Since the court has ruled against Governor Schwarzenegger and his cuts, we've made over 200 phone calls to the Governor's office, telling him to end the war on home care.

One caller, J.L., reported back after her phone call to the Gov.:

I would like the Governor to know that what he is doing is wrong and I plan to stand up for the sick and disabled. I am the caregive for 3 recipients of IHSS and without my assistance, these people wouldn't be able to live comfortably at all. Our wages should be more not less--these are peoples' very lives we are helping. My message to Arnold: Where Is your Heart??

Another caller, J.B. spoke to a woman in Schwarzenegger's office, Megan. Here's how his call went:

Megan said "you can't please everyone. Cuts across the board have been made." She implied that everyone suffers equally. I disagreed with her and stated that cuts in this area cause a disproportional amount of suffering. I suggested cuts for the State University travel budget for Professor that visit foreign countries; cuts here would be far less damaging to the citizens. Megan said the Universities are receiving cuts also.

From caller J.E.:

I cannot believe Gov. Schwarzenegger has the audactiy to cut wages of those who lovingly care for our nation's most vulnerable seniors. The seniors have loved, supported and fought for everything for us to have what we have now over all these years and it is time we did the same for them!!!

We applaud your efforts to tell the Governor his misguided policies will send California deeper into fiscal abyss. But it's not enough--we must keep the pressure on, because now the Governor and CA state officials are refusing to abide by the U.S. District Court's preliminary injunction preventing the slashing of salaries for in-home caregivers.

In light of this outrageous defiance, Judge Wilken has amended her original injunction to make it more specific: rescind approval of all IHSS wage reductions by July 14 that were scheduled to take place on July 1. The attorneys requested that the Court hold the State in contempt and issue fines and order the State to comply immediately, since it seems the Governor and state lawmakers haven't yet grasped the seriousness of illegally cutting the wages of IHSS workers who take care of our most most vulnerable citizens.

Now more than ever, we need to flood the Governor's office with calls to help put an end to the war on home care. Even if you or someone close to you is not affected by the CA Legislature's and Gov. Schwarzenegger's cuts, he needs to know how much support there is for the vital services home care workers provide to seniors and people with disabilities.

Will you take part? Please call the Governor now and tell him to put a permanent stop to these short-sighted cuts.

A U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction last week ordering the state of California to halt pay cuts of nearly 20 percent -- from $12.10 an hour down to $9.50 -- for the state's 400,000 home care workers. This ruling is big news for home care workers and those they care for, as it will temporarily stop the cuts that were to go into effect July 1st in those counties at risk.

There's a war being waged against home care, and Governor Schwarzenegger is leading the call. We can celebrate this initial victory, but this injunction will not stop the Governor from trying to cut home care again. CA State Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer has made this much clear, saying that the Schwarzenegger administration "can't imagine a legal interpretation that would prevent the state from moving forward to implement [the proposed cuts to home care]."

It's up to us to keep the pressure on. Now that a court has ruled against the Governor and his cuts, we need to ask him to reverse course on these short-sighted cuts.
Please call the Governor now and tell him: "Home care not only saves money, it saves lives. We need a common sense budget that protects home care:"

Governor Schwarzenegger says he thinks every day about the people who will be affected by his proposed cuts to health care will affect. "I know the consequences of those cuts are not just dollars," said the Governor to lawmakers yesterday. "I see the faces behind those dollars."

Fresno area home care provider Carlos Martinez and his wife Mikesha Martinez show the real face of those who would be impacted the most by these cuts.

Hundreds of home care workers from across the country continue knocking on doors this week, talking to Fresno home care workers about the importance of standing with their union in combating these dangerous cuts--which would cause nearly 400,000 elderly or disabled Californians to lose the services they need to live at home and still remain cared for.

Governor Schwarzenegger gave a speech to the joint session of California legislatures this morning on the state's budget, pressing lawmakers to resolve the state's financial crisis and enact $24 billion in spending cuts. The Governor acknowledged how devastating these cuts will be to millions of Californians, saying "People come up to me all the time, pleading 'governor, please don't cut my program,'" he said. "They tell me how the cuts will affect them and their loved ones. I see the pain in their eyes and hear the fear in their voice. It's an awful feeling. But we have no choice."

To solve the state's fiscal problems, the Schwarzenegger administration wants to slash the wages of people who do some of the most difficult work and help our most vulnerable citizens stay out of institutions. SEIU International Executive VP Eliseo Medina issued a statement in response to the Governor's speech today, explaining why we think his "no choice" budget cuts that punish California's neediest residents are unacceptable:

"Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to home care would add up to 340,000 people to the ranks of the unemployed, moving California's unemployment rate to 12.8 percent--nearly tied with Michigan for the highest in the nation. This is exactly the opposite of what California needs.

"These irresponsible cuts will cost the state over a billion dollars a year in lost federal funds, and untold billions over the long term, as they push California's most vulnerable residents into expensive facilities.

"Worse still is the human toll. Approximately 395,000 elderly or disabled Californians would lose the services they need to live at home.

"We need shared responsibility to dig us out of this hole. Instead, this Governor has chosen a skewed approach--giving away $2.5 billion a year to large corporations and at the same time eliminating desperately needed care for the most vulnerable Californians.

"SEIU intends to fight the Governor's callous and immoral budget proposals and advance real solutions that enhance state and federal revenue and reduce the amount that must be cut from home care and other vital services Californians need."

Finally, Gov. Schwarzenegger says something we can agree with! "Governor Schwarzenegger offered the public a bad budget deal, and the public said no," said SEIU's Medina. "Now the Governor wants to punish the people of California with senseless cuts that will cost the state billions down the road. It's this kind of failed leadership that has gotten us into this mess; more of the same short-sighted vision will not get us out."

Please send a message to the Governor telling him his short-sighted policies will send California deeper into fiscal abyss--and then ask your friends and co-workers to do the same.

See the full list of proposed cuts by the Governor here. More background on SEIU's fight to stop California home care cuts can be found here, here and here.

More than 5,000 home care providers, care recipients, disability and senior advocates joined SEIU members and other concerned Californians on Friday, May 22nd in a rally in front of the California State building in downtown Los Angeles to speak out against the Governor's proposed cuts to the state's home care program, as laid out in his revised May budget.

Closing down streets, rally participants sent a clear message to Governor Schwarzenegger and Sacramento legislators that proposed cuts to the state's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, which delivers care to more than 400,000 seniors and people with disabilities, will not be tolerated.

Check out some of the amazing photos from this rally:

Friday's rally is the first of many events to take place over the next several weeks to raise awareness of these dangerous cuts to California's home care program and their impact on the state's vulnerable residents and those who care for them. Learn more about the cuts laid out in Gov. Schwarzenegger's revised May budget and find out about upcoming actions.

SEIU members, seniors home care givers and community supporters from across the state will hold vigils tonight on the grounds of the State Capitol to protest Schwarzenegger's proposed cutbacks that would reduce vital services to seniors and people with disabilities. The vigil will include candlelight prayer circles Tuesday night, a rally and testimony by home care recipients and workers Wednesday afternoon, and a mass Wednesday night.

The cutbacks to services and jobs would reduce services to seniors and people with disabilities by as much as 27 percent, potentially forcing thousands from California's most vulnerable populations into costly nursing homes. It would slash wages for home care workers by up to 33% -- from $12.10 an hour down to $8, which is below the poverty level for a family of two. Find information about the vigil and additional events here.

SEIU also has a ad buy today on California's home care cuts which will air on select cable stations in LA, Fresno and Sacramento this week to coincide with the President's visit to the state. Print ads will run in targeted markets during the same period. Watch the ad here:

Gov. Schwarzenegger's belief that solving the state's fiscal problems on the backs of those who take care of the most fragile among us is an absolute disgrace. If you're not in California but still want to join the fight to stop cuts to home care, please write a message for Governor Schwarzenegger telling him you strongly disagree with his misguided priorities--we'll make sure that he receives it.