To Vote or Not To Vote...That is the Question!

Fall elections will be upon us soon and each person over the age of 18 is faced with a decision as to whether to vote or not to vote.

There are plenty of excuses why people don't excercise this right to vote. Excuses such as "it's such a hassle, I don't have the time, my vote won't really make a difference, I don't know the candidates or their stance on the issues.

Fling those excuses into the wind and let's talk about the reasons why you SHOULD vote.

1- It allows you the right to express your choice in selecting individuals to lead our government.

2-Americans believe in Democracy and voting demonstrates support for this democratic structure.

3- Voting forces candidates to share their beliefs and ideas and leads to greater accountability.

4- Showing up to the polls sets a good example for others who tend not to want to excercise their right to vote.

5- Taking the time to vote demonstrates your pride in this nation and our government. As imperfect as it sometimes appears, don't surrender your right to show that you care about the direction that our leaders are taking us.

Dwight D. Eisenhower said "The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter."

Partake in this powerful gift. Don't surrender your right to vote.

Contact your Senators!

JUST WHEN YOU THINK IT’S SAFE TO GO BACK INTO THE WATER....danger looms!

Think back to a few months ago to when we talked about the "federal match". The real name for that is the "Federal medical assistance percentage" (FMAP). This is used to calculate the amount of Federal share of State expenditures for services.

When the Government implemented the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act last year, they increased FMAP from a 60% to 70% match. That meant millions of extra dollars to Kansas. These dollars go towards community developmental disability services.

THE PROBLEM:

· The FMAP increase ends on December 31, 2010 and if isn’t extended, will result in State budget cuts that will jeopardize numerous private and public sector jobs.
· FMAP was just removed from H.R. 4213 and needs be added back in. This bill is now in the Senate.
· If this is not extended it could have major consequences for state budgets and the ability of people with disabilities to live in the community.
· Kansas has included the FMAP extension in their FY'11 budget and does not have a back-up plan if it does not pass.
· Now is likely the last opportunity to get the FMAP extension in a bill and passed by this Congress.

CALL TO ACTION:

If this is something you feel that you can support, please contact your Senator and ask him to support restoring the extension of the increased federal Medicaid match.

- For Senator Sam Brownback call (202) 224-6521
- For Senator Pat Roberts call (202) 224-4774

HOW DO I DO IT?

It’s really very simple. Your conversation may go like this:

"Hi my name is......and I am in the Senator's district. I am asking for his support to restore the extension of FMAP into H.R. 4213. If this is not added back, it will have negative effects on the already underfunded community disability services system. Kansas has included the increased FMAP into their FY'11 budget and will cause further cuts to services. This extension is necessary to relieve fiscal pressures on the Medicaid program. I can be contacted at....."

Thanks so much and hope you are having an enjoyable summer!

Warm (no pun intended) Regards,
Lurena Mead

Mixed Emotions

I was thrilled that the Kansas Legislature delegated new money for the DD waiting list at the completion of their last session. I'm not so thrilled however, when I think about the thousands of individuals who will still be waiting once those new dollars are long gone. The DD waiting list is a national epidemic.

http://www.youtube.com/noewait1