ARRM's Talking Points for 2009

Topics to discuss with your legislator

1. Remind your legislator to make cuts fairly and equally across all areas of government, not disproportionately from health and human services and on the backs of people with disabilities.

• Our caregivers should be treated the same as allother caregivers who do the sames work (e.g., nursing home workers and State Operated Centers). Use this graphic to help illustrate your point.

• If you are a CEO or upper-level manager, explain how these cuts will affect your business in terms of jobs, services, impact on your community, etc. Use this calculation worksheet and the accompanying template to show how cuts will affect your agency.

2. Ask you legislator to keep all options open for balancing the budget. Besides reigning in expenses, ask them to also consider finding additional revenue.

3. Disability services are funded through Medicaid with half the money coming from the federal government and half from the state. So, if lawmakers cut $1.00 from the state budget people with disabilities lose $2.00 in services.

4. Cuts to disability services puts people with disabilities at risk. People who are now safe and contributing to their communities risk losing critical services that will cost the state more money in the long term.

5. ARRM's system reform bill will be part of the solution for the current financial crisis and cost effective disability services in the future.

Read the talking points Rep. Bly read on the floor of the MN House of Representatives.