Send a Message about Better Solutions to Deep Budget Cuts
Urge Legislators to Oppose Deep Budget Cuts and Support a Sensible Revenue Solution!
Democratic leaders on March 9 released three versions of potential cuts for the FY10-11 biennial budget amounting to nearly $3 billion - these cuts are in addition to the budget cuts the Governor already proposed in her biennial budget. These Democrats have identified the cuts because Governor Rell's biennial budget recommendations falls $2.9 billion short of addressing the nearly $9 billion deficit the state is facing.
The cuts released by Democratic Leadership would be absolutely devastating to human services in Connecticut. The proposed cuts undermine our quality of life and will damage our state's economy. They propose to:
- Eliminate SAGA - medical care for very poor individuals with multiple needs
- Eliminate all pharmacy for adults under Medicaid
- Eliminate Family Resource Centers and After School programs
- Close 2 UConn regional campuses, 6 community college campuses, and 1 CT State University campus
- Layoff 13.5 percent of the state employee workforce totaling 5,600 positions
- Dramatically scale back aid to cities and towns.
Please, take a minute to send an e-mail to your state Representative and Senator and urge them to oppose deep cuts to the state budget and instead address the budget deficit with a sensible revenue solution. Ask them to support the Better Choices for Connecticut revenue proposal. Better Choices is a broad-based community coalition comprised of nonprofits, public service workers, and community organizations.
The Better Choices plan would help fill in the gap in the state's budget by increasing state revenues rather than cutting vital public services by:
- Increasing income taxes on the state's wealthiest residents - those making over $200,000 per year,
- Closing costly corporate tax loopholes,
- Scaling back public subsidies to the entertainment industry by capping funds lost to the "film tax credit,"
- Increasing the sales tax by one penny, and
- Increasing tobacco and alcohol taxes (increases revenue and reduces long-term health costs)
Please do not delay! Email your State Representative and State Senator Now!