“Taking away vital care and support will make our economy worse”
On November 24th the Connecticut General Assembly convened a special
session to address shortfalls in the budget. More than 140 1199ers were
there to talk to legislators. Our message was simple: State health services are cost effective and essential to the well-being of our entire population. Taking away vital care and basic support that residents and their families rely on will only make our economy worse.
| 1199ers at the State Capitol filled the mailboxes of state legislators with messages about essential state programs and the need for funding that makes them possible.
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“Other health providers can’t or won’t take many of the patients and clients who have no choice but to turn to the state system for care. If services are cut thousands of Connecticut residents will have nowhere to go for help” Rosemarie Tate, Dietician II at Cedarcrest Hospital, told lawmakers.
Earlier, Governor Rell had said that she was prepared to make “cuts that will hurt people and programs.”
But state government must recognize what the incoming Obama administration already knows: The current problems must be understood not as a budget crisis for the state, but as a jobs, services, and quality of life crisis for Connecticut’s people. Wholesale cutting of public spending at this time when consumer and corporate spending is falling would not only deny the public the services it needs, but lead to a downward spiral devastating both Connecticut’s economy and the state budget.
Members told legislators that smarter solutions include:
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Bringing federal dollars back to Connecticut to stimulate the economy, invest in public services and preserve and create jobs,
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Using the Rainy Day fund to help address the budget shortfall,
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Enacting tax reform so the very wealthy pay their fair share.