Senior News August, 2002 Vol. 21. No.  8

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Ferndale celebrates 150 years: Two residents are enjoying early and later years there

Remembering Spirit - Rachel Windsong

SCSEP sets record: Local senior employment ranked seventh in nation

Ferndale celebrates 150th

Legislative inaction endangers nonprofits

Del Norte-spend two days with authors

Eel River Alzheimer's Resources

HSRC August Events

Eel River swimming hole guide available on web

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Legislative inaction endangers nonprofits
by Mary Dennison and Thea Gast

Under the federal Older Americans Act the California Dept. of Aging provides funding to local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). In turn AAA contracts with numerous community based organizations to provide crucial senior services such as home delivered meals, personal care, legal assistance, information and assistance.

On July 1, because the state budget had not been signed, the Dept. of Aging could not continue to release federal dollars already approved by Congress for local Area Agencies, a situation we find illogical since we are in a state, not federal, budget stalemate.

Reasonable legislators can and do disagree on how to bridge the budget shortfall. However, refusing to allow the release of federal funds for our most vulnerable seniors at a time when a final budget solution continues to elude the legislature and the governor defies logic and compassion.

Earlier this year the chair of the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, Lynn Doucher, R-Brea, introduced AB 2552 to provide that the department could still release the federal dollars to high risk seniors even if the legislature was unable to enact a state budget by July 1.

Please contact the Assembly appropriations committee, 916-319-2009, and urge chair Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and the committee to quickly move AB 2552 to the governor's desk.

Mary Dennison and Thea Gast are Senior Senator and Senior Assembly Member of the California Senior Legislature representing Humboldt and Del Norte counties. They can be reached at 707-442-3164 and 707-822-4705 respectively. Dennison is also a commissioner on the California Commission on Aging.