jobs for justice rally in st. Louis against social program cuts in Missouri

I attended the rally/demonstration today. Democratic State Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford was the only politican whom attended this rally. Ms Oxford is a very progressive leader in the St. Louis area.



Below is from KSDK on the subject: http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=181370

Demonstrators protest proposed Missouri budget cuts
Posted By: Mike Garrity Date last updated: 7/29/2009 8:49:16 PM


There's new concern among many Missouri state workers as well as people who depend on state social or health services. They're worried proposed budget cuts could mean vital services will be eliminated.

By Mike Garrity

KSDK -- There's new concern among many Missouri state workers as well as people who depend on state social or health services. They're worried proposed budget cuts could mean vital services will be eliminated.

In south St. Louis on Wednesday, a crowd of more than 100 state workers and people who depend on state services demonstrated outside the Missouri Department of Social Services office on South Broadway.

It was an effort to draw attention to proposed budget cuts.

The union that represents state social services workers says Governor Jay Nixon has asked state departments to cut an additional $60 million from their budgets. That's on top of $425 million that's already been cut.

The union says nearly half of the Governor's newly requested cuts are to come from the Missouri Department of Social Services and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

And the people at Wednesday's demonstration say in this economy, more and more Missourians are turning to those agencies for assistance.

Meanwhile the governor's office is only saying that Governor Nixon has asked each state agency to review it's budget and submit recommendations for proposed cuts.

Nixon's office says each recommendation is being reviewed, but no decisions have been made.

The governor expects those decisions, "within the next few weeks", his press secretary tells us.

But the state workers' union says sunshine law requests show numerous programs on the proposed chopping block.

"Foster care services, crisis nursery services, child abuse and neglect prevention services, emergency child care, inspections at residential care facilities, long term care facilities, basic stuff, this is not like eliminating the cream and getting skim milk," says Bradley Harmon, a Missouri Department of Social Services Employee who is also the president of the state workers' union.

Among the people at Wednesday's demonstration was Melanie Shouse.

She's a struggling small business owner who could only afford a catastrophic insurance policy.

So ever since she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, she's become dependant on the state, specifically Missouri Medicaid to assist her with chemotherapy treatments.

Melanie is now concerned that the health services that she now depends on could be on the chopping block as well.

"Well it will affect people like myself all over the state who are really counting on Missouri Medicaid to fill the gaps in their health coverage," Shouse worries.

"The cuts that are being proposed now are cutting bone, there's no fat left, there's no muscle left, we are dismantling our social safety net system," says Harmon.

These proposed cuts also put Governor Nixon in a tough spot politically.

Many of the people demonstrating Wednesday, including those with the state workers union worked to get Nixon elected.

They are now asking for a meeting with the Governor, and are suggesting things like a proposal to change the state's tax structure to bring in more revenue.

"I'm counting on him (Nixon) to do what he said he was going to do when he was running for office, which would put the needs of ordinary working Missourians first," says Harmon.

Democratic State Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford was also at Wednesday's demonstration.

She thinks the Governor should at the very least postpone any cuts to social, senior, or health services.

Mott Oxford believes the proposed cuts would end up costing the state in the long run.

"I can't believe it will save money, because if you take money out of crisis nurseries, (for instance), you put kids into foster care which is very expensive," Mott Oxford says. "One of the easiest places to look is when you cut money in the mental health budget. It means that people who could get medication and services in their neighborhood don't get treated, and they wind up making stupid choices that get them in jail, which is expensive."

And while it wouldn't be on the table until the next legislative session Mott Oxford is the one behind a proposal to change in the way the Missouri tax system works.

She wants to adjust the state's tax brackets so the wealthiest 20 percent of the population would be forced to contribute more, and the poor would not have to pay as much.

Below is the statement from Governor Nixon's office in its entirety:

"The Governor has asked each state agency to review their budgets for fiscal year 2010 and submit recommendations to the state budget office for proposed cuts. With the challenging budget picture for the foreseeable future, it is vital that Missouri's state government live within its means so we do not find ourselves having to cut core essential services as other states have been forced to do. Each of the recommendations from the agencies is being reviewed, but there have been no decisions made. We expect those decisions to be made within the next few weeks."

- Scott Holste, Press Secretary to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon


KSDK