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July 05, 2008
FY09 Budget Challenge
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FY09 Budget Challenge

The disability community faces the FY09 Budget discussions from an entirely new perspective. You've heard the saying "Be careful what you ask for, you may get it".   We find ourselves excited to be on the verge of achieving monumental progress.

The disability community has been asking for a serious commitment to long term care reform since the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision in 1999.  An Olmstead Plan put forth in 2002 was quietly shelved in 2003. The Romney Administration subsequently made some progress in the right direction, but did not make a full commitment to community-based services as a primary tool for long term supports. Governor Deval Patrick committed to rebalancing community based services during his campaign and made good on that promise in the FY09 Budget by putting $45.8 million dollars in a new MassHealth line item for Community First.

The Community First line item, 4000-0650, is the Executive Office of Health and Human Services pledge to the responsibilities incurred with the 1115 Waiver that is pending approval in Washington.  This waiver is the first major step towards rebuilding a community-based service system that has suffered under federal mandates that make nursing facility admissions the only choice after acute care for many elders and people with disabilities.

The fiscal realities of FY09 make an appropriation of this magnitude a huge obligation in the face of declining revenues and competing costs.  For our organizations, this means we are forgoing traditional budget requests for independent living centers, supported living programs and homemaker services in favor of supporting the appropriation in the 4000-0650 account. 
 
This position has been endorsed by the Statewide Independent Living Council, Bay State Council of the Blind and the Massachusetts Association of Centers for Independent Living.
 
We urge you to contact your own Representative and Senator and express your support for 4000-0650 appropriation of 45.8 million dollars for Community First.
 
Favorite House Members
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The following Representatives are people who have supported disability issues in the recent past.  Please call them (800 304-6763) or email them with your support for 4000-0650  if a person listed here is your Representative.
 
First Last email
Geraldo Alicea Rep.GeraldoAlicea@Hou.State.MA.US
Willie Mae Allen Rep.WillieMaeAllen@Hou.State.MA.US
Cory Atkins Rep.CoryAtkins@Hou.State.MA.US
Demetrius J. Atsalis Rep.DemetriusAtsalis@Hou.State.MA.US
Bruce J. Ayers Rep.BruceAyers@Hou.State.MA.US
Ruth B. Balser Rep.RuthBalser@Hou.State.MA.US
John J. Binienda Rep.JohnBinienda@Hou.State.MA.US
Garrett J. Bradley Rep.GarrettBradley@Hou.State.MA.US
William Brownsberger Rep.WilliamBrownsberger@Hou.State.MA.US
Antonio F. D. Cabral Rep.AntonioCabral@Hou.State.MA.US
Jennifer M. Callahan Rep.JenniferCallahan@Hou.State.MA.US
Thomas J. Calter Rep.ThomasCalter@Hou.State.MA.US
Linda Dean Campbell Rep.Linda.Dean-Campbell@Hou.State.MA.US
Christine E. Canavan Rep.ChristineCanavan@Hou.State.MA.US
Stephen R. Canessa Rep.StephenCanessa@Hou.State.MA.US
Paul C. Casey Rep.PaulCasey@Hou.State.MA.US
Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera Rep.CherylCoakley-Rivera@Hou.State.MA.US
Michael A. Costello Rep.MichaelCostello@Hou.State.MA.US
Geraldine Creedon Rep.GeraldineCreedon@Hou.State.MA.US
Sean Curran Rep.SeanCurran@Hou.State.MA.US
Robert A. DeLeo Robert.DeLeo@State.MA.US
Viriato Manuel deMacedo Rep.VinnydeMacedo@Hou.State.MA.US
Brian S. Dempsey Rep.BrianDempsey@Hou.State.MA.US
Paul J. Donato Rep.PaulDonato@Hou.State.MA.US
Christopher J. Donelan Rep.ChristopherDonelan@Hou.State.MA.US
James B. Eldridge Rep.JamesEldridge@Hou.State.MA.US
James H. Fagan Rep.JamesFagan@Hou.State.MA.US
Christopher G. Fallon Rep.ChristopherFallon@Hou.State.MA.US
Mark V. Falzone Rep.MarkFalzone@Hou.State.MA.US
Robert F. Fennell Rep.RobertFennell@Hou.State.MA.US
John Fernandes Rep.JohnFernandes@Hou.State.MA.US
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Barry R. Finegold Rep.BarryFinegold@Hou.State.MA.US
Jennifer L. Flanagan Rep.JenniferFlanagan@Hou.State.MA.US
Linda Dorcena Forry Rep.LindaDorcenaForry@Hou.State.MA.US
Gloria L. Fox Rep.GloriaFox@Hou.State.MA.US
John P. Fresolo Rep.JohnFresolo@Hou.State.MA.US
Paul K. Frost Rep.PaulFrost@Hou.State.MA.US
William C. Galvin Rep.WilliamGalvin@Hou.State.MA.US
Colleen M. Garry Rep.ColleenGarry@Hou.State.MA.US
Susan W. Gifford Rep.SusanGifford@Hou.State.MA.US
Anne M. Gobi Rep.AnneGobi@Hou.State.MA.US
Mary E. Grant Rep.MaryGrant@Hou.State.MA.US
William G. Greene, Jr. Rep.WilliamGreene@Hou.State.MA.US
Denis E. Guyer Rep.DenisGuyer@Hou.State.MA.US
Patricia A. Haddad Rep.PatriciaHaddad@Hou.State.MA.US
Robert S. Hargraves Rep.RobertHargraves@Hou.State.MA.US
Lida E. Harkins Rep.LidaHarkins@Hou.State.MA.US
Bradford Hill Rep.BradHill@Hou.State.MA.US
Kevin G. Honan Rep.KevinHonan@Hou.State.MA.US
Donald F. Humason, Jr. Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.State.MA.US
Frank M. Hynes Rep.FrankHynes@Hou.State.MA.US
Rachel Kaprielian Rep.RachelKaprielian@Hou.State.MA.US
Jay R. Kaufman Rep.JayKaufman@Hou.State.MA.US
John D. Keenan Rep.JohnDKeenan@Hou.State.MA.US
Thomas P. Kennedy Rep.ThomasKennedy@Hou.State.MA.US
Kay Khan Rep.KayKhan@Hou.State.MA.US
Peter V. Kocot Rep.PeterKocot@Hou.State.MA.US
Peter J. Koutoujian Rep.PeterKoutoujian@Hou.State.MA.US
Paul Kujawski Rep.PaulKujawski@Hou.State.MA.US
Stephen Kulik Rep.StephenKulik@Hou.State.MA.US
William Lantigua Rep.WilliamLantigua@Hou.State.MA.US
Stephen P. LeDuc Rep.StephenLeDuc@Hou.State.MA.US
David P. Linsky Rep.DavidLinsky@Hou.State.MA.US
Barbara A. L'ltalien Rep.BarbaraL'Italien@Hou.State.MA.US
Elizabeth A. Malia Rep.LizMalia@Hou.State.MA.US
Allen McCarthy Rep.AllenMcCarthy@Hou.State.MA.US
James R. Miceli Rep.JamesMiceli@Hou.State.MA.US
Michael Moran Rep.MichaelMoran@Hou.State.MA.US
Kevin J. Murphy Rep.KevinMurphy@Hou.State.MA.US
David M. Nangle Rep.DavidNangle@Hou.State.MA.US
Harold P. Naughton, Jr. Rep.HaroldNaughton@Hou.State.MA.US
Eugene L. O'Flaherty Rep.GeneOFlaherty@Hou.State.MA.US
Matthew Patrick Rep.MatthewPatrick@Hou.State.MA.US
Sarah Peake Rep.SarahPeake@Hou.State.MA.US
Alice H. Peisch Rep.AlicePeisch@Hou.State.MA.US
Jeffrey D. Perry Rep.JeffreyPerry@Hou.State.MA.US
George N. Peterson, Jr. Rep.GeorgePeterson@Hou.State.MA.US
William Smitty Pignatelli Rep.SmittyPignatelli@Hou.State.MA.US
Karyn E. Polito Rep.KarynPolito@Hou.State.MA.US
Denise Provost Rep.DeniseProvost@Hou.State.MA.US
Kathi-Anne Reinstein Rep.KathiReinstein@Hou.State.MA.US
Robert L.. Rice, Jr. Rep.RobertRice@Hou.State.MA.US
Pam Richardson Rep.PamRichardson@Hou.State.MA.US
Michael J. Rodrigues Rep.MichaelRodrigues@Hou.State.MA.US
John H. Rogers Rep.JohnRogers@Hou.State.MA.US
Richard J. Ross Rep.RichardRoss@Hou.State.MA.US
Michael F. Rush Rep.MikeRush@Hou.State.MA.US
Byron Rushing Rep.ByronRushing@Hou.State.MA.US
Jeffrey Sanchez Rep.JeffreyS nchez@Hou.State.MA.US
Rosemary Sandlin Rep.RosemarySandlin@Hou.State.MA.US
Tom Sannicandro Rep.TomSannicandro@Hou.State.MA.US
Angelo M. Scaccia Rep.AngeloScaccia@Hou.State.MA.US
John W. Scibak Rep.JohnScibak@Hou.State.MA.US
Carl Sciortino Rep.CarlSciortino@Hou.State.MA.US
Stephen Smith Rep.StephenSmith@Hou.State.MA.US
Frank Israel Smizik Rep.FrankSmizik@Hou.State.MA.US
Todd M. Smola Rep.ToddSmola@Hou.State.MA.US
Robert P. Spellane Rep.RobertSpellane@Hou.State.MA.US
Christopher Speranzo Rep.ChristopherSperanzo@Hou.State.MA.US
Joyce A. Spiliotis Rep.JoyceSpiliotis@Hou.State.MA.US
Harriett L. Stanley Rep.HarriettStanley@Hou.State.MA.US
Thomas M. Stanley Rep.ThomasStanley@Hou.State.MA.US
Ellen Story Rep.EllenStory@Hou.State.MA.US
David B. Sullivan Rep.DavidSullivan@Hou.State.MA.US
Benjamin Swan Rep.BenjaminSwan@Hou.State.MA.US
Walter F. Timility Rep.WalterTimilty@Hou.State.MA.US
A. Stephen Tobin Rep.AStephenTobin@Hou.State.MA.US
Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. Rep.TimothyToomey@Hou.State.MA.US
David M. Torrisi Rep.DavidTorrisi@Hou.State.MA.US
Eric Turkington Rep.EricTurkington@Hou.State.MA.US
James E. Vallee Rep.JamesVallee@Hou.State.MA.US
Anthony J. Verga Rep.AnthonyVerga@Hou.State.MA.US
Joseph F. Wagner Rep.JosephWagner@Hou.State.MA.US
Brian P. Wallace Rep.BrianWallace@Hou.State.MA.US
Patricia A. Walrath Rep.PatriciaWalrath@Hou.State.MA.US
Martin J. Walsh Rep.MartinWalsh@Hou.State.MA.US
Steven M. Walsh Rep.StevenWalsh@Hou.State.MA.US
Martha Walz Rep.MartyWalz@Hou.State.MA.US
Alice K. Wolf Rep.AliceWolf@Hou.State.MA.US

Other Documents
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Senate Members Contacted
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Last First Email
Augustus Edward M. Edward.Augustus@state.ma.us
Baddour Steven A. Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us
Berry Frederick E. Frederick.Berry@state.ma.us
Brewer Stephen M. Stephen.Brewer@state.ma.us
Chandler Harriette L. Harriette.Chandler@state.ma.us
Creedon, Jr. Robert S. RobertCreedon@state.ma.us
Creem Cynthia Stone Cynthia.Creem@state.ma.us
Fargo Susan C. Susan.Fargo@state.ma.us
Hart John John.Hart@state.ma.us
Jehlen Patricia Patricia.Jehlen@state.ma.us
Joyce Brian A. Brian.A.Joyce@state.ma.us
McGee Thomas M. Thomas.McGee@state.ma.us
Montigny Mark Mark.Montigny@state.ma.us
Moore Richard T. Richard.Moore@state.ma.us
Morrisey Michael Michael.Morrissey@state.ma.us
Murray Therese Therese.Murray@state.ma.us
O'Leary Robert Robert.O'Leary@state.ma.us
Pacheco Marc R. Marc.Pacheco@state.ma.us
Resor Pamela P. Pamela.Resor@state.ma.us
Rosenberg Stanley C. Stan.Rosenberg@state.ma.us
Spilka Karen Karen.E.Spilka@state.ma.us
Tarr Bruce E. Bruce.Tarr@state.ma.us
Timilty James James.Timilty@state.ma.us
Tisei Richard R. Richard.Tisei@state.ma.us
Tolman Steven A. Steven.Tolman@state.ma.us
Tucker Susan C. Susan.Tucker@state.ma.us
Walsh Marian Marian.Walsh@state.ma.us
Wilkerson Dianne Dianne.Wilkerson@state.ma.us