State Budget Update and Call to Action

Please make your own calls and send the following alert out to your networks:

The Senate has announced another budget vote for Friday September 12th, on the Governor’s August Revise – once again, deep cuts to vital services for all Californians are at stake, both now and into the future.
CALL YOUR SENATOR NOW -- and forward this message to your networks statewide!
1. Call 1-888-268-4334, the "Cuts Hurt Hotline."
2. Press 1, to enter your zip code and be connected directly to your Senator.
3. Tell your Senator:
"OPPOSE the Governor's August Revise because it has:
n EVEN DEEPER CUTS to our students, seniors, people with disabilities, families and all Californians – putting even more strain on our schools, hospitals, home care, and all vital services.
n A SHORT-SIGHTED CAP that would have taken away $8 billion in investment in education, health care, and other vital services this year, if it had been put in place a decade ago.
n A TEMPORARY FIX (via a 1 cent sales tax boost for 3 years, and then a drop by 1 ¼ cent), rather than the long-term revenue we need to prevent deeper cuts and invest in our future."
Your calls have made a *substantial* difference, especially in the last two weeks: On Monday, the Senate defeated the proposed Republican Budget, which had the most devastating cuts yet and only irresponsible borrowing. (The Assembly followed suit on Tuesday). And as Labor Day weekend began, your calls helped defeat Sen. Perata’s modified version of the Governor’s August Revise. Now, we need to do it again – defeat the Governor’s August Revise and make sure our legislators passes a responsible, compassionate budget with no more cuts and the real revenues we need.


For more background on the Governor's August Revise:

n Talking Points from T4CF -- http://www.togetherforca.org/information/GovAugustReviseSummary0829.doc

n Comparisons of the budget proposals – from Education Coalition, Health Access, and County Welfare Directors Association -- are also posted at http://www.togetherforca.org/index.php/resources

n CA Department of Finance, Governor’s August Revise -- http://www.dof.ca.gov/budget/historical/2008-09/documents/August_Revision_R2-w.pdf