Follow the instructions below and tell your representative in Harrisburg why it is necessary to protect vulnerable Pennsylvanians by preserving services for people with Mental Illness, Substance Abuse Disorders, Intellectual Disabilities and Autism

Find your senator at the web site http://www.forbesfunds.org/pages/contactlegislators


TCV MH/MR, Inc. attended the Pennsylvania Community Provider Association’s Capitol Day on May 24 to support their efforts to preserve funding for mental health, intellectual disability, addiction services and protect PA’s safety net.

5/24/2011

After an enjoyable bus ride to Harrisburg, TCV's representatives of staff and clients attended a rally sponsored by the Pennsylvania Community Providers Association (PCPA) on the steps of the Capitol Rotunda, attempted to meet with representatives and attended a session of the House of Representatives.

At the rally, representatives stressed that individuals support the house in voting no against the proposed budget and go back to the drawing board to find ways to fund programs and to not put a cap on group homes or eliminate services. Many alternatives were discussed at the rally to alleviate cutting funds. Suggestions included: not having free jazz community jazz festivals, no free postage for prisoners/inmates, and to collect 100% of the sales tax from businesses. Currently the state of PA only collects 99% of the sales tax from business owners. If they collected the extra 1% from the business owners, it would increase the budget by 75 million!

Unfortunately, despite the efforts of TCV and the PCPA, The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 109-92 to approve a state budget that sets spending at $27.3 billion for the 2011-12 fiscal year, the same amount proposed in Governor Tom Corbett’s March budget plan. It cuts $1 billion from public schools and reduces Governor Corbett’s budget by $471 million for health and human services for women, children and people with disabilities. It fails to enact a drilling tax on natural gas and leaves untouched a $500 million state revenue surplus.

Amongst Southwestern PA House lawmakers who voted YES were Mustio, Marshall, Christiana , Maher, Reed, Turzai, and Vulokovich. Those who voted NO included Burns, Costa, D., Costa. P, Deasy, DeLuca, Dermody , Frankel, Gergely, Kortz, Kotik, Markosek, Preston, Ravenstahl, Readshaw, Wagner, Wheatley, and White. Please reach out to those who voted YES to let them know how these cuts will impact your organization and those you serve and thank those who voted NO on the bill.

Please consider sending your representative and senator an e-mail to advocate for a budget without substantial cuts to MH, MR and D&A.

If you choose to e-mail your legislator here is the best way to do it:

Go to the web site www.pasen.gov
Find your legislator by putting in your zip code in the upper right
There is a link to the post office if you do not know your 4 digit zip code extension
Your legislators are listed alphabetically
Once you open your legislator, there is a link to their e-mail
Your e-mail message should contain the following:

• Introduce yourself as a constituent of theirs (you live in their area)
• Be brief and respectful – a couple sentences - half page at most
• Make your point by telling your own story
• Tell how cuts would affect the services and consumers
• Personalize your message and give brief examples
• Ask for their pledge to not drastically cut social programs
• Thank them and wish them the best in completing a hard job
  
  PLEASE WRITE YOUR EMAIL OR LETTER TODAY! If you need any help feel free to call Tom Bach, MR Director, who is TCV’s legislative advocate at 412-823-0600 ext. 115
  
  UPDATED 5/26/2011