Three Things You Can Do to Help Pass A Budget That's Good for Kids!

Under the leadership of Southeast Pennsylvania’s own “Cool Hand Dom” (Sen. Dominic Pileggi of Delaware and Chester counties) the programs listed below will be slashed – some as much as 100 PERCENT! You can help save them.

1). WRITE TO THE INQUIRER. Let the Inquirer’s editors know you’re not as impressed with Pileggi’s cost-cutting efforts (see below) as they are! (‘Cool Hand Dom’ a key player in budget battle) Tell them how your community will be impacted by the service cuts that Pileggi proposes.


2). ATTEND A “THANKS FOR THE CUTS, SENATOR PILEGGI!” RALLY THIS Friday (7/31), 12 noon, outside the Senator’s Chester, PA, office,. 415 Avenue of the States, (Bring SIGNS stating your area to be cut. See below.) For more information, contact sheilas@pccy.org, call 215-563-5848, ext. 12 or link to www.pccy.org/ealerts.htm.


Budget Line Item Cuts Under the Republican Budget Proposal
Drug Education and Law Enforcement 100%
Violence Prevention 100%
Police on Patrol 100%
Safe Neighborhoods 100%
Inmate Education 21%
CHIP Program 10,000 Children Cut
Cancer Programs 57%
HIV/AIDS Programs 25%
Regional Cancer Centers 100%
Tourette Syndrome 100%
Hemophilia 100%
Epilepsy 100%
Children's Hospital in Philadelphia 100%
Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh 100%
Fox Chase Cancer Institute 100%
Burn Foundation 100%
Pre-K Counts 50%
Head Start 50%
Adult Literacy 27%
Charter Schools 12%
High School Reform 75%
Science and Math Education 100%
HEMAP 10%
Customized Job Training 54%
Business Retention and Expansion 100%
Small Business Development Centers 62%
Minority Business Development Agency 100%
Housing & Redevelopment Assistance 100%
Grants To The Arts 100%
Long Term Care 100%
Services to Persons with Disabilities 100%
SOURCE: 2009-10 Senate appropriations State General Fund Budget Chart

3). INFORM YOUR DISTRICT LEGISLATOR . . . he or she needs to stay on the job until the job is done. If you’re in Philadelphia, let them know your city is suspending payments to vendors. No recess until you pass a budget that responds to the education and human service needs of your constituents!

Stop massive cuts to programs for Pennsylvania’s children and families!

Spend a few hours phone banking with PCCY this week. We are calling voters in the Philadelphia suburbs to let them know their Senators are placing ideology before children’s lives and suggesting they take action.

Voters are very responsive to these calls. If you volunteer during the day or evening (until 8 pm) we’ll provide training, phone lists, snacks and good company.

Contact cbalka@pccy.org if interested.

Willing to make a sacrifice for Pa.’s future

Guest Column: Willing to make a sacrifice for Pa.’s future

Reprinted from the Delaware County Times, Saturday, July 25, 2009

By SID HOLMES, Times Guest Columnist

All Pennsylvanians who want their taxes increased, raise your hands!

Me neither, but this is the wrong question to ask. A more appropriate one is, are we better off making drastic cuts to children’s health care, child care, education and a host of programs protecting vulnerable families in our communities? Or should we be penny-wise and pound-foolish with Pennsylvania’s future?

To continue reading, click here:

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2009/07/25/opinion/doc4a6a6edf1ea14025679691.txt

State Budget: Focus Shifts to Senate

Twice in the past week the Pennsylvania House rejected Senate proposals to cut $2 billion from the budget – mostly from programs for children and families. (For a list of children's programs threatened by Senate action click here.)

In contrast to Friday's decision, House members yesterday voted by a three to one margin to nix the latest Senate budget, basically a rehash of SB 850. That's all Democrats and half the Republicans in the House! Speaking afterward, Majority leader Todd Eachus said: let’s be clear…what binds us together are the children, the children in…pre-K programs, the children in our basic education system…and children’s health. (Click here to see press conference with House leaders and the Governor.)

Each of his colleagues echoed this point, underscoring the extent to which they are hearing from child advocates. Yet our job isn't over: the House and Senate budget bills will now go to a conference committee to work out a compromise.

While negotiations take place it is especially important to keep the pressure on Senators who can be persuaded to support a budget that’s good for kids. Yesterday’s House action demonstrated this is what the majority of Pennsylvanians want. If Senators hear from us in large numbers they will ask their leaders to modify positions.

If you live or work in Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Eastern Montgomery County it is crucial that you contact your Senator listed below. (If you aren’t sure who your Senator is, click here and enter your zip code in the lower left.)

Tell your Senator:

* Pass a budget that funds education, child care, children’s health and other services for children at the levels requested by the Governor; and

* Enact a modest, temporary tax increase to fund these services during the recession.

(Click here http://www.capwiz.com/pccy/issues/alert/?alertid=13772151&type=ST to send an email from PCCY's web site.)

If you don’t live or work in these counties here are three things you can do:

1) Forward this email to friends, colleagues and family members in these areas and ask them to contact their Senators;

2) Participate in a phone bank to residents of these counties. PCCY will host a phone bank all day Thursday. We’ll provide training, telephone lists and snacks. (If you’re interested but can’t make these times, contact us at info@pccy.org.)

3) Thank your Representative if he or she voted to protect children and families in this year’s budget. Urge them to hold their ground during negotiations this week. (Click here http://www.capwiz.com/pccy/issues/alert/?alertid=13772076&type=ST to send a letter from PCCY’s web site.)

We have an important opportunity to extend Pennsylvania's progress funding early childhood education, K-12 education and children’s health. Call your state Senator now and tell him or her you're ready to pay a little more so that kids and families in our state can have a better future!

Senators:
Pileggi - Chester (part) and Delaware (part) Counties. (717) 787-4712
Erickson - Chester (part) and Delaware (part) Counties. (717) 787-1350
Greenleaf - Bucks (part) and Montgomery (part) Counties. (717) 787-6599
McIlhinney - Bucks (part) and Montgomery (part) Counties. (717) 787-7305
Rafferty - Berks (part), Chester (part) and Montgomery (part) Counties. (717) 787-1398
Tomlinson - Bucks (part) County. (717) 787-5072
Wonderling - Bucks (part), Lehigh (part), Montgomery (part) and Northampton (part) Counties (717) 787-3110

House Approved HB 1416 Last Night

For an update on the House budget vote last night -- one that's especially relevant to Southeastern Pennsylvania residents and what we should do next -- click here:

http://youngphillypolitics.com/pennsylvania_budget_sanity_versus_insanity#comment-32727 .

Senate in Session Over the Weekend; Budget Negotiations Coming Down to the Wire

Click here to watch State Rep. Payton address education advocates at the Don't Turn Back the Clock rally Thursday at the Capitol! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ToYQh9DgA.

House Democrats are currently in caucus but the House is expected to vote today on HB 1416.

The Senate will be in session over the weekend and is expected to vote on the budget Monday night.

Call your Senator now. Tell him/her to:

*reject the cuts in SB 850.

*vote for a budget that restores funding to EDUCATION, CHILD CARE AND CHILDREN’S HEALTH PRIORITIES.

Click www.legis.state.pa.us/ for Harrisburg phone numbers; www.pccy.org for more information.

Do it now -- don't delay!

Budget Negotiations Moving Quickly: We Can Do Better for Kids!

The Pennsylvania House suspended rules this morning in order to vote on a budget as early as tomorrow or Friday.

The House is considering HB 1416, which restores many of the cuts in SB 850 -- with the exception of $118 for the Basic Education Subsidy and $15 million from Pre-K. (It's important to note that HB 1416 is balanced mainly because it removes higher education funding from the General Fund. At present it is unclear how this would be paid for.)

Meanwhile, an ammendment to HB 1416 submitted by Rep. Mario Civera essentially re-introduces the cuts to children's programs from SB 850. Essentially it would cut approximately $2 billion from child care, education, children’s health and other programs children and families depend on, especially during an economic downturn. (See yesterday's post for details.) It remains to be seen whether Civera's ammendment will be accepted.

We know we can do better for Pennsylvania children and families!

Please take a few minutes this afternoon to call the Chairs of the House appropriations committee.

PS: if you prefer to send an email click here.

Tell Rep. Evans (D-Philadelphia): (717- 783-1540)

1. We can do better than this!

2. Please restore $118 from the Governor’s budget for the Basic Education Subsidy and $15 million for Pre-K Counts.
3. Enact a modest, temporary tax increase to support these programs.

Tell Rep. Mario Civera (R-Delaware County): (717- 787-3850)

1. Vote for a budget that restores funding for Basic Education, Child Care Works and Pre-K and children’s health. Cuts to these programs will have a devastating impact on Pennsylvania children and families.
2. Enact a tax increase to support these programs.

Thank you for all your terrific efforts thus far to pass a budget that’s good for kids.

For downloadable budget flyers, emails and background information see http://www.pccy.org/.