Gov. Tom Corbett unveiled his proposed Pennsylvania state budget for fiscal year 2012/13 on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The Governor's General Fund budget is set at $27.5 billion - a decrease of $866 million or 3.1 percent from 2010/11. Overall state spending is cut back to 2008/09 levels. In his budget address, Corbett indicated that “transforming the human services safety net” was one of his overall budget goals for the upcoming fiscal year.
It is critical that individuals living with mental illnesses, their families and community providers have meaningful input into this transformation. Please do your part by joining with us to ensure our voice is heard!
CALL to ACTION
Contact the Appropriations Committee majority and minority chairs (contact information listed below) in both the PA House and Senate and urge them to put an end to the era of having to do more with less. MESSAGE (Cut and paste into emails.)
Dear Appropriations Committee Chairperson, Restore Mental Health Services funding within the Governor’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year to the current year level of $717,213! Mental Health Services takes a 20% cut in the Governor’s proposed budget. Yet when Mental Health funding is shifted into the newly proposed Human Services Development Block Grant (HSDF), it makes up over 2/3 or 71% of the overall funds. Each county will use those HSDF funds with great flexibility to meet various county human service needs, not just for much-needed community treatment and supports for people living with mental illnesses and their families. Please restore the Mental Health Services Funding!
CONTACT INFORMATION
PA House of Representatives
Rep. Bill Adolph (R-Delaware): Chairman
Email: wadolph@pahousegop.com Phone: 1-610-544-9878Rep. Bill Adolph (R-Delaware): Chairman
Contact: http://www.pahouse.com/markosek/contact.asp
Pennsylvania Senate
Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre): Chairman
Contact: http://www.jakecorman.com/contact.htm
Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia): Minority Chairman
Contact: http://senatorhughes.com/contact-me
2 comments:
I've just emailed each of them, and I included a personalized portion in the email. I encourage everyone who is reading this blog post to do the same. Fight for yourself, for your loved ones, for your friends, and for those who have no one to fight for them.
Cuts to social services over the last two years have been both unbelievable + unacceptable.
When 1-in-4 deal with mental illness, cuts to the "safety net" effect all of us… either personally, like myself, or indirectly through our close friends, loved ones, coworkers, neighbors or the people we interact with daily… all of whom are thriving despite a devastating illness because of these vital life-or-death social services.
Please support your fellow human beings who are simply trying to live life to the fullest via the support of many social services on the chopping block this fiscal year.
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