PARENTS, OTHERS DECRY BUDGET CUTS.Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer VALLEY GLEN - Democratic legislators turned their attention Friday to students, the poor and the disabled, whom they say will be hurt most by the $16 billion in cuts that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): [ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈaloɪ̯s ˈʃvaɐ̯ʦənˌʔɛɡɐ] proposes making to his 2004-05 budget. At a rally at Los Angeles Valley College LAVC redirects here. For the software library, see libavcodec. The university is adjacent to Grant High School. Often called "Valley College" or simply "Valley" by those who frequent the campus, it opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1949, at which time the campus was , Sen. Richard Alarcon - backed by hundreds of students, parents and health care workers - called on Californians to fight the cuts he said would target the most needy and vulnerable. ``We do want to send a message to the governor. Take your message to Sacramento. Mobilize. Because California cannot be damaged any further,'' Alarcon told the crowd. The Van Nuys Democrat and other legislators later heard hours of testimony at a public hearing of the state's Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan to End Poverty in California. The panel, created in fall 2002 to find solutions to poverty in California, plans to submit results from the hearing to the governor in the coming weeks. Despite the passage this week of a $15 billion bond package to shore up the state budget, the state faces another shortfall in the coming fiscal year. To close that, Schwarzenegger is proposing a variety of cuts, including $6 billion from health and human services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS programs and $3 billion from public schools. ``We have to figure out a way to resolve this that is beyond cuts,'' said Beth Osthimer, state director of the Children's Defense Fund The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a national organization that is committed to the social Welfare of children. Founded in 1973, the nonprofit group uses its annual $9 million budget to lobby legislators and to speak out publicly on a broad array of issues on the law, the family, and , told the legislative panel. ``Everywhere we're cutting is coming off the backs of low-income children and families. We don't have a spending problem in this state, we have a priorities problem.'' Some want new revenues or tax restructuring to shift the burden from the poor. Proposed in the cuts is a freeze on Healthy Families enrollment that would put 159,000 kids on a waiting list for health insurance, officials said. Another cut calls for eliminating the $8.50-an-hour stipend that parents and spouses earn for being caregivers. Teresa Lindhardt broke down in tears as she told the panel that without the $45 a day she gets to care for her 5-year-old, Trenton, who has cerebral palsy cerebral palsy (sərē`brəl pôl`zē), disability caused by brain damage before or during birth or in the first years, resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination. , she would have to put him in a home. Now, the boy - who cannot talk or walk but is fully cognizant - lives with his mom and two sisters. ``I don't want the governor to do this,'' Lindhardt said. ``I just hope this doesn't happen.'' Tierra del Sol, a San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. facility that has long served the developmentally disabled, reported it will receive the same amount of money for its programs although the number of disabled residents is expected to increase. ``Will you cap your services?'' Alarcon asked the agency's executive director, Steve Miller The name Steve Miller might refer to:
``How can I?'' Miller responded. ``We'll fund-raise fund·raise or fund-raise also fund raise intr.v. fund·raised, fund·rais·ing, fund·rais·es To engage in fundraising. Verb 1. . We'll do the best we can. We'll juggle. The ripple effect ripple effect Epidemiology See Signal event. of losing the support system will destroy families.'' San Fernando Valley's The Committee, created in fall 2002 to find solutions to poverty in California, plans to submit results from the hearing to the governor in coming weeks. Lisa Mascaro, (818) 713-3761 lisa.mascaro(at)dailynews.com |
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