May, 2006
I have recently been made a member of a county-wide task force that will attempt to develop a transportation plan for Santa Cruz County. As a result of the defeat of Measure J it has become more important for the citizens of Santa Cruz County to develop a transportation plan that addresses the needs of all county residents. We hope this plan will cover everything from sidewalks and bike paths/trails to rail opportunities and road systems. This task force is using a variety of methods to collect community input that include surveys available on their website, www.tftaskforce.org and five scheduled workshops in the various districts. If you are using the internet, just click on the website, click on "workbook" and start writing. I am told the website will be fully accessible, but if you have any problems, please give me a call.
I encourage you all to attend one of these workshops to make your needs and ideas known. This is your opportunity to participate in the development of Santa Cruz County. The more input we get from community members, the more the plan will reflect the true community needs. If you need more information please give me a call.
While this would be an opportunity to shape the future, I also need your help in shaping the present. Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger diverted funds for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment SSI/SSP cost of living adjustments (COLAs) to other programs in an attempt to solve the State's budget crisis. Now this only saved approximately $1.5 million, but it did cause many living on SSI/SSP to not get a much needed increase - it would have represented about a $30-35 dollar a month increase for each individual (ever try living on $812 dollars a month?). It appears this year he is trying to do the same thing, but so far the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services has rejected the Governor's proposal and by a 4-0 decision, voted that those funds needed to go to the people they were meant for... the recipients.
Assembly member Hector De La Torre (Democrat-Southgate) noted the huge
response he had received from recipients around the State objecting to
the Governor's proposal. His office was sent over 500 letters on this
issue, all of which he brought with him to the hearing. So, what's the
lesson here? The lesson is, policymakers do listen to those that elected
them, and letters work. I have asked readers to write letters many times,
in fact nearly every column is a call to action of some sort. So please
contact your state assembly member and let them know how you stand on this
issue. Don't let the government place an undue proportion of "balancing the budget" on
people with disabilities and on seniors. Remember - Disability is a random
event that can occur in any life, at any moment.
- Michael Bradshaw, Central Coast Center for Independent Living