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STATE BUDGET CUTS TARGET CHILDREN AND YOUTH
According
to the California Budget Project, the Governor’s proposed budget includes
tragic cuts to education, health care and human services- disproportionately
affecting children and youth. His
proposal includes deep cuts to:
- K-12 Education
(including shortening the school year by 7.5 days)
- Child Welfare
Services (reducing rates for foster care providers and for clothing allowances)
- Early and
Periodic Screening, Diagnosis & Treatment Services (funding for mental
health programs)
His
proposal would include the elimination of:
- Cal Grants (approximately 300,000 Californians would lose student
aid for higher education)
- Healthy Families Program (ending health care coverage for more than
940,000 children)
- CalWORKs Program (ending cash assistance to more than 1.1 million of
the most vulnerable children in the state and eliminating CalWORKs child
care)
The
Committee that considers the state budget has been meeting daily, and there is serious
pressure to pass a budget quickly before the state runs out of money at the end
of July. Obviously the state budget has
a tremendous impact on us locally, and the Controller presented this past week
about the potential local impacts of the Governor’s proposals. If the Governor’s proposal to eliminate
CalWORKs is accepted by the state legislature, it would cost the city $102
million to replace the funding for that program. The Governor also proposes to borrow $2
billion in local property taxes, costing the city $91 million, and meaning a
loss to the Children’s Fund of $4.5 million (to be paid back within 3 years). For more info on the state budget, visit the
California Budget Project at: www.cbp.org.
THIS WEEK’S SF BUDGET BLUES
Mayor
Gavin Newsom, in his public release of his proposed budget, proclaimed that it
was “close to perfect”, and in response this week, Supervisor David Campos
agreed, "…if you're a wealthy, straight, white male from Pacific Heights." The reality is that the Mayor’s proposed
budget protects ‘sacred cows’ like police and fire, at the cost to economically
and politically vulnerable populations like young people and their families.
There was an incredible budget march and
rally this past week with over 1,000 participants, coming together to fight for a fair city
budget. The mobilization marched down Market Street to City Hall, chanting, “Whose City? Our City!” and
took over the steps of City Hall to demand that city leaders pass a just
budget! After the rally, participants
headed upstairs to the Budget and Finance Committee meeting, where Supervisor
Avalos introduced an amendment to the interim 2009-2010 budget, which would
equalize the general fund cuts between law enforcement and health & human
services, to ensure that the city is equally sharing the pain of this economic crisis. In the Mayor’s proposed
budget, the police, fire and sheriff departments all received 6% increases in
their general fund budgets, while key health and human services received
significant general fund cuts, ranging from 11%-24% decreases, decimating
critical services!
The Budget and
Finance Committee passed Avalos’ proposed amendment to equalize city budget reductions, and cut $82 million from the
police, fire, and sheriff departments to put that money into a special fund for
health and human services. This Tuesday, June 16, the
amendment goes to the full Board meeting- this is an opportunity for the
community to support alternative cuts, to help save critical services!! Big
thanks to Supervisor John
Avalos for making a bold
move that champions the city values that we want to see!! For more info about the city budget, contact Chelsea at (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.
THANKS TO SFUSD AND BOARD OF EDUCATION: A-G IS MOVING FORWARD!
The A-G
policy passed by the Board of Education on May 26 was a definite victory; and
for Coleman families and students of color in San Francisco public schools, it was a moment in history. And, as we’ve all acknowledged before, the
real work will be in the implementation of this policy. The SF Unified School District has been supportive
of Coleman’s involvement in the implementation process and we are very excited
to work closely with the District in moving this policy forward, to ensure
educational justice for all students in San Francisco schools!!
Special
thanks go to Superintendent Carlos Garcia, Associate Superintendent Francisca
Sanchez, Jan Gustafson, Bill Sanderson, Elizabeth Jimenez, Ramon Zavala,
Margaret Chu, as well as to the seven Board of Education members: Sandra Fewer,
Jane Kim, Kim-Shree Maufus, Hydra Mendoza, Rachel Norton, Jill Wynns, and Norman
Yee.
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In This Issue:
We believe that all children have the right to a secure future in San Francisco.
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