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STATE LEGISLATORS GET EARFUL AT
By: David Sherfinski
Examiner Staff Writer
Dozens of
Supervisor Jeff McKay, chairman of the board's legislative committee, reiterated the county's opposition to a proposed one-year delay in adjusting the state's composite index, which helps determine how much localities contribute to fund education.
"This cannot be allowed to stand," he said. "We've played by the rules, and we hope the rules will stand this year...freezing the composite index would be unprecedented, unwarranted, and unfair."
Kaine has also proposed pulling millions from social services in his recently-unveiled biennial budget plan and there were no shortage of speakers lobbying against cuts to programs such as those helping to prevent homelessness and providing services for the underprivileged and disabled.
Some testimony was rather emotional -- and personal.
Jane Anthony, co-president of the non-profit Parents and Associations of the
Lynne Cramer, chairwoman of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Service Board, told the delegation that she's been in recovery for 16 years for alcoholism and depression. The governor's proposed budget has been fairly kind to them, she said, but urged the delegation to "hold the line."
Carol Ann Quarto said that one year ago at this time, her brother hanged himself on his fourth attempt, and lamented that parents are getting involved with substance abuse prevention programs and issues -- but after their children have died as a result of those problems.
Some speakers also referenced the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, a federal grant that offers short-term payments and other services to low-income parents.
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STATE SPENDING CUTS GET HUMAN FACE
By Kimball Payne
The Daily Press
State lawmakers sat face-to-face with Hampton Roads' human fallout from looming spending cuts Thursday afternoon, as hundreds of local residents described anticipated dire straits triggered by potential cutbacks.
During a sometimes grueling and occasionally uplifting hearing in
Parents showed lawmakers pictures of murdered children, explaining how a state program facing cuts helped them navigate the judicial system. In-home health care providers talked about caring for bed-ridden patients. Mentally disabled citizens described their struggles to get treatment.
"I never thought it would happen to me," said Sarah Hess, whose 23-year-old son, Gregory, was murdered during a home invasion in 2003. Hess said the victim and witness program provided crucial guidance and support as she dealt with the death of her only son. "We are survivors, we are no longer victims."
The
Kaine's budget proposal includes deep cuts to public schools, state colleges, sheriffs, police departments, community service boards and Medicaid.
Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell takes office on Jan. 16, and while he has said little about where he would cut spending, he has indicated that he is opposed to any tax increases — leaving little wiggle room on cuts.
On Thursday, speaker after speaker made the case that cutting state services is the wrong option during tough economic times when more citizens are turning to social safety nets to pay for health care or returning to state supported schools for job training.
Kasia Grzelkowski, is the CEO of the Arc of the
"
James Dahling, CEO of Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, said the budget cuts would force the hospital to lay off staffers and treat fewer sick children each year.
"Reductions of this magnitude would have a devastating effect on CHKD," Dahling said.
Anthony Soltys, a member of the Hampton Newport News Community Services Board, said deep cuts would slash holes in the safety net for vulnerable citizens in crisis. Soltys said Kaine's proposed spending cuts would eliminate 200 treatment waivers and put another 200 waivers on hold.
"We are not going to be able to provide even what we do now," he said.
Newly-elected Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle, a former state senator, told former colleagues that cutting state funding for sheriffs and police departments would make Virginians less safe.
"When we underfund public safety we put people in harm's way," Stolle said. "There will be more victims on the streets of
Kim Johnson is a personal care assistant who provides one-on-one care for homebound individuals. She said the wage cuts and cuts to Medicaid rates would force people into more expensive nursing homes or other institutions. The health-care providers currently make $8.86 an hour and cuts would drag that to $8.42.
"It's a much better thing being inside the home," Johnson said. "Families want their loved ones to be at home, and it saves the state money."
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IT'S ALREADY STANDING ROOM ONLY AT THE
Posted by Kimball Payne
The Daily Press's Blog
It's about 15 minutes before the state budget hearing in Portsmouth gets underway and officials have already had to clear out part of the room for fear that overcrowding could make the hall a fire hazard.
State lawmakers are preparing to hear from Hampton Roads residents concerned that the looming cuts to state spending could halt needed services. State leaders are facing a two-year budget shortfall of more than $4.2 billion and preparing to make cuts to public education, state colleges, mental health services,. sheriffs and police departments across the state.
After two years of cuts under outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine totaling in the neighborhood of $7 billion, this years cuts have the potential to carve deeply into state spending. Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell takes the reins of the state on Jan. 16 and he and state money committee members must find billions more in cuts in order to balance the budget.
Kaine proposed dropping the state car tax and hiking the income tax by 1 percent to help fill the hole. But McDonnell ran a campaign centered on lower taxes and regulation, and House Republicans have flat out said that Kaine's proposal has no chance to pass the General Assembly.
That leaves state leaders searching for billion in cuts and looking at agencies that has managed to avoid the deepest cuts in recent years.
Already in
Hundreds of people have already signed up to speak and the hearing promises to be a grueling look at the real world ramifications of spending decisions made in the halls of power in Richmond.
A host of local lawmakers are scheduled to sit on the panel today including Sen. Thomas K. "Tommy" Norment,
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AT FORUM, PROPOSED STATE BUDGET CUTS DRAW FIRE
By Bill Bartel
The Virginian-Pilot
Karen Jackson tried her best to make a panel of state legislators understand the possible human toll if deep cuts are made in state health care programs.
Her family has been waiting six years to qualify for a waiver that would provide money to help care for their 12-year-old autistic daughter at home. Now state officials are considering freezing the waiting list of applicants to help deal with a $4.2 billion shortfall in state revenue.
"My husband and I have done everything that we can do.... It's just not a bunch of numbers. We are people desperately waiting for some hope. Please don't take that hope from us," she said.
Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said as Thursday's hearing began that the legislators were not going to make comments but were there to listen.
What they heard were forceful, mostly polite, but clearly worried private citizens and public officials describe how the impending budget cuts could hurt them or the people they serve.
Virginia Beach Sheriff Kenneth Stolle, who only last month was a state senator, warned that the millions of dollars being cut from sheriff's department and other public safety programs would make Virginia a more dangerous place.
"I can assure you that two things will happen. There will be more victims on the streets of
Chesapeake Treasurer Barbara Carraway said she was speaking on behalf of other city treasurers and commissioners of revenue in warning that reductions in state funding would mean pay cuts of 9 percent, unless cities make up the difference.
But most of the 300-plus people who filled the conference room were there to raise concerns about Kaine's proposed $419 million in cuts to Medicaid, the program that helps pay for health care for poor, disabled and elderly people.
Proposals to cut hourly wages of personal health care providers, freeze waiting lists for people needing special care and reduce other services would force the most fragile Virginians to bear the greatest burden, several speakers said.
"These are the people who need the money the most," said Athena Jones, a home health care worker. "These are the people who are trying to lead a life."
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By Bob Stuart
The
Sheriff’s deputies from Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Rockbridge counties lined seats at a
“When you call for a deputy sheriff you expect a response and you want to be safe in your homes, your schools and in public,’’ said Shenandoah County Sheriff Tim Carter. His department is facing a $600,000 cut, he said.
Augusta County Sheriff Randy Fisher said the potential loss of 12 deputies in his department would mean cutting deep into his programs for narcotics enforcement, school resource officers, community policing and gang enforcement.
“Ideally, there would be no cuts,’’ Fisher said. The sheriff said it would help if the state cuts could be tempered.
Otherwise, he said the responsibility for making up the difference goes to local governments.
More than 100 speakers came to the hearing, one of several held across the state in advance of next week’s convening of the General Assembly.
Doug Cochran, of
Cochran said the services to
While the loss of revenue was the topic of the day, there was also discussion of a potential shift in constitutional offices.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, whose term ends Jan. 16, has proposed allowing local governments to set up departments of finance, eliminating the elected offices of commissioner of the revenue and treasurer.
Augusta County Commissioner of the Revenue Jean Shrewsbury told state legislators the change would take away elected officials’ accountability to the citizens and place the assessment and collection of revenue directly under the local government.
“This provides a check and balance between the government who sets the budget and spends it and the part of government who determines what the tax assessment role will be this year,’’ she said.
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The
Masses huddled Thursday at
Never in a history dating to Patrick Henry, who became the state’s first governor July 5, 1776, has Old Dominion encountered a biennial spending chasm of such breadth. An aside: Former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner frequently cited a $6-billion gap he said was left him by Republican predecessor Jim Gilmore. Two points must be made in response: First, that amount covered three years rather than two as in the current case, and second, that deficit largely was driven by new spending that revenues were insufficient to match.
Current circumstances differ dramatically. Kaine announced last month that for the first time,
So much so that not even secondary education – that great political untouchable – will escape the blade. Lawmakers when they reconvene the General Assembly next week will consider cutting almost $400 million in K-12 spending by limiting money for support staff and health insurance for school employees. State money for higher education could drop by more than a fourth. Sheriff’s offices could lose almost $300 million over two years.
Municipalities similarly will face reductions. No one who relies on state money reasonably can expect to be spared. But the cries will ring from one side of the state to the next, from interest groups and agencies who say they’re wrongly being gutted.
What will not be heard from special-interest corners are cries over the state’s spending pattern over the last decade, which reflect those of a young floosie hitched to an aging baron teetering on the grave. Since 2000,
Kaine has been compelled by screeching economic halt to subvert the trend. His proposed budget for next year would decrease from this year, growing again in 2012, but almost imperceptibly.
A decade’s excesses have snared