The Co-Chairs have released their proposed budget for the 2009-11 biennium. This budget contains $1.6 billion in cuts, many to important human services. Tell lawmakers that we must protect vulnerable Oregonians during the economic crisis!
More Oregonians need help than ever before; Oregon’s human services provide that help.
-More Oregonians than ever before are struggling in this difficult economy and demand for emergency cash assistance, food stamps, and other economic supports has already hit record levels.
-Drastic cuts in health and human services will only cost us more in the long run.
Human Services are critical to the struggling economy.
-About 83% of the DHS budget goes into communities for direct client services or payments to service providers.
-Human service dollars go directly and immediately into private sector jobs supporting seniors, children and other vulnerable Oregonians.
-They pay for health care services, child care and independent living assistance, and have a multiplier effect in the community – in the local grocery store, office supplier or pharmacist.
Cuts to basic human services will hurt Oregonians and leave behind millions in federal matching funds at a time when our economy needs them most.
Oregonians must pull together to get through this crisis, and the state’s wealthiest corporations and individuals must pay their fair share.
-Oregon families face the double whammy of being victimized by the economy and facing a lack of services when they need them most, but corporations and the wealthiest individuals aren’t being asked to pay their fair share.
-Many large, profitable corporations only pay the $10 minimum income tax and the wealthiest Oregonians pay a lower effective tax rate than people who make just $20,000 a year.
We must share the responsibility of moving our state forward, so that we can keep Oregon working now and in the future.
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