Provider Watch - January 4, 2009 - (Corrected Link) Will you Write a Letter to your Editor of your Local Newspaper

Local politicians read their own newspapers.  If they live outside the Atlanta area, they do not care about what happens in Atlanta, they care about what happens in their community.  Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. is quoted as saying, "All politics are local."  Politicians care what their constituents are thinking.  These are the people that will be voting for them.  Please help us influence them by writing a op-ed piece for your newspaper.  A list of newpapers in the State. 

We will even write it for you. 

Use this Word document, modify as you like and send to your local newspaper:

Letter to the Editor

Bullet points to include in your own editorial could include:

Georgia is facing $1.5 to $2 billion in deficits this year.  The Governor has horrible “no win” decisions to make, yet, our major financial crisis came in a good economic year in 2007.

                For us to have more and extreme cuts will:

1.       Put our foster care program in jeopardy.

2.       May result in closing residential units and/or regions with another cut of $(amount of your cuts) in the Room, Board and Watchful Oversight rates. 

3.       Place a growing stress between program safety and even greater oversight by the state.

4.       Continue the dismantling of the private sector which has provided Georgia with millions in contributed dollars and service, needed services to the state
    and support to our communities. 

                In short, the most vulnerable children and families need not carry the budget burden. 

Provide a copy of this editorial to your legislator.  www.vote-smart.org

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Provider Watch, an email newsletter of the
Georgia Association of Homes
and Services for Children
as a public service.
http://www.gahsc.org
                            membership application
                            Normer Adams, Editor
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