In his recent recommendations to close California’s budget deficit, the Governor proposed to eliminate or drastically reduce basic assistance to immigrant seniors, health services for children, living and food assistance to millions of Californians, as well as the reduction of counseling, monitoring and drug assistance to the HIV/AIDScommunity. "Without these services, Asians and Pacific Islanders face costly visits to the emergency room, the possibility of going hungry, and the threat of homelessness," explained Farhana Shahid, Lead Community Advocate for CHAI with the South Asian Network."The Governor’s suggested cuts would dismantle the state’s safety net services," said
Stella Kim, Health Project Coordinator with the Korean Resource Center. "California cannot afford to abandon its residents at a time when families are struggling simply to make ends meet.""By slashing critical services, California would lose billions of dollars in federal funding," explains Hala Masri, State Policy Advocate with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center. "Lawmakers must fully utilize federal dollars and raise revenues to resolve our budget crisis, care for our children and seniors, and preserve our values as a state."
( Published on June 24, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A2 )
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