June 13, 2011

Attached is a fact sheet on Maine Medicaid. Listed below are two options for contacting your US Senator or Representative to educate Members or Congress about how cuts or changes to Medicaid will affect your family. Please contact your member now.

Summer is heating up and so are the politics in Washington. Congress is debating how to balance the budget -- and they need to hear from you.  Don't let Congress get away with cutting health care for seniors and our most vulnerable families.

Negotiations are happening behind closed doors. Now is the time to weigh in with your Members of Congress.  Tell them "DON'T CUT MEDICAID." Cuts to this vital program will only shift costs to states and transfer the burden to seniors who depend on the program for long-term care, people with disabilities, children and their families.

Call your U.S. senators and representative today at 1-866-922-4970. Urge them to reject Medicaid cuts, in any form. They should oppose any proposals that include deep spending cuts,  harsh caps on spending that could lead to deep spending cuts, or proposals that would restructure Medicaid.

Reducing the deficit is important, but the approach must be fair and balanced. We should not balance the budget on the backs of our most poor and vulnerable families -- those who can least afford to bear it.

The article below makes it clear that advocates around the country must let their Members of Congress know how important the Medicaid program is to CYSHCN and their families.  If you have not already done so, please take a moment now to write to your Members of Congress by [ http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6739/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6560 ]clicking here.  Also, please pass this along to your friends and families (including those you work with) so they can take action too.  (Remember not to use any federal time or resources.)

If you prefer to call your Members of Congress, they can be reached through the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.  You can find your Representative at [ http://www.house.gov ]www.house.gov and your Senators at [ http://www.senate.gov ]www.senate.gov.  Just say you're calling to urge the Member to make sure Medicaid is protected in any budget agreement.  (They are probably getting lots of calls about Medicare, so make sure they understand you are talking about Medicaid.)  More detailed instructions about making phone calls can be found in the 6/3 Washington update.

The future of Medicaid is at stake, so please [ http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6739/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6560 ]take action now!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Brooke or me.  

Best, Janis

Janis Guerney
Public Policy Co-Director
Family Voices
202/546-0558
jguerney@familyvoices.org
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June 6, 2011

Seeking Your Input About MDDC State Plan!!

The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) is developing a new five year state plan that will be submitted to the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in August, 2011. Please take time to read the proposed goals and objectives developed by the MDDC, and then provide us with your comments by going to the link below.  Your input on the State Plan is important to us and we look forward to hearing from you. Alternate formats are available upon request to the Council.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MDDC5yrstateplansurvey

MDDC State Plan Background Information:

The MDDC developed the 2012-2016 State Plan goals and objectives based on information collected from people across the State regarding issues that need to be addressed to further the goals under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. In Fall 2010, the Council held 9 public meetings across the state, during which individuals with disabilities, family members and other interested parties provided information about what they see as the most critical issues to address in Maine to improve the availability and quality of services and supports, to assure equal rights and opportunities, and to further community integration and inclusion for persons with developmental disabilities.

The State Plan will direct the MDDC's work over the next five years, with opportunities each year to update the goals and objectives as necessary. The State Plan provides the basic framework for how Council funds are used, and what activities Council members and staff are involved in.

Kathleen E. Young
Public Information Specialist
Maine Developmental Disabilities Council
 -promoting full inclusion for people with disabilities

139 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0139
Phone: 207-287-4216 

April 12, 2011

Action needed. Ryan budget proposal will hurt families in Maine. Call, e-mail you Representative in Washington today.

Action (background follows).  Using non-federally funded time/resources, please call your Representative's office NOW to tell him/her to oppose the Ryan budget resolution by calling 18882450215 (toll free number made available through the organization Every Child Matters) or 2022253121.  These numbers will take you directly to the Capitol switchboard, where you can ask for the office of your Representative.  You can find your Representative by going to [ http://www.house.gov ]www.house.gov. 

Tell the person who answers the phone that you urge the Congressman/woman to vote against the Ryan budget resolution because it would make such deep cuts in the Medicaid program.  If your child/family receives assistance from Medicaid, please let them know that. 

Note:  If you are acquainted with your Representative's legislative assistant for health (or higher-up), please ask to speak to them and/or email them directly.

While calling is more important, you can also send your Representative an email message by going to the Representative's website through [ http://www.house.gov ]www.house.gov.

Also, (using your personal email) please pass this along this alert to friends, family, others who would be interested and willing to take action. 

Background. The House Budget Committee recently approved the FY 2012 budget proposal of its Chairman, Paul Ryan (R-WI).  The full House is expected to vote on the budget resolution on Thursday.  This budget plan would make very deep cuts in Medicaid spending and calls for "block granting" the program.  Under a block grant, the federal government would give states a fixed amount of money for Medicaid rather than a federal "match" for state expenditures as it does now.  States would also be given broad flexibility in running the Medicaid program so that they could change the eligibility rules and services that are currently required.  The end result could be devastating for CYSHCN and their families, since the decreasing amounts that the federal government would provide to states would a lmost certainly require states to reduce eligibility and/or services. 

While the budget resolution is expected to pass the House, it is nonetheless very important to show that citizens care about this issue (which would be reflected by a strong minority voting against the bill) since the Senate where the measure could be stopped will be watching. 
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March 1 , 2011

From Alan Cobo-Lewis:

Dear Friends of Children with Disabilities,

Thank you to everyone who helped defeat the Child Development Services language in the supplemental budget. Unfortunately, it's baaaaack. Part GGG of the biennial budget restates, word-for-word, the language we defeated from the supplemental. If passed, the language would take effect immediately.

Section GGG-1 would eliminate Kindergarten-CDS parent choice. If GGG-1 passes then parents of young children with disabilities would no longer have the same rights as parents of parents without disabilities to choose whether to enter kindergarten as the youngest in their class or to wait a year when they have summer or fall birthdays, because the kids in CDS would lose their early childhood special ed services if they delayed K entry.

Section GGG-2 would push Maine below the federal standard on timeline for initial evaluations of preschool children with disabilities, from 60 school days to 45 calendar days (which can be as long as 4.5 months), thus delaying services that kids need and to which they're entitled.

Public hearing on most of the education portion of the biennial budget,
including Part GGG, will start at 1 pm on Mon March 14, in 228 State House (Appropriations Committee room) in Augusta. Please come if you can to speak up against Part GGG. And regardless of whether you come in person, please contact members of the Appropriations and Education Committees about this. Please also ask your own state senator and rep to ask their colleagues on Approps and Education to
reject Part GGG.

Please tell committee members something along these lines (and ask your own rep and sen to reinforce the msg):

1. Thank you for rejecting the supplemental budget's elimination of
Kindergarten-CDS parent choice. Please now REJECT SECTION GGG-1 of the biennial budget. Kindergarten-CDS parent choice is good for kids, good for schools and good for taxpayers.
That's why the Legislature has REPEATEDLY endorsed K-CDS parent choice. Only the bureaucrats dislike K-CDS parent choice.

2. Thank you for rejecting the supplemental budget's lengthening of the
timelines for initial evaluation of preschool children with disabilities.
Please now REJECT SECTION GGG-2 of the biennial budget. The savings from this initiative to go below the federal standard is modest, and the Legislature has spoken repeatedly about sticking with the 60-calendar-day federal standard for CDS. Because K-12 public schools are unaffected by Section GGG-2, legislators can safely reject GGG-2 without
impacting local school budgets.

DOE has recently told the Appropriations and Education Committees about the CDS budget shenanigans that have gone on for years (not paying bills on time, shuffling money between accounts to avoid coming clean about what appropriation the services need). This creates the real danger that legitimate anger about DOE's cost overruns could lead legislators to damage the kids served by CDS. But if DOE had followed the same process with the rest of its CDS budget that was followed in developing the K-CDS budget, things would be much more under control. Ask legislators not to reward DOE bureaucrats by letting them serve fewer kids for more money.
Ask them to reject Part GGG. More information (from back when this same language was in Part W of the supplemental) is at http://bit.ly/gT5zGO

If you're a constitutent of an Education or Appropriations member, please mention that when you email that person.

Contact info for your OWN sen and rep is at
http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/townlist.htm

Appropriations Committee contact info:

Sen Richard Rosen, chair (R-Hancock) rrosen113@aol.com
Sen Roger Katz (R-Kennebec) rkatz@lipmankatzmckee.com
Sen Dawn Hill (D-York) dawn@dawnhill.org
Rep Patrick Flood, chair (R-Winthrop) patricksaflood@roadrunner.com
Rep Tom Winsor (R-Norway) twinsor@megalink.net
Rep Kathleen Chase (R-Wells) kathydhchase@hotmail.com
Rep Tyler Clark (R-Easton) tyleraclark@msn.com
Rep Kenneth Wade Fredette (R-Newport) fredlaw@myfairpoint.net
Rep Dennis Keschl (R-Belgrade) keschl@yahoo.com
Rep Peggy Rotundo, ranking member (D-Lewiston) mrotundo@bates.edu
Rep John Martin (D-Eagle Lake) RepJohn.Martin@legislature.maine.gov
Rep David Webster (D-Freeport) dcwebster@comcast.net
Rep Sara Stevens (D-Bangor) repstevens@yahoo.com

Education Committee contact info:

Sen Brian Langley, chair (R-Hancock) langley4legislature@myfairpoint.net
Sen Garrett Mason (R-Androscoggin) garrettpaulmason@gmail.com
Sen Justin Alfond (D-Cumberland) justin@justinalfond.com
Rep David Richardson, chair (R-Carmel) richardsond@hermon.net
Rep Peter Edgecomb (R-Caribou) pedgecom@maine.rr.com
Rep Howard McFadden (R-Dennysville) mcfaddenh@roadrunner.com
Rep Peter Johnson (R-Greenville) rumridge27@gmail.com
Rep Joyce Maker (R-Calais) gjmaker@gmail.com
Rep Michael McClellan (R-Raymond) mmcclell@maine.rr.com
Rep Dick Wagner, ranking member (D-Lewiston) rwagner@bates.edu
Rep Mary Pennell Nelson (D-Falmouth) mpn3@maine.rr.com
Rep Steve Lovejoy (D-Portland) steve.lovejoy@myfairpoint.net
Rep Helen Rankin (D-Hiram) rankin8076@roadrunner.com
Rep Madonna Soctomah (D-Passamauoddy Tribe) sipayik@midmaine.com

thank you!
Alan

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March 1, 2011

Dear Parents,

We need your help!

Last week the House of Representatives passed the bill HR1, which eliminates funding for many essential programs which provide needed services to children and families. Among the many cuts in the bill is the elimination of funds for Maine Parent Federation’s Parental Information Resource Centers (PIRCs).  PIRCs help schools and school districts better engage parents in the education of their children and help parents navigate Federal education programs. MPF’s Parent as Teachers home visiting program is funded through the PIRC grant and is also slated for elimination. Over half of all children served by PIRCs are low-income.

The Senate will take up this bill when they return from recess on March 1. Please contact Senators Snowe and Collins and ask them to sign onto the ”Dear Colleague Letter.” This letter asks them to vote to retain funding for PIRCs and is being circulated by Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico. (A “Dear Colleague Letter” is a one sent to fellow Senators to ask for their votes on certain issues). You could let Snowe and Collins know that the staff person in Senator Bingaman’s office who is drafting the letter is named Peter.

Constituents’ emails, letters and phone calls are counted by the Senators’ staff and do make a difference.  Please call or email today to save the PIRCs.

Senators’ contact information:

Senator Olympia Snowe: 202-224-5344 or 1-800-432-1599 

Senator Susan Collins: 202-224-2523

Thank you very much!

Ellen McGuire

Director, Parents as Teachers Program

Maine Parent Federation

PO Box 2067

Augusta, ME 04338

Phone: 207-588-1933 or 800-870-7746

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Posted 2/18/11

Subject: You Can Save Service on February 25th

We need your help to Save Service. The United States Congress is considering legislation to eliminate funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service from the budget, jeopardizing thousands of service initiatives around the country.

With programs like AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve and Senior Corps at risk, your local community could potentially lose the support of critical organizations like Maine Parent Federation, Teach For America, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, Habitat for Humanity, Public Allies, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, YouthBuild and many others, jeopardizing services in education, youth development, elderly services, healthcare and nutrition.

Congress is debating this bill now, and they'll be looking to their constituents to see how much -- or how little -- the American people support these cuts.

We need your help. Tell Congress that we cannot afford to lose the critical services these programs provide in our communities.

PLEASE sign up today at www.saveservice.org
for your local "Save Service District Day." Visit your representative's local office on February 25th to make sure they hear your voice.

Thank you!

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Posted 2/18/11

Dear PIRC Program Participant,

We need your help! We have just learned that the PIRC program (Parent
Information and Resource Center) funds have been eliminated from the
Continuing Resolution now before the House of Representatives. If this bill passes the House and Senate the PIRC program will no longer exist effective 9/30/2011.

Here's how you can help save the PIRC program: We ask you to call your
Senator and Representative and, either tell in your own words what PIRC has meant to you, or use the script below.

1. Today - Please call your representatives, Mike Michaud (202-225-6306) and Chellie Pingree (202- 225-6116) and ask them to oppose any Bill that
eliminates funding for the PIRCs.

Below is a sample script:

House Call:
Hi, my name is ______________. I live in ___________ in the Representative's District. I am calling to urge (Representative Michaud or Representative Pingree) to oppose H.R.1 on the House floor this week. Among many cuts in the bill is the elimination of the Parental Information Resource Centers.
These Centers help schools and school districts better engage parents in the education of their children, help parents navigate Federal education
programs, and through evidenced based early childhood education programs (PAT), help parents and children transition from birth to kindergarten.
Over half of all children served by these Centers are low-income. Will
Representative Michaud oppose H.R. 1?
If the answer is Yes to opposition to bill: Thank you very much for
supporting the PIRCs.

If the answer is No to opposition of bill: I urge the Representatives to
reconsider. The PIRCs provide a very valuable resource to parents in (name of city/town).

The Senate meets next week and we ask you to call Senator Snowe
(202-224-5344 or 1-800-432-1599) and Senator Collins (202-224-2523) and ask them to oppose any bill which eliminates funding for the PIRCs. You can use the same sample script above by replacing the words Representative with
Senator and House with Senate.

Thank you very much!

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Posted 2/16/11

U.S. House Plans to Cut $100 Billion from Federal Budget

Appropriations Chair Roger (R-KY) proposes to eliminate CNCS programs, including AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America.

Call Your U.S. representative today and let them know how a continuing resolution that eliminates funding for Corporation for National and Community Service programs would hurt their communities.

Background:

Starting on Monday, February 14, the U.S. House of Representatives will begin consideration of a Continuing Resolution that will fund the last 7 months of Fiscal Year 2011.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers has announced that the bill will immediately cut $100 billion from the federal budget.  Major news outlets including TIME, AP, and others have reported that the bill will eliminate funding for programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service, including AmeriCorps.  We know the Republication Study Committee wants to cut deeper, and has proposed to shut down the whole agency and end all service programs.

How You Can Help

Call your U.S. Representative's office. We need to reach every single Member of the House of Representatives and urge them to vote no on a continuing resolution that eliminates funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service and AmeriCorps.  Talking points and information on how to contact your Congressperson are below. Please take a few minutes to call now.

How to Contact Your U.S. Representative

If you need help determining the members of your congressional delegation, visitwww.congress.org. This database will provide you with contact information for your elected officials.

You can call your Representatives directly or be connected through the House Operator (202-225-3121). Once connected, identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak to the Legislative Assistant in change of national service and education issues. You may also ask for the Legislative Assistant in charge of budget issues.

Given the severity of the cuts proposed by the House, you may experience some difficulty calling the Capitol. It is important that you keep trying. If you can't reach your representative by phone, please send a fax communication to their office. This is time sensitive task. Emails or mailed letters will not reach the decision makers in time. It is critical that our lawmakers hear from the constituents directly impacted by their decisions. 

Talking points for calling the House of Representatives:

¨   I am calling to urge you to vote NO on any proposal to eliminate funding for AmeriCorps or the Corporation for National and Community Service.

¨   The CR will decimate vital services in our communities when millions of Americans need food, shelter, healthcare, job training and educational support.

¨   Communities are counting on AmeriCorps members, national service participants and community volunteers to meet the increased demand for services.

¨   Provide an example of your local impact and what will be lost if your program is eliminated. Example: My organization has 140 AmeriCorps members serving in 10 Boston Public Schools. They are providing targeted and school-wide interventions in literacy, match, attendance, and classroom behavior. If Congress eliminates AmeriCorps, nearly 2,000 high-risk 3rd-9th graders will no longer receive this additional support in the classroom.

¨   The CR will only push unemployment rates up. Unemployment numbers -- particularly for young people, veterans and military spouses, older Americans and people of color-remain alarmingly high. Eliminating programs like AmeriCorps will result in jobs lost for the corps members and the staff who supervise them. Example: If Congress eliminates AmeriCorps, our 140 AmeriCorps members and the staff that supervise them will be out of work.

¨   For Americans who are struggling to find work, national service programs offer participants the opportunity to earn a subsistence-level stipend, develop skills, and create pathways to future employment.

¨   The federal investment made in faith based and community organizations through the Corporation for National and Community Service leverages $799 million in matching funds from companies, foundations and other sources.

¨   If you defund the national service programs, whole organizations will shut down and most will not be able to reopen again even if funding is restored.

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Posted 2/15/11

You are invited

"Social Security:
Keeping the Promise to All Generations"

Nancy Altman
National expert Nancy Altman will debunk the myths and misconceptions surrounding the most successful anti-poverty program our nation has ever created.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Hannaford Hall, University of Southern Maine
88 Bedford Street, Portland

Speech 5:30 pm
Public reception and launch party: 5:00 pm
The Frances Perkins Center's new book:
A Promise To All Generations
Stories & Essays about Social Security and Frances Perkins

Nancy Altman has been the nation's foremost expert on Social Security for nearly 30 years. Author of The Battle For Social Security, she was Alan Greenspan's assistant in 1982 when he chaired the "Greenspan Commission" to amend Social Security.

Event Sponsored by
Disability Rights Center of Maine
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Maine Women's Lobby
National Committee To Preserve Social Security and Medicare
Alliance For Retired Americans

Handicap Accessible

For more information call DRC at  (207) 626-2774  (v/tty)
Maine Parent Federation * P.O. Box 2067 * Augusta, ME 04338
1-800-870-7746 * (207) 623-2144

Posted January 26, 2011

From Alan Cobo-Lewis

Dear Friends of Children with Disabilities,

I'm writing for your help in preventing the repeal of money-saving
Kindergarten-CDS parent choice and preventing DOE from allowing Child  Development Services to take up to 4.5 months to complete the evaluations that preschoolers with disabilities need to begin their early childhood special ed services.

But first, thank you for your help passing, defending, and expanding
"Kindergarten-CDS parent choice". Before Maine passed this law, parents of children without disabilities who had "late birthdays" (summer or fall) got  to exercise parental prerogative on whether to send their child to kindergarten as the youngest in their class (as young as 4 for kids with fall birthdays) or whether to delay kindergarten entry for a year until their child was ready--but parents of children with disabilities were denied this choice, because their children would lose their critical services from Child Development Services (CDS) and were thus forced into K as the youngest in their class.

K-CDS parent choice is the rare law that saves money immediately even as it's good for kids and families, because educating children in CDS is
cheaper than educating them in kindergarten.

With your help, Maine addressed this issue and assured that if parents of
young children with disabilities exercised the same choice that other
parents have, they wouldn't lose their CDS services.

From the first time that we passed K-CDS parent choice in 2004, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has strenuously opposed it. They also fought its expansion. And they have twice tried to repeal it. But every time, with your help, we have prevailed on behalf of children and families.

But DOE is trying again.

For the third time, DOE is proposing to repeal Kindergarten-CDS parent
choice. This time, the repeal is hiding in the "supplemental budget bill".
If DOE succeeds (and I think they have a better chance now than they've ever had before), we will go back to the days of the two-tier system where parents of young children with disabilities again have fewer choices than parents of children without disabilities--even though K-CDS parent choice saves taxpayers money.

In addition, DOE is proposing to change from the current "60-calendar-day" timeline for completing evaluations to a longer 45-school-day timeline (which can be as long as 4.5 months when including the summer months). This means that CDS wants to take longer to evaluate young children and initiate their services. This isn't the first (or even second) time they've tried that, either.

Thank you to everyone who came to testify or emailed members of the
Education and Appropriations Committees to express concerns about Part W of LD 100 (the supplemental budget bill). Part W would adversely impact children by (a) eliminating the right of parents of children with disabilities to choose whether to delay kindergarten for a year when their child would otherwise be the youngest in their class--so only parents of children without disabilities would retain this right, (b) allowing
CDS to take 45 school days (which can be over 4.5 months) to complete
evaluations of preschoolers with disabilities and begin their early
childhood special ed.

My frank views on this topic are at
http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/01/24/opinion/ld-100-part-w-serves-bureaucrats-before-children/

Public hearing went fairly well yesterday. The Department played the same old tired tricks from their first two attempts to turn back the clock on these issues. For example, the Dept noted the cost of parents exercising
K-CDS choice, but the Dept did not report the offsetting savings to the state and local districts when the children aren't in kindergarten that year. Committee members expressed frustration that these provisions were in the current emergency supplemental  budget when they don't
even have a fiscal impact on the current fiscal year. And it was not lost on
them that this was the Department's "third bite at the apple" since the
Department keeps revisiting these issues that were already decided by the
Legislature.

The Education Committee is holding work session tomorrow afternoon (Wed 1/26). If you haven't already emailed members of the Education Committee, please do so now. Please customize the message to reflect your own situation, but I'd suggest hitting some of these points:

1. DOE is trying for the third time to reverse decisions that the
Legislature has already made with emphasis. Don't let them get away with this.

2. The budget bill charges the commissioner with not negatively impacting
services to children, yet Part W would do exactly that.

3. Kindergarten-CDS parent choice is cost effective, since the total
state/local cost of educating a child in kindergarten exceeds the cost of
CDS. It is a win-win for taxpayers and children. Don't let DOE repeal it.

4. The 60-calendar-day timeline in CDS is part of longstanding practice and reflects a reasonable compromise where K-12 public schools use a longer 45-school-day time and the younger kids have the shorter timeline so they don't have to wait months and months while they are so young. Don't let DOE undo this compromise.

If you're a constituent of any member of Education, please mention that when you email them. And if you are a kindergarten teacher who has seen K-CDS parent choice work, please mention that you're a K teacher.

Contact info for EDU members:

Sen Brian Langley, chair (R-Hancock) langley4legislature@myfairpoint.net
Sen Garrett Mason (R-Androscoggin) garrettpaulmason@gmail.com
Sen Justin Alfond (D-Cumberland) justin@justinalfond.com
Rep David Richardson, chair (R-Carmel) richardsond@hermon.net
Rep Peter Edgecomb (R-Caribou) pedgecom@maine.rr.com
Rep Howard McFadden (R-Dennysville) mcfaddenh@roadrunner.com
Rep Peter Johnson (R-Greenville) rumridge27@gmail.com
Rep Joyce Maker (R-Calais) gjmaker@gmail.com
Rep Michael McClellan (R-Raymond) mmcclell@maine.rr.com
Rep Dick Wagner, ranking member (D-Lewiston) rwagner@bates.edu
Rep Mary Pennell Nelson (D-Falmouth) mpn3@maine.rr.com
Rep Steve Lovejoy (D-Portland) steve.lovejoy@myfairpoint.net
Rep Helen Rankin (D-Hiram) rankin8076@roadrunner.com
Rep Madonna Soctomah (D-Passamauoddy Tribe) sipayik@midmaine.com

Thank you,
Alan

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Posted January 14, 2011  

Wednesday, January 19 · 11:30am - 1:00