CARD Legislative Appeal

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----- Forwarded Message ----From: ACE Chair Shapiro acechair@...---------- Forwarded message ----------Dear Fellow CARD Constituents:I would like to give you an update on the funding for CARD. There wasa vast discrepancy in the cutbacks that were advised by Florida theHouse of Representatives and the Senate. The CARD budget is going tobe significantly cut unless action is taken to speak up now. This willvastly impact the services that the CARD centers will be able tooffer.The Joint Budget Committee (comprised of Legislators and Senators)will be

finalizing the budget and sending the budget back to the Houseand the Senate to be voted on.It is time to have our voices heard in Tallahassee. The CARD centershave over 20,000 registered Families and Constituents. If each andevery registered Constituent and Family along with extended family,Teachers, Friends, and Colleagues email or call the Committee membersand the House/Senate Leadership, we may be able to have positiveimpact on the final budget cuts. This is a last ditch effort to saveour CARD programs.I have included a letter (below) for you to cut and paste, or writeone of your own. If you call the offices of the Committee and theLeadership, please tell them that you are calling about SpecificAppropriations 92 for the Autistic programs. Explain to the aide thatyou are requesting that funding be maintained at the same level aslast year and that you want the Pay Indirect

Cost Mandate eliminated.Please place in the subject line of your email: Maintain CARD’Sfunding and eliminate the Mandates.I would like to thank all of you who have shown your support bywriting letters and making phone calls. As the mother of an AutisticChild, I feel like we are all in this together. We are all trying tomake a difference in the lives of the Autistic children and adultsthat we love and care about. Please make all calls and emails by nextTuesday April 20th. If you have any questions please contact me atmickjo426@....Sincerely: Omana,Chairman, UCF CARD Constituency BoardSenate Conference Members: Wise, Chair wise.stephen.web@...Larcenia Bullard bullard.larcenia.web@... Detert detert.nancy.web@...Rudy garcia.rudy.web@...Garrett Richter richter.garrett.web@... Siplin siplin.gary.web@...House Conference members:, Chair anitere.flores@...Bullard dwight.bullard@...e- gwyndolen.clarke-reed@...Coley marti.coley@...Fresen erik.fresen@...Kiar martin.kiar@...Legg 850) 488-5522 john.legg@...Stargel keili.stargel@...Speaker of the House:larry.cretul@...------------------------------------------------------------------//--------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Senator or

RepresentativeI am requesting that the funding for (CARD) The Center for Autism andRelated Disabilities (Specific Appropriation 92 for the AutismProgram) is maintained at the same level that it received last yearand without the Pay Indirect Cost mandate. The 7 CARD centers serviceover 20,000 constituents throughout the State of Florida. Anticipatedbudget cuts in funding will impact services to all of the constituentsand educators that rely on the services that CARD provides.Autism diagnoses are increasing at an alarming level and the CARDconstituency is increasing along with diagnoses at about 5% per year.Autism unfortunately is not a disorder that there is a cure for;therefore most of CARD’s Constituents will rely on some type of CARDservice(s) throughout their lives. The increase in Autism and thedecrease in funding will have a lasting economic effect on the Stateof Florida in

the future. The decrease will affect the earlyintervention services that will help the Autistic children of todaybecome tomorrow’s leaders and employed adults as well as the Autisticadults today who need job support and placement. This will mean thatthe children/adults that don’t receive the services they need todaywill rely on State/Federal social services programs tomorrow. I again am asking you to maintain CARD’s funding level and eliminatethe mandates that been attached to Specific Appropriations 92 for theAutism Program.Someone I care about has Autism and receives services from CARD.Sincerely:Your Name*If you would like to be added to our email list, please click here:http://www.umcard.org/contact.php. If you would like to be removedfrom our email list, please notify

here: jamunoz@...UM-NSU CARD is a state-funded resource and support program dedicatedto improving the lives of individuals with autism and relateddisabilities including deaf-blindness and pervasive developmentaldisorders. UM-NSU CARD does not endorse specific programs or points ofview presented in this email.-- ACE Chairwww.freewebs.com/acechair