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Sacramento Bee

January 5, 2010

IHSS advocates urge Dems to stand against more cuts

With just three days until Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveils his budget proposal, groups bracing for another round of deep cuts are already sounding off about the expected reductions.

A coalition of 22 organizations representing the disabled, the elderly and the IHSS workers' union have penned a letter urging Democrats to salvage some funding for the In Home Supportive Services program and avoid another year of "illegal, immoral, and penny-wise, pound-foolish cuts designed to weaken and destroy the IHSS program."

The budget for the program, which provides assistance and care for the elderly and disabled, was slashed by about $263 million in the July budget revision, though some of those savings have been held up by lawsuits challenging the cuts.

"This year, we need all of you to do what you know is right - and what you've done before: Stand up for the California consumers of IHSS, their families and the workers who provide their much-needed care," the letter reads.

It's no surprise they're worried.

In a letter sent to California's congressional delegation last month, Schwarzenegger threatened to eliminate the entire program if the state doesn't get more federal assistance for health programs.

Click here to read the letter.