From: Ruth Marquez-Washeleski <ruthwash_72@hotmail.com>
To: Alan and Geri Hill <alan-hill@sbcglobal.net>; AngieTalkingCircle <angileer@itccinc.org>; Bob Hickman <gallerywest@earthlink.net>; Carole Minear <cminear@washoetanf.org>; Clarebear <ybmagpye@yahoo.com>; Dean Hoaglin <deanh@snahc.org>; cstronberg@washoetanf.org; ECHOA BLUE <echoa.blue@yahoo.com>; Helen Kawelo <hkawelo@yahoo.com>; Mary Puthoff <mputhoff@livermore.k12.ca.us>; Patricia Roche <patriciar@snahc.org>; PeterLOPEZ HomeEmail <peter.lopez51@yahoo.com>; Rich <richr6@hotmail.com>; Rita <rita_chaske@live.com>; SusanLCSW.snahc <susanm@snahc.org>; Trinidad Aguilar-Goodshield <whitecrowbear@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 4, 2009 8:27:08 PM
Subject: 6/5/09 Nat. Community Support need @ Capitol FW: American Indian Leaders
FYI , Blessings,
R U T H A. MARQUEZ-WASHELESKI 
Angel Island Docent, State Parks Advocate Former State Indian Museum Volunteer
Sacramento Native American Health Clinic Volunteer
Administrative Assistant, Publicity/Promotions,
Hospitality, Kitchen Staff, Special Events Coordinator
Photography & Records Management, Publicity Specialist
Subject: FW: American Indian Leaders
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 14:26:37 -0700
From: tony.cervantes@cdcr.ca.gov
June 4, 2009
American Indian Organizational Leaders in CA Unite to Fight Cuts to State Health and Human Services!!
Your Leadership is Needed Too!!
Today leaders of American Indian organizations that provide health and human services to over 80 Tribal Governments and all Urban Indian communities in California issued a joint press release urging Governor Schwarzenegger and state legislators to fund the CA safety net programs. Included on the list of programs to maintain is the Indian Health Program, CalWORKs 36 Indian Clinics Mental Health/Substance Abuse Program, Native American Treatment/Recovery Technical Assistance Program, Native Women's Public Awareness Campaign and other vital services. The Indian organizational leaders urge state leadership to fund these services by raising taxes on the adult entertainment and alcohol industries. See release below.
Also today copies of the release were delivered to the Conference Budget Committee and Governor's Office in preparation for tomorrow's (6/5/09) hearing on health and human services. The hearing will be held in the State Capitol in Room 4203 at 9:30 AM. It would be very powerful to pack the room with supporters of health and human services and to make a visual impact on the lawmakers by wearing red. I'll be there at 8:45 AM and bring 40 red shirts in all sizes to give to people to wear before entering the room. These shirts are from the 2004 Rally to Save State Indian Health Programs, they have never been worn and are yours to keep. As you may recall, in 2004 Governor Schwarzenegger proposed similar cuts and thanks to concerned citizens and lawmakers—these cuts were avoided. See you tomorrow.
Mark LeBeau
<<Press Release.pdf>>
California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. * California Consortium for Urban Indian Health, Inc.
Inter-Tribal Council of CA, Inc. * California Association of Tribal Governments
For Immediate Release: June 4, 2009
Contact: Mark LeBeau, MS, Health Policy Analyst, mark.lebeau@crihb.net, phone 916-929-9761
Jyl Hardenbergh, Director, jyl@ccuih.org, phone 415-572-7935
Gov. Schwarzenegger and state legislators entertain balancing the CA budget on the backs of the weakest, youngest, oldest, poorest and sickest
Plan calls for continuation of slashing and burning CA safety net programs
State elected leaders should fund these vital services by raising taxes on the
adult entertainment and alcohol industries
Sacramento, CA—In the California May 2009 revised budget under consideration, the Governor and Senate and Assembly leaders are considering severely slashing most of the funding of the state's health and human services safety net programs and terminating the remaining critically-important services. Among other cuts, the plan calls for:
· Eliminating Healthy Families which provides medical coverage to 928,000 children and teens;
· Terminating the Indian Health Program which provides 1.2 million medical, dental, and public health nursing visits annually;
· Ending the CalWORKs 36 Indian Health Clinics Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program which conducts mental health, alcohol/drug treatment and preparation-to-work/welfare-to-work services 120,960 times annually;
· Suspending the Native American Treatment/Recovery Technical Assistance and Native Women's Public Awareness Campaign programs which increases capacity, reduces barriers to access to prevention/treatment/recovery and provides continuing education for substance abuse/mental health counselors;
· Dismantling the state's CalWORKs program which serves more than 500,000 underprivileged families with children; and
· Chopping Proposition 36 (also known as Substance Abuse Crime Prevention Act) services which allows first and second-time simple drug possession offenders to receive substance abuse treatment instead of incarceration and the failed lock 'em up approach.
All of these health and human safety net services are vital to maintain and could easily be supported through funds derived from increasing taxes on the adult entertainment and alcohol industries.
Without this social safety net, there will be crowded hospital emergency rooms, increased crime, higher rates of disease transmittal and accelerated economic decline. Children will need medical care and families will need housing, food and work access assistance—especially with the CA unemployment rate at 11 percent and growing. The numbers of homeless, hungry families and the uninsured costs of sick children will grow. There will be increased morbidity and mortality of Californians.
Californians must not allow other Californians to die or become sicker due to lack of access to the safety net! Contact state elected officials and demand that they not terminate nor slash these programs--tell them to increase revenues and boost efficiency!
· Assembly Member Noreen Evans, Conference Budget Committee Chair, can be contacted by phone at 916-319-2007 and fax at 916-319-2199.
· Governor Schwarzenegger can be contacted by phone at 916-445-2841 and fax at 916-558-3160.
####
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
