families network

[Guest guest]

Hello Families Network! At noon today, Governor Corzine delivered his much

anticipated FY 2010 budget address. While we don't have all of the details,

we do know that there are no additional cuts to the Division of

Developmental Disabilities budget However, Medicaid Co-pays have been

included in the budget. In these difficult times when nearly every other

area of the budget is being cut to the tune of $4 billion, this is great

news and shows that all of your letters to the Commissioner of Human

Services, the Governor, and the Treasurer have paid off!!

That being said, we will continue to advocate for funding for the 10%

Solution to reduce the waiting list and ensure that the legislature does not

cut services. The legislature can still make changes to the Governor's

proposed budget and until the ink is dry, anything could happen. This means

we must stay consistent in our advocacy. Therefore, I am again encouraging

everyone to join us for Family Advocacy Day at the State House on Monday. I

am attaching all of the information. If you are planning to come but have

not yet contacted me to RSVP, please let me know by the end of the week. As

always, don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thanks!

Denbigh Dixon

Director, Family Advocacy Program

The Arc of New Jersey

985 Livingston Avenue

North Brunswick, NJ 08902

(732) 246-2525 ext.49

ddixon@...

www.arcfamilyadvocacy.org

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Schedule for Family and Self Advocates Day in Trenton

Monday, March 16, 2009

You can find directions to the State House at

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/directions.asp. There will be a

few parking spaces available in the State House parking garage, but not

enough for everyone. Once the State House garage is full you will need to

find alternative parking options. You may want to go to

www.trentonparking.com ahead of time to get information about the various

parking options in Trenton. Also, the State Troopers at the State House

parking garage tend to be quite helpful in directing you to other parking

options if the garage is full. If you need accessible parking, the State

Troopers should help you with that as well.

We will be meeting in Committee Room 16 which is on the 4th floor of the

State House Annex at 11:30 am. Don't forget that you will need photo ID to

enter the State House. Please wear your blue family advocacy or self

advocacy T-shirt if you already have one. For those of you who do not

already have one, we will give you one when you get there, so you may want

to wear something that you can easily put a T-shirt on over.

11:30 - 12:30 Opening Remarks

Bruce Bird, President, The Arc of New

Jersey

Invited Speakers

Senator Sweeney

Senator Bucco

Assemblywoman Joan Voss

Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver

Velez, Commissioner, Department

of Human Services

Tutorial

Baffuto, Executive Director, The

Arc of New Jersey

· The issues: the State's fiscal year 2010 budget and the 10%

Solution

Barbara DeMarco, Lobbyist

· How to effectively talk to legislators about the issues

Additional Comments

New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities

Dennis Donatelli, Director, Self Advocacy Project

Denbigh Dixon, Director, Family Advocacy

Program

Lunch

12:30-2:30 Informing the Legislature

We will be outside of the Senate and Assembly voting chambers on the first

floor of the State House.

Some small groups of family members and/or self advocates will be going to

legislators offices in the State House for five minute meetings on the

issues.