Fwd: FDDC - 2009 Legislative session

January 9, 2009

A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!

For your information………

Bob Wessels

Family M

ember & Advocate

BobWessels@...

From:

vandab@...

Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009

5:20 PM

To: BobWessels@...

Subject: 2009 Legislative session

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online.

2009 Legislative Session

Florida is in trouble. The state's budget

deficit is currently at $2.4 billion, and projected to increase even

more by the time Florida's lawmakers come to Tallahassee for the 2009

legislative session, scheduled to begin on March 3. The state's

budget problems are multiplying day by day, and Florida's citizens

must speak up and let lawmakers know they can't continue cutting an

already bare-bones budget.

The Florida Developmental Disabilities

Council (FDDC), working with the advocacy group, Florida's People,

Florida's Promise, is urging lawmakers to find alternative sources of

revenue to fund Florida's budget. FDDC wants Florida's

lawmakers to stop balancing Florida's budget on the backs of

Florida's working families, retirees, and individuals with

disabilities by cutting services again and again to Florida's public

schools, health care and other vital social programs.

Lawmakers are currently suggesting large

cuts to developmental disability service providers as part of their

option for fixing the current budget deficit, specifically:

A 5%, across- the-board, Medicaid

Waiver provider rate reduction to be implemented March 2, 2009,

which represents an annualized reduction of $41.7 million.

In addition, lawmakers are also

considering:

A $600,000 cut to Early Steps/Part

C/Early Intervention that means a loss of services for 577

infants (0-3) who have a developmental delay.

Up to 10% in cuts to nursing homes

and other medical providers that many individuals with

developmental disabilities depend on for health care.

Please call and email , as soon as

possible, these lawmakers: Senator Jeff Atwater, Senate

President (Atwater, Jeff); Senator Durell Peaden, Jr.,

Chair, Health and Human Services Appropriations (Peaden, Durell, Jr.); Representative Ray Sansom,

Speaker, House of Representatives (Sansom, Ray); and Representative Zapata,

Chair, Human Services Appropriations Committee (Zapata, C.)

In addition, please contact your local

senators and representatives. You can do this by going to www.flsenate.gov to locate your state senators

and go to www.myfloridahouse.com to locate your state

representatives. Urge them to look at alternative revenue

sources such as elimination of certain tax exemptions and subsidies,

and closing tax loopholes for big corporations, as realistic methods

for funding human services programs. For more

information on specific alternative revenue sources endorsed by the

FDDC and Florida's People, Florida's Promise, go to www.floridaspeople.org/pdfs/revenueoptions.pdf.

If you have questions or need assistance, contact the FDDC by calling

Toll Free at 1- or TDD Toll Free at .

January 9, 2009