CIPC ACTION ALERT

Legislature Considering Cuts to Immigrant Programs in January!


Action is needed now to oppose the Governor's proposal for drastic cuts to immigrant programs. Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing to terminate immigrant children from the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and to cut benefits for recipients of the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) by 10 percent along with a cut to the Food Stamp Program by 4 percent. The Administration is also proposing to deny the state cost-of-living adjustment to SSI/SSP recipients and to implement a 10 percent cut the Naturalization Services Program (NSP). The Governor has called a special session to review his proposed cuts to the budget. The legislature has until Feb. 24th to make recommendations to the Governor as to how to fill the state's $14.5 billion dollar budget deficit.

What You Can Do:

FAX A LETTER TODAY TO COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP
Please send your letters opposing the cuts to Senator Denise Ducheny and Assembly Member Patty Berg, and please provide CIPC with a copy by faxing us at 916- 448-6774.

ATTEND A HEARING IN SACRAMENTO
CALENDAR OF SENATE AND ASSEMBLY HEARINGS IN SACRAMENTO:

January, 24, 2008: Assembly Budget Subcommittee # 1: Health and Human Services, State Capitol in Sacramento 1:30 PM or upon adjournment of appropriations Room 4202: CalWORKs, SSI/SSP, Please make calls to oppose the cuts to Senator Ducheny and Assembly Member Berg (see letter below for telephone number)

January 28th, 2008: Assembly Budget Subcommittee # 1: Health and Human Services State Capitol in Sacramento 1:30 PM Room 4202: CFAP, FSP letters due by Tues. Jan. 22nd.

January 30th, 2008: Senate Budget Subcommittee #3: Health & Human Services, State Capitol in Sacramento, Time TBA: CalWORKs, CFAP, NSP, SSI/SSP, letters due by Wed. Jan. 23rd.

January 30th, 2008: Assembly Budget Subcommittee # 1: Health and Human Services State Capitol in Sacramento 1:30-4pm Room 4202: NSP, letters due by Wed. Jan. 23rd.



SAMPLE BUDGET LETTER



DATE

The Honorable Denise Ducheny, Chair
Senate Budget Committee
State Capitol, Room 5035
Sacramento, CA 95814
Via Fax: (916) 327-3522 (Telephone: 916 651-4040

The Honorable Patty Berg, Chair
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1: Health & Human Services
State Capitol, Room 4202
Sacramento, California 95814
Via Fax: (916) 319-2101 (Telephone: 916 319-2001

RE: MAINTAIN CALIFORNIA'S SAFETY-NET FOR CALIFORNIA'S LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES

Dear Chairs:

On behalf of [your organization] we call upon you to oppose the cuts proposed by the governor to health care and social service programs for low-income Californians. For California's immigrants, and low-income residents who rely on these programs, the cuts add further hardship after years of reduced funding levels, rate freezes and suspended cost of living increases for California's low-income communities. Although we are aware that California faces an unprecedented fiscal crisis, we cannot stand by and allow California's low-income children, families, seniors and persons with disabilities to continually bear the disproportionate share of the pain as lawmakers struggle to solve the budget crisis.

We write to express our strong opposition to the following proposals and strongly urge you to vote against these measures, many of which were resoundingly rejected by legislators in prior legislative sessions:

Oppose CalWORKs "Full Family" sanctions where a child's parents have reached the 60 month time limit on assistance as well as the Governor's proposal to place a 60 month time limit on children whose parents are ineligible for assistance, including immigrant families. The Administration argues that these changes are needed to meet increased federal welfare requirements. However the state is likely to meet increased federal welfare requirements even without the budget proposals. These three proposals which were rejected last year by the Legislature on moral and policy grounds harshly punish children for their parents' inability to meet work participation rates and could result in 75,000 families losing all cash assistance.
Oppose the 10% cut in Food Stamp Assistance to Lawfully Residing Immigrants and 4% cut to the Food Stamp Program (FSP). The Governor's budget would decrease food stamp assistance for 23,400 low-income Californians enrolled in the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP provides nutrition assistance to low-income immigrants who have resided lawfully in the U.S. for less than five years and who were rendered ineligible for federal food stamps by the 1996 federal welfare law. The Governor's discriminatory proposal would reduce the monthly benefit level only for these families, from $91 to $82, effective June 1 of this year. The FSP cuts total 10% when combined with a $20.5 million reduction passed on by the federal government. The cuts though administrative, rather than directed to grant levels, will likely result in a decline in the quality of client services and a delay in receiving assistance. Furthermore, since counties are being asked to perform the same duties with fewer resources, outreach and enrollment efforts would likely be affected negatively. Both of these proposed cuts cannot be enacted without regulatory or statutory change, which means that the Legislature must approve the reductions.
Oppose the Elimination of the SSP COLA for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities. The Administration's proposal essentially eliminates the state COLA for SSI/SSP recipients for 07-08 and 08-09 budget years. Last year the Legislature rejected a similar proposal by the Governor to eliminate the SSP COLA entirely. Instead it chose to shift the state COLA from January to June, a five month delay that was to bring the state one-time savings. Under the current proposal SSI/SSP recipients will be denied $57 per individual and $112 per couple in state COLA payments. The proposal will limit grants for individuals to $881 (from $870) and to $1540 (from $1524) for couples, leaving recipients well below what is needed in order to keep up with the state's rapidly increasing cost of living.
Oppose Reinstatement of Medi-Cal Quarterly Status Reports and the Elimination of Certain Medi-Cal Benefits. The Governor proposes to reinstate Quarterly Status Reporting (QSRs) for adults and children receiving Medi-Cal benefits for $92.2 million in savings. Currently, Medi-Cal requires children to be re-evaluated annually and adults semi-annually. According to the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, $83.5 million of this "savings" is attributable to children losing Medi-Cal coverage. The budget proposal also eliminates certain Medi-Cal benefits for services and treatments such as acupuncture, optical, chiropractic, podiatry, psychology, speech therapy, and incontinence creams and washes. Dental benefits for adults only would also be eliminated as well as the state share of Medicare Part B premiums (for 2008, $96.40/month or higher) for persons over 65 or with disabilities who have both Medicare and Medi-Cal, but have a Share of Cost. Without these state payments, seniors and persons with disabilities will be forced to pay this premium.

In addition to our concerns about the aforementioned cuts we would like to strongly oppose the Administration's proposals to reduce funds for the Naturalization Services Program (NSP). This program serves to strengthen our democratic process by helping immigrants to become more self-sufficient and increase their ability to contribute to our society. The Governor proposes to reduce NSP by $300,000 for the 08-09 budget year bringing total NSP expenditures to a mere $2.7 million. This cut includes a $15,000 reduction in administrative costs, as well as a $285,000 reduction in direct grants to CBOs. The cut would eliminate services under NSP to approximately 1,130 people.

For all of the reasons explained above, [YOUR ORGANIZATION] urges the Senate and Assembly to reject the severe cuts to California's safety-net programs proposed by this Administration and to give thoughtful consideration to alternative proposals to solving the budget crisis.

Sincerely,

NAME/ORGANIZATION

CC: California Immigrant Policy Center, Fax : 916.448.6774