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Hello Families Network! On January 30, 1998 - exactly TEN YEARS AGO this

Wednesday - the State of New Jersey released a 10 Year Plan to Eliminate the

Community Residential Waiting List for individuals with developmental

disabilities. Despite the legislative mandate that required the creation

of the Plan, it was not fully implemented and was only funded for the first

few years. As a result, 10 years later, this waiting list has almost

DOUBLED in size.

As you all know, The Arc of New Jersey has proposed The 10% Solution. The

10% Solution asks the state to commit to reducing the urgent waiting list by

10% each year for the next ten years. Governor Corzine is putting together

his proposed FY2009 State Budget right now. Now is the time to make sure

your voices are heard that individuals with developmental disabilities and

their families are IN CRISIS. We need your help to make sure the 10%

Solution is included in the FY2009 State Budget!

Action Needed:

Please contact Governor Corzine's office between now and Wednesday, January

30, 2008 and ask him to include the 10% Solution in his FY2009 State Budget.

If you want to call, the phone number is: 609-292-6000

If you want to send a fax, the fax number is: 609-292-3454

If you want to send an email, go to

http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html and fill out the form. Choose

" housing " as a topic, but leave the sub-topic blank. Just fill in your

personal information and type a short message. You can include " The Arc of

NJ " in the organization section, but you don't have to.

Talking points are included below.

If you are not a family member of an individual with a developmental

disability but still want to help, your message can be as simple as this:

" Dear Governor Corzine, my name is [iNSERT NAME]. I am a concerned citizen

and am worried that people with developmental disabilities are in crisis.

Please include The Arc of NJ's 10% Solution in your FY2009 State Budget

plan. Thank you. "

Please pass along this email to all your contacts in New Jersey and ask them

to join our efforts on this important issue!

Talking Points:

à My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am the parent/sibling/guardian of an

individual with a developmental disability. [iF YOUR LOVED ONE IS CURRENTLY

ON THE WAITING LIST, STATE THAT AND INDICATE HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN

WAITING]

à Ten years ago today, the New Jersey Department of Human Services,

Division of Developmental Disabilities released A Plan to Eliminate the

Waiting List for Community Residential Services by 2008.

à The report predicted that if the State did not act, the waiting

list for community residential services for people with developmental

disabilities would reach a little over 7,400. According to the Division of

Developmental Disabilities, we have surpassed that estimate and the waiting

list is currently just under 8,000.

à The need for community based housing opportunities for [NAME OF

LOVED ONE] and others with developmental disabilities is critical and is not

going to go away by ignoring the problem.

à Governor Corzine needs to commit to addressing this problem - not

next fiscal year or next month, but today. Families like mine can no longer

wait.

à We are tired of plans and promises. We need action!!

à We need funding in the FY2009 State Budget for The 10% Solution.

We Must End the Wait for NJ's Forgotten Families!

Thank you in advance for your quick action on this extremely important

issue. As always, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to

contact me.

Denbigh Dixon

Director, Family Advocacy Program

The Arc of New Jersey

985 Livingston Avenue

North Brunswick, NJ 08902

(732) 246-2525 ext.49

ddixon@...

www.arcfamilyadvocacy.org