 In the month of January members and their families participated in Family Advocacy Day. The purpose of the meetings were to make sure the Legislature understands the necessity for services and what life would be like if services were cut. Provider agencies, such as NYSACRA and NYSRA, are driving forces behind the lobbying effort. Over the past two years funding for people with disabilities have been drastically scaled back. In the past nine months alone there have been more than $152 million in cuts and other actions to services funded by the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD). According to information supplied by the provider agencies, for the first time in 25 years, OMRDD funded voluntary agencies, such as CWI, did not receive a trend factor which had a negative impact on the agencies.
The combined 0% trend and the $152 million in cuts and other actions have already forced non-profit agencies to lay off staff, forego retirement contributions for the year, reduce salaries, close programs and furlough staff forcing them to take unpaid vacation time. Further cuts may actually force agencies to close down forcing the State to take over their operations at a greater, not lesser, cost to New York State taxpayers. Members and their families discussed the following with the legislators how additional cuts could:
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Jeopardize the health and safety of individuals.
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Force direct support staff to leave for a job in another field if their agency is unable to give them a raise.
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Force critical programs to close.
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Drastically decrease development on new residences.
CWI President Tim Place had this to say about the meetings with area legislators, “It is very important that our representatives hear from those directly impacted by the past cuts and those proposed cuts for 2010. I am thankful to our elected officials for taking the time to meet with us and to the consumers and family members who spoke so well as to the need for continuing these essential services.”
[1/1/2010] |
