SPECIAL BULLETIN - Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center - January 11, 2011

Yesterday, the California Governor's Office released it's budget plans for the
next fiscal year.

WE SEE DEEP AND UGLY CUTS! Your local Assembly members and State Senators needs
to hear your opposition to the cuts ASAP!

$12.5 billion in cuts. That includes $1.5 billion from CalWorks, called Welfare
to Work, and $1.7 billion from Medi-Cal.

Proposes Elimination of Adult Day Health Care and Multipurpose Seniors Services
Programs; Proposes 10% Medi-Cal Provider Rate Cuts; Caps on Spending for
Several Medi-Cal Services – Also Proposes Cuts to Healthy Families Program –
Proposes Shift of Proposition 63 Fund Balance to Fund AB 3632 Mental Health
Services for Special Education Students; Medi-Cal Mental Health Managed Care and
EPSDT Programs – Major Cuts to IHSS and Regional Centers Proposed. This
basically the tip of the iceberg and social service programs will be impacted as
well.

Not to mention, Hearing Aid benefits would have a yearly maximum dollar cap of
$1,510. Reduce state portion of the maximum SSI/SSP individual grants to the
lowest level allowed by the federal government From $845 to $830.

Advocates like us all across the State expected to see wide-spread permanent
spending cuts to major programs, including health and human services. Deep cuts
– including mid-year cuts - are happening to several critical health and human
services programs including regional center community-based services and
supports, In-Home Supportive Services, CalWORKS – the State's "welfare to work"
program, Medi-Cal, and mental health.

Governor Brown already made a gesture in the past weeks. A 25% spending cut in
his own office budget and that includes his staff and eliminating some state
offices sent chilling predictions of the Governor's budget for California.

Many programs that enable our community members achieve independence and freedom
are being cut. We are affected as some of our independence residency project
members are impacted and some of these people may have to return to the state
hospitals.

The only impact is that we being fully independent from government funding, will
see a surge in clientele due to increased referrals from programs that are
sponsored by the state government. In layman's terms, program operators face
cuts, then they send people to us to help them.

This re-emphasizes the need for additional fundraising projects and increased
participation by our readers and our subscribers. Our subscribers and readers
are urged to help us either through donations, purchases from our ebay store,
and participation in our fundraising projects.

We will keep on the watch for you, and our stakeholders, for additional news
relating to the California budget.

Richard Roehm, Chairman
On behalf of the Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center