Governor Perdue Cuts Revenue Estimates

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that net revenue collections for the month of February 2008 (FY08) totaled $965,846,000 compared to $961,225,000 for February 2007 (FY07), an increase of only 0.5 percent. The percentage increase year-to-date for FY08 compared to FY07 is 1.9 percent.

Governor Perdue met with the leadership of both the House and Senate to discuss the revenue figures and his revised budget recommendations this morning.

For FY08, Governor Perdue is reducing the revenue estimate by $65 million from his original proposal. The original AFY08 recommendation was $332.6 million. In order to achieve a balanced budget, Governor Perdue identified an equivalent amount of spending to eliminate from his AFY08 recommendation. The reductions recommended include $40 million originally allocated for one-time equipment and technology infrastructure upgrades and $25 million in funding for school buses.

“All of these programs are worthy of funding and provide good value to the citizens, but we have to make difficult decisions on how to spend our limited resources,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “I have proposed reducing funding across state agencies, even reducing programs that I have championed, because everyone and every program must share our collective burden.”

The Governor has made recomendations to cut the proposed 150 ICWP slots and the MRWP services in the FY09 budget.

The impact of the Governor's cut in revenue projections is yet to be fully understood. It will depend even more so on your advocacy for Unlocking Georgia's waiting lists for supports for people with disabilities is as important as ever.

For FY09, Governor Perdue reduced the revenue estimate by $245 million. The original FY09 recommendation was $21.425 billion. The equivalent reduction in spending recommended by Governor Perdue would be derived from programs across state agencies.

Other spending reductions Governor Perdue recommended are:

• Eliminating $16.9 million for funding the Governor’s Health Insurance Partnership.


• Reducing $47.2 million in Major Repairs and Renovations (MRR) for the University System of Georgia and the Department of Technical and Adult Education. These projects would instead be funded through a bond package.


• Reducing the proposed raise for state employees, teachers and faculty at the Board of Regents and the Department of Technical and Adult Education from 2.5 percent to 2 percent. This would save $46.1 million.


• Reducing $44.1 million in additional funds into the Other Post Employee Benefits (OPEB) fund.


• Reducing $5.5 million in the Governor’s Very Important Parent (VIP) Recruiter Program from the original $14 million proposal.

In addition to the recommended reductions, Governor Perdue has asked agency heads to maximize savings by avoiding unnecessary travel, restricting hiring for non-critical positions and any other reductions identified by agencies. The Governor is also encouraging each agency head to enact strict approval processes for new expenditures, and has asked the Office of Planning & Budget to closely monitor budgets. These limitations on discretionary spending are intended to mitigate the potential impact of reductions in revenue collections for Fiscal Year 2008.

HB 984 - Letter

Dear Senator Unterman,

As a parent with 2 children with significant developmental disabilities, I request that HB 984, a bill that would establish a "transitional" nursing facility for medically fragile children, be defeated by the Senate. My understanding of the bill is that medically fragile children will be discharged from the hospital to these facilities rather than to their own homes and families with the necessary medical supports. I believe that an attractive facility and well-intentioned staff can not take the place of being at home with the individuals loving family. All families need is services that help them help their loved ones in the warm and secure environment of home.

I understand that not all families are willing to take on the responsibility of taking care of their own, but would venture to say that most families feel they are more capable than any institution with the right supports in place.

This may be far-fetched, but my concern is that the word "transitional" at some convenient point in time becomes "permanent". This would be a step back to a past that allowed people (families) the opportunity to walk away from their responsibility of caring for their loved ones because of the convenience of the institution. Let's keep the warehousing of human beings (real people) a thing of the past.

I would never consider, even with all the hardships and struggles associated with raising children with significant disabilities, placing my children in any type of "transitional" nursing facility. The government will make it too easy for those who do not think like me to lose hope and give up on their loved ones before they ever had the chance to act and behave like a family. The government will make it too easy for families to walk away from their responsibility.

I believe HB 984 will be the first step in re-establishing institutions that hurt more than helped society as a whole. I urge the Georgia legislature to put the resources into home based supports and services. The supports and services received by my family has helped all of us better understand our purpose in life, as well as gaining an appreciation of the beauty and struggle of the human spirit.

HB 984 Sets Georgia back 40 years

Senator Don Thomas,

It is with deep heartfelt emotion, as a mother of a 12 year-old girl with a cerebral palsy, that I asked that HB 984 be stopped. It will take Georgia back 40 years. No one can take care of my child like me. Families need to stay together. When families need help, they should not have to sacrifice their children. As long as I have breath, my daughter will live at home. By any means necessary. Ask yourself the question, what would you want if it were you or your child? HB984 says that a child who has an extensive stay in the hospital and needs further care, would have to go to a "Transitional Facility" aka Institution, instead of home with their families. For some children and families, going home would be a thing of the past.

In 1998, I found out how important it is for people with developmental disability, to live in their own homes and in their own community. A real home with a yard and with neighbors who do not have disabilities. I met David, his girlfriend Mary, both of them lived in Brook Run Institution, for over 25 years. They lived with cerebral palsy with severe physical impairments. The three of us were born the same year, 1964. We met at Partner's in Policymaking, an advocacy training for individuals with developmental disabilities and family members. David and I became fast friends. Leonard who had Osteo Imperfecta and Renee who has Epilepsy were also in our class and they also lived in Brook Run. Leonard called it a life sentence 25 years. If you don't know, Brook Run was an institution and it closed in 1997.

In 1997, David and Mary Ellen (age 33), Leonard (age 25) and Renee lived in their own homes for first time since they were small children. Having their own home and transportation which gave them freedom and independence. David would call me on the phone almost every day and Mary Ellen did not appreciate that. One time in our Partner's class, David hollered for me to come sit by him," Sonja Over Here." Well, his girl Mary Ellen (who is "nonverbal"), shrilled with every part of her being, a sound of hell no!! As a woman myself, I completely understood and told David I would see him at break time. He lived 3 years in his own home and at the tender age of 36, his kidneys failed and he died.

Leonard enjoyed 10 years, he accomplished so much with his life. He was a father, an activist, he and Renee would go to Washington, DC and participated in demonstrations for Supported Living, Supported Employment, and Inclusion for children in schools. He was a DJ and had the "baddest" system. The UGA did a documentary on his life. It was at a demonstration in Washington, DC when Leonard caught pneumonia and never made it back to Atlanta. This month, he's been gone 3 years. To only live a day in their shoes or Leonard's socks...whew, my people I miss them. They deserved more than they got.

Passing HB984 has taken away from the work that the people like Leonard and David who fought and died for freedom. Please do not let the next generation have to suffer through what has already been proven to be wrong for people. This is the civil rights movement of the millennium. We want to go forwards not backwards. Please stop HB 984

Thank you for your time and support, I am confident that the people of Georgia, especially our children can count on your support.

HB 984 - Letter from a Partner's Graduate:

As a parent of a child with disabilities, I am devastated by the idea of creating such an "institution" to place children in during transition. It may be well intended... but so was the idea behind mental health institutions, and we have lived through the devastation that people suffered in such places. A child should never be housed in a place, separated from community, family, and typical kids. Appropriate care, emotional health, and safety are all serious concerns. A separate housing facility for children in transition is not the answer. There is no doubt in my mind, this is a step backward, and is not an acceptable solution.

House Schedule

The following is the House schedule passed last week in HR1556

Friday, March 7, through Monday, March 10 in adjournment

Tuesday, March 11 in session for legislative Day 30
Wednesday, March 12 in session for legislative Day 31
Thursday, March 13 in session for legislative Day 32

Friday, March 14 through Monday, March 17 in adjournment

Tuesday, March 18 in session for legislative Day 33
Wednesday, March 19 in session for legislative Day 34
Thursday, March 20 in session for legislative Day 35

Friday, March 21 through Monday, March 24 in adjournment

Tuesday, March 25 in session for legislative Day 36
Wednesday, March 26 in session for legislative Day 37
Thursday, March 27 in session for legislative Day 38

HB 984- Your letter and comments

I have already received some comments on HB 984. Thanks for your quick response. We have until Monday afternoon to get information to legislators.

As a parent who cared for and adopted children that had lingered in the hospitals waiting for placements, I know the damage done by not being in a home. Facilities are not capable of providing the emotional needs of these kids and separating the family breaks the bond between parent and child when it is needed the most.

Renn Doyle, Partners graduate, Atlanta


I am a parent of a child with special needs and I am very concerned about HB 984 being passed. For certain, the individual who introduced this bill had good intentions. However, I wish that he or she had first decided to gather input from parents like me, before taking this forward.
If my child were to ever need medical care outside of a hospital, I hope and pray that it would be made available in our home. No matter how well-meaning and nice someone else may be, they could never take the place of a family's care. With proper supports, a family should be allowed the opportunity to take care of their loved one. It is appropriate for a child or anyone to be able to sleep in their own room and have familiar faces around. It is even more frightening to think of someone who is limited verbally and physically to be taken away from what they are accustomed to. When I read the bill, all that came to mind was that this would be a way to "institutionalize" the children.
I am asking you to please vote "No" to HB984 and encourage your constituents to do the same.

Sincerely,
Jackie McNair, Partner graduate, Gwinnett


In general, I think children should not live in facilities. How is that a good thing? People need nursing care, and families may be overwhelmed but many families have been taught how to care for their children with medical needs. In the spirit of the Children’s Initiative, it is hard for me to imagine that this would be a good solution. I want children to have what they need, I am just not sure that this is it.

Mary Kissel, Executive Director, Georgia Options

Urgent Action Alert!

HB 984 needs your attention today
Please make phone calls and/or send emails by end of business day Monday!

HB 984 has already passed unanimously in the House and is in committee in the Senate today. If passed, this bill could open up the possibility of campuses that only serve children with disabilities to pop up across the state. As Partners and Voices graduates, we need to make it clear that the best place to serve individuals is in their home with adequate supports. Legislators need to hear the other side of this issue. Please educate legislators by sending an email or calling by 5:00pm on Monday.

Thank you!

HB 984 is intended to create a “transitional” nursing facility to which children who are medically fragile will be discharged from a hospital instead of to the child’s home and family with all the medical services they need being provided there. No matter how attractive the buildings or the grounds, or how well-intentioned the staff, it is still an institution. Children need real homes and all the necessary supports to allow them to grow up safe and healthy and with their families.

“Services” are not a place. Hundreds of children who are medically fragile live at home each day with appropriate supports and services in place. No child should need to go to a “transitional” nursing facility in order to receive the medical supports and services that he or she needs to go home. When the focus of our efforts is on the child and ensuring that the child gets what she needs at home, there is no need for “special” places like those created by HB 984.

If you have any questions about HB 984, please contact:
Josh Norris, Georgia Advocacy Office
(404) 885-1234
jnorris@thegao.org

Pat Nobbie, Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities
(404) 805-9741
pnobbie@dhr.state.ga.us

What you can do:
Call or email the members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and ask them to oppose HB984. Below is the contact information for members of the Committee. If you would like to read HB 984, go to http://www.legis.state.ga.us/ . In the upper right-hand corner of the site, there is a place to enter the bill number.

Ask your friends, neighbors and co-workers to contact the members of the Committee to voice opposition to HB 984.

Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Chairman, Don Thomas, 54th
Phone:(404) 656-6436
Fax: (404) 651-6767
Email: don.thomas@senate.ga.gov

Vice Chair, Renee Unterman, 45th
Phone: (404) 463-1368
Fax: (404) 651-6768
Email: unterman@bellsouth.net

Secretary, Gregg Goggans, 7th
Phone: (404) 463-5263
Fax: (404) 646-6484
Email: drgg@alltel.net

David Adelman, 42nd
Phone: (404) 463-1376
Fax: (404) 651-7078
Email: david.adelman@senate.ga.gov

Don Balfour, 9th
Phone: (404) 656-0095
Fax: (404) 656-6581
Email: ss9balfour@aol.com

Gloria Butler, 55th
Phone: (404) 656-0075
Fax: (404) 657-9728
Email: gloria.butler@senate.ga.gov

Johnny Grant, 25th
Phone: (404) 656-0082
Fax: (404) 657-3248
Email: sengrant@alltel.net

Lee Hawkins, 49th
Phone: (404) 656-6578
Fax: (404) 463-1381
Email: lee.hawkins@senate.ga.gov

Steve Henson, 41st
Phone: (404) 656-0085
Fax: (404) 651-7078
Email: stevehenson@mindsPhonering.com

Judson Hill, 32nd
Phone: (404) 656-0150
Fax: (404) 463-2535
Email: judson@judsonhill.com

Preston Smith, 52nd
Phone: (404) 656-0034
Fax: (404) 463-4161
Email: preston.smith@senate.ga.gov

Horacena Tate, 38th
Phone: (404) 463-8053
Fax: (404) 463-7783
Email: horacena.tate@senate.ga.gov

John Wiles, 37th
Phone: (404) 657-0406
Fax: (404) 657-0459
Email: john@johnwiles.com

Ex-Officio Members

Joseph Carter, 13th
Phone: (404) 651-7738
Fax: (404) 651-5795
Email: joseph@josephcarter2004.com

Nan Orrock, 36th
Phone: (404) 463-8054
Fax: (404) 657-7853
Email: nan.orrock@senate.ga.gov

David Shafer, 48th
Phone: (404) 656-0048
Fax: (404) 651-6768
Email: david.shafer@senate.ga.gov

The Medicaid Buy In is operational!

GEORGIA INDEPENDENT LIVING NETWORK
Public Notice

At long last, people on Social Security Disability Income have the opportunity to join (or return to) the workforce AND buy into a Medicaid for health insurance. Click here to learn more about Georgia Medicaid for Workers with Disabilities.

The Council thanks the staff in the Department of Community Health's Eligibility Office, Brian Dowd, Warran McNeill and Yvonne Dove, for their perseverance and Shepherd Center's Benefits Navigators, Sally Atwell and Curtis Rogers, for their practical advice. And of course, without the leadership of Senator Goggans and the support of the General Assembly, there would be no program to implement.

Please let us - and your legislators - know if the program works for you!

“Planning for the Future Starts Today”

DeKalb Transition Forum
For Parents of Teenagers and Adults with Disabilities

Thursday, March 13, 2008
5:30pm-8:30pm
Stone Mountain High School
4555 Central Drive
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
Click the address for directions.

Program:

5:30pm – 6:15pm Exhibits Open
6:15pm – 7:30pm Panel Discussion and Questions/Answer session
7:30pm – 8:30pm Exhibits Open

Panelists to include representatives from:

Region III Board
Vocational Rehabilitation, Georgia Department of Labor
Parent Mentor
Unlock the Waiting Lists
Professional Counseling Services of Americus, Inc.

This event is sponsored by:

The Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities
DeKalb County Schools
Georgia Learning Resources System – GLRS
Developmental Disabilities Council of DeKalb County

For more information call Karen Tallent, DeKalb County School System at 678-676-2161 or Emily Severtson at AADD 404-881-9777 x 205.

AADD 2008 Heart of Gold Awards

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS!
Help AADD to honor and recognize individuals or organizations who exemplify AADD’s mission to build communities of support, acceptance, and opportunity for children, adults, and families living with developmental disabilities!

Steps and Options for Nominating Someone Deserving:

Step 1:
-Go to: www.aadd.org; click on the Heart of Gold link; review the list of awards.
Step 2:
- Complete the online nomination form.

OR

- Download a paper copy of the nomination form and FAX or mail to AADD as instructed on form.

Deadline to Nominate: Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Awards Banquet will be held on a weekday evening in May 2008.
Exact date and location to be announced soon!