vulnerable Californians year after year.  Instead of cuts, we need a budget that provides for the needs of the 99% in California and supports the health and social programs that will help restore this state to prosperity. We are California and we will fight for a budget that puts us first, not last.

Join us across the state for our January 10 rallies as we make our voices heard in support of a budget that prioritizes families in California! Help us kick off our 2012 efforts to fight for the needed revenue that will help fund the essential services for the 99% in the CA Budget. 

Los Angeles
When: noon
Where: State Building at 300 S. Spring Street
Contact: Astrid Campos at acampos@communitychange.org, (213) 407-5840

San Bernardino
When: noon
Where: State Building at 464 West 4th Street, Rosa Parks Building
Contact: Maribel Nunez at mnunez@communitychange.org, (562) 569-4051

San Francisco
When: 3:00pm
Where: State Building at 350 McAllister St.
Contact: Pete Woiwode at pwoiwode@communitychange.org, (510) 504-9552

Fresno
When: noon
Where: State Building at 2550 Mariposa Mall
Contact: Rose Auguste at rauguste@health-access.org, (510) 842-6770

If you can’t attend one of our rallies, join our social media campaign! We suggest the following tweets and Facebook posts:

Twitter
CA needs a #CABudget that provides for the 99%! $2.5 billion in cuts to health and human services are unacceptable!

2012-2013 #CABudget includes $2.5B in cuts (on top of $15B since ’08). Simply Unacceptable. Time 4 revenue solutions.

Facebook
Governor Brown’s solution to California’s budget crisis is an appalling $2.5 billion in cuts to Health and Human Services.  CA’s essential services have already suffered a $15 billion in cuts since 2008. We should instead be budgeting for the 99% – now is the time to protect the social safety net that so many CA families depend on!