 " A Sad State of Affairs
for California"
I supervise labor work crews for the probation office, and this work gives young people vocational skills and satisfies their community service hours. Not only does it build skills, it helps the young people develop self-esteem and take pride in doing something constructive. This benefits them and their communities.
Budget cuts to these services would reduce their opportunities and make them less employable. Nobody benefits from that. We’ll have more disenfranchised youth taking the next step toward incarceration. They won’t have the skills to compete or function in our society.
It’s sad that we’re putting ourselves in this position. I feel this sadness as a father, too. My 2-year-old son has a diagnosed condition and relies on the regional centers for services. He needs them, but they could be cut. This is truly a sad state of affairs for California.
James Harris
Crew Instructor, L.A. County Probation Dept.
Local 721
 "What's It Going to Cost Us in the Long Run?"
As an eligibility worker, I help families who are destitute get what they need to survive: CalWORKS, food stamps, and MediCal. We also provide homeless assistance and supportive services. I live in the community; I’m part of it, so I don’t just enforce the rules. I understand and feel the families’ needs.
Cuts to these programs will be devastating to them from many perspectives. Homelessness is already a big issue and growing. There will be more families on the street – and with cuts to MediCal will result in a lot more health issues – and increases in death and sickness among the people I serve. There will be increased malnutrition among children who aren’t eating well, and there will be more crime,because parents will do what they have to do to put some food on the table.
We really have to revisit our priorities. What they’re proposing to cut are the necessities of life. It’s the children we’re looking at. We have to focus on them and keep them healthy, fed, and clothed. And if their parents don’t get the help they need, how are they going to help their children? If we don’t take care of the children now, what’s it going to cost us in the long run?
Tracey Boykins
Eligibility Worker II, Los Angeles County DPSS
Local 721
 "Legislators Need to Hear from Us"
Lobbying is one of the most beneficial things that members can do. A staff member for one of the legislators told me that the “legislatures need to hear from more of the constituents in the Capitol. They can become detached when they get caught up in the grind of Capitol life.”If we [members] don’t participate in the political process, we become detached.
I see the importance of COPE. COPE dollars help support efforts to prevent cuts to Social Services. Everyday, common people need to be involved and tell the legislature that these kinds of cuts are wrong.
It was surprising to hear how some legislators didn’t care about the children. Legislators need to hear from us. I feel that they want to hear from us. It is the responsibility of every citizen. 721 made a good showing. We were one of the largest and vocal groups up there.
People also need to be more involved before going into contract negotiations as well.
Keith Price, Child Services Division Social Worker, 2007 Mid-County Region Social Worker of the Year
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 "Fighting for the Children and Families We Serve"
As a children’s social worker, our primary responsibility is to protect children and make sure they have safe, permanent homes. Our system functions as the children’s parents while we help their parents recover, or find a family member or foster parents.
Cutting foster care reimbursements just puts another barrier up and will decrease the number of families able to afford to foster. More kids will become institutionalized instead of living with families and in their communities, and this creates a domino effect. Already, only 2% of foster children end up graduating from college. These cuts will further limit the opportunities they’ll have down the road.
We’re fighting for the children and families we serve. The children aren’t voters. They have no voice. They’re the most vulnerable members of our society. That’s why I became a social worker, and that’s why I’m fighting the budget cuts. We have to invest in the future of these kids. It’s so important. We need to support and lift up these children because it makes our communities, cities, state, and nation a better place. There is no substitute for a happy, safe childhood with a permanent family.
David Green
Adoption Social Worker, County of Los Angeles
Local 721
 "Our Services Are about Making Good Days Possible"
We provide services to help the elderly, blind, and disabled –vulnerable adults – stay in their homes. They might need help with cleaning, personal care, or walking around the house. As a social worker, our goal is to make sure they get the services they need to maximize their quality of life. Just by listening and observing we make a difference in our clients’ days. One client told me recently, “You just turned a bad day into a good day,” and our services are about making good days possible. IHSS helps these adults live a well-rounded,individual life, rather than being institutionalized.
The cuts proposed to IHSS are frustrating. It will mean more unpaid work for many providers, who are already given only one hour to finish tasks that take longer, like laundry. This means that, instead of an hour for laundry, you have 40 minutes. That’s not realistic, but the laundry has to get done. It will also cause safety problems. If a person is incontinent, they need more than an hour of cleaning a week.If a client has trouble walking, letting clutter build up could result in a fall.
I’m very upset about all of the cuts that are being proposed in California. The quality of life we’re leaving behind for future generations seems bleak. We need to do better for them.
Tania Figueroa
IHSS SSW, DSS Santa Barbara
Local 721
 “Everything Suffers”
This is the most important thing: A supermajority of 2/3 is needed to pass the budget, and the conservatives hold the power. But if we could get time with some conservative members, our personal stories really bring the issues to heart.
We spoke to them about the impact the proposed budget cuts will have on education, how it will affect the entire way in which students benefit from education. We told them about the importance not only of teachers but classified staff, and the way we serve the students.Any cuts in the budget have a major impact on students. You’ll have leaky roofs, poorly maintained buildings, because the money doesn’t allow us to keep them up to standard. Everything suffers. We all have a duty to make our concerns heard. If we just keep quiet, nothing good will come of it. Sacramento politicians legislate without knowing the impact their actions will have on the services we provide. If we don’t speak, we will become like sheep, and I don’t want to be a sheep.
Abel Rodriguez
General Foreman
West L.A. College
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