House to Vote on Budget Resolution, Setting the Stage for Tax and Medicaid Legislation

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The House plans to vote on its fiscal year 2018 Budget Resolution on Wednesday, October 4.

Please review the summary of the House Budget Resolution, which includes plans to “reform” Medicaid, cut spending, and enact tax reform.

Passage of the House resolution (H.Con.Res.71) would set up a conference with the Senate on its budget blueprint. The House and Senate could quickly adopt a joint budget resolution to pave the way for legislation that can be passed by a simple majority (51) vote in the Senate.

Please contact your representatives today and tell them you OPPOSE the House Budget Resolution.

Shelly Moore Capito – 202.224.6472

https://www.capito.senate.gov/contact/contact-shelley

Joe Manchin – 202.224.3954

http://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form

Medicaid to be cut by $800 Billion – ACT NOW

From our friends at:

MOUNTAIN STATE CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

Medicaid.gov : Keeping American Healthy

Medicaid to be cut by $800 billion dollars.

The US Senate needs to hear from the Disability Community, your friends, family members, and neighbors, about the dangers of cutting $800 billion from Medicaid.

We need YOU to call your Senator. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you.

Senator Capito of West Virginia has not heard enough about the devastating effects of cutting Medicaid. If you live in West Virginia, we strongly suggest you contact her.

If you’re not in one of the key states, you can still take action. We need everyone from all states to let the Senate know that we see what they’re doing and demand that they hold hearings on the bill!

Call the Senate HELP Committee at 202-224-5375 and the Senate Finance Committee at 202-224-4515 and demand that they hold hearings before bringing the bill to a floor vote.

Priority Senators:

Alaska: Murkowski and Sullivan
Arkansas: Cotton
Arizona: Flake
Colorado: Gardner
Georgia: Isakson
Indiana: Young
Louisiana: Cassidy
Maine: Collins
Missouri: Blunt
Montana: Daines
Nebraska: Fischer and Sasse
Nevada: Heller
Ohio: Portman
Pennsylvania: Toomey
South Carolina: Graham
Tennessee: Alexander and Corker
West Virginia: Capito
Wisconsin: Johnson

Suggested Message

My name is (your full name). I am a constituent of Senator (name). I am disabled and I rely on Medicaid to live independently in my community. I am calling to ask Senator (name) to vote NO on any legislation that will cap and cut Medicaid and put healthcare out of reach for millions of Americans, including the upcoming ACA repeal bill. Senator (name) has a responsibility to fight for their constituents, and that includes those of us with disabilities and pre-existing conditions. People (like me/in the disability community) rely on Medicaid for our health and independence, and converting Medicaid to a per capita cap system would be detrimental to people with disabilities in (state). If this bill is passed, I risk losing access to services that I rely on to live in my community. This is unacceptable. This is an extremely important issue to the disability community, and we are following the Senator’s actions closely. I hope we can count on the Senator to do what’s right for people with disabilities in (state) and around the country!

It is imperative that you call now, and then do it again tomorrow, and every day after that while this legislation is still active!

The entire Disability Community is depending on you to make these calls and stop this legislation from moving forward.

Thank you to Bruce Darling, VP of NCIL, for the suggested message.

Mountain State Centers for Independent Living
Corporate Office
821 Fourth Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
www.mtstcil.org
Voice/TTY: 304-525-3324
Fax: 304-525-3360
Toll free: 866-MTSTCIL (866-687-8245)

Honoring Tom and Betsy Edgar

Little Levels Heritage Fair

You are Invited to Join us at the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace in Hillsboro, WV

June 25, 2017 – 2:00 PM

For A Talk and Time of Sharing To Honor and Celebrate

Tom and Betsy Edgar

Honored For their Inspiring and Brave Lives! They were Always in pursuit of a Better Life for all Disabled. Hear their Story, Remember their Accomplishments, Recall their Example, Think of how they Encouraged Individuals, Learn how they Blazed a Trail for Others And Celebrate these Two People who Cared Enough to Try!

Facilitator and Speaker: Martha Edgar Ness, MS/CTRS Therapist and Daughter of Tom and Betsy Edgar

See you there!
Support the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation – Accessibility Project

Let’s build the perfect accessibility to this old home we all love and cherish! Make Checks Payable to: Pearl S. Buck Birthplace – Accessibility Project, Hillsboro, West Virginia 24946

Steps for Success

Pictured above: From left, Amber Hinkle, Julius McMillan, Dr. Beverly Ford, Demon Gary, Eli Barnette, Liz Pitzer and Cindy Tucker.

Lifeworks, a community rehabilitation program which is a division of Open Doors, Inc. held a workshop titled “Steps for Success” on May 2nd.

It was held at the Gus R. Douglass Building at the State Fairgrounds.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Beverly Ford from Durham, NC.  Dr. Ford holds a PhD in counseling psychology, and does a variety of trainings geared toward human service professionals, and youth.

This workshop was attended by juniors and seniors from Greenbrier East and Greenbrier West High Schools, a total of 90 students.  Dr. Ford’s presentation was very interactive, discussing change, as these students prepare to leave high school to enter the world of work, or to go on to high education.

They also discussed their success stories, learned tips on interviewing, and ways to use their network of acquaintances, such as friends, neighbors, church, grocery store, and so on to learn about job openings that may be filled before they are ever advertised.  The students had lunch, and several door prizes were given away.

This workshop was made possible through a grant from the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services.

Health Reform – Please Take Action Today!

Dear Friends,

We want our representatives in Congress to know that health reform that decreases coverage and shifts more costs to states and individuals is unacceptable.

Congress should build on the current system and improve it.

Please call your representatives and let them know!

Here’s an idea about what you could say:

Hello, my name is [NAME] from West Virginia. I am calling to let Senator / Representative know that I am strongly opposed to any health reform plan that reduces coverage, shifts costs to consumers and cuts Medicaid in West Virginia.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito
202.224.6472

Senator Joe Manchin
202.224.3954

Congressman David McKinley
202.225.4172

Congressman Alex Mooney
202.225.2711

Congressman Evan Jenkins
202.225.3452

Health Care – Attend an Upcoming Town Hall Meeting

The Republican leadership is rushing a health plan through Congress that will repeal the Affordable Care Act and jeopardize health insurance for more than 230,000 West Virginians.

West Virginians want answers about what the proposed health plan will mean for them. They are asking their Congressional Delegation to come home and give them answers.

Senators Manchin and Capito have been invited to attend the following town hall meetings. Representatives Mooney, Jenkins and McKinley have been asked to meet with constituents in their districts.

If you care about your health care, please attend one or more of these town hall meetings and make your voice heard.

Town Hall Meetings

Martinsburg

March 16, 2017
11:00 a.m.
WVU Eastern Division
Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center
2500 Foundation Way
Note: Senator Manchin will attend

South Charleston

March 16, 2017
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
LaBelle Theater
311 D Street
Note: Senator Manchin will attend

Parkersburg

March 16, 2017
6:00 p.m.
Municipal Building
1 Government Square

Huntington

March 17, 2017
2:00 p.m.
Keith Albee Theater
925 4th Avenue
Note: Senator Manchin will attend

Morgantown

March 18, 2017
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Waterfront Place Hotel
2 Waterfront Place
Note: Senator Manchin will attend

Hinton

April 6, 2017
6:30 p.m.
The Memorial Building
451 1st Street

Wheeling

April 8, 2017 (WVAHC sponsored event)
1:00 p.m.
CET Recital Hall
Wheeling-Jesuit University
316 Washington Avenue

Beckley

April 11, 2017
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (WVAHC sponsored event)
Raleigh-Beckley Convention Center
200 Armory Drive

Lewisburg

April 18, 2017 (WVAHC sponsored event)
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location TBD

Charleston

April 19, 2017 (WVAHC sponsored event)
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Culture Center Auditorium
State Capitol Complex
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Martinsburg

April 26, 2017 (WVAHC sponsored event)
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Robert C. Byrd Center

West Virginians for Affordable Health Care

600 Leon Sullivan Way
Suite 215
Charleston WV, 25301

WV Developmental Disabilities Council Call for Applications

SOLICITING INTEREST for NEW MEMBERS

From the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council:

The West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council is soliciting interest for a limited number of new members to be appointed to the Council beginning July 1, 2017. Specifically, the Council is seeking people with developmental disabilities and/or family members and will look first at applicants from under-represented areas of the State.

The Developmental Disabilities Council is a 32 member organization that was established by an Executive Order of the Governor on March 6, 1972. The Council is supported administratively by the Department of Health and Human Resources and is funded by a grant under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (P.L. 106-402).

The Council’s mission is to assure that West Virginians with developmental disabilities receive the services, supports and opportunities they need to achieve independence, productivity, integration and inclusion into the community of their choice.

The Council consists of citizens with developmental disabilities, family members and representatives from State and private organizations concerned with the provision of services to people with developmental disabilities. Over 60% are citizen members who are appointed by the Governor for terms of up to four years.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

WV Developmental Disabilities Council Member Application

PLEASE RETURN NO LATER THAN MARCH 31, 2017

WV Developmental Disabilities Council
110 Stockton Street
Charleston, WV 25387-2521
Phone: (304) 558-0416
Fax: (304) 558-0941
www.ddc.wv.gov

Thanks for Your Service

One of the participants in the LifeWorks program completed this article as part of a Work Skills Assessment, and was published in the WV Daily News.  Congratulations, Bethany!

We all consider November 11th a day to commemorate and celebrate the Veterans of this country.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it was first established in 1919 as Armistice Day, to recognize the soldiers that fought in World War I.  It wasn’t until 1938 that Armistice Day was established as a legal holiday.  Sixteen years later, in 1954, the holiday was changed to include all branches of the military and all veterans to be celebrated.  It was also changed from Armistice Day to what we know as Veteran’s Day.

We all know someone who has either served in the military or sacrificed their life for this country.  Captain Jimmy King II is one local veteran from Crawley, who has served in the military for over 21 years.  The youngest of five children, he was influenced by his father and grandfather, who were also in the military.  He recalls joining the military because he thought it was “cool,” and he was following suit with his friends.

King knew that he was going to be called to active duty when he saw the Twin Towers fall.  He just didn’t know when, but eventually he was sent to serve in Afghanistan.

“It gave me a larger perspective of how the world interacts, how people and cultures of other countries react to the United States,” King said of his experience in Afghanistan.

“When a soldier was killed in action, they would line the streets and pay their last respects before the body was shipped back home to the United States for burial.”

King emphasized that his experience in Afghanistan was eye opening and he realized that there was nothing more important than family.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve in the most powerful military in the world,” King said, never regretting his decision to enlist. “I represent those who have fought and died before me and protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

King affirmed that he would stay in the military as long as he was able and would deploy again if the need arose.

When King was growing up, he remembers Veteran’s Day as a holiday to honor those who fought and died for our country, such as his father, grandfather, uncles and cousins who had served in the military.

Honoring the families of veterans is just as important because they are sacrificing just as much. When their loved one deploys, they stay behind and keep going, not knowing the outcome. When a veteran returns home, they have to reconfigure their place in the family.

King maintained everyone who joins the military is giving “an open-ended commitment to protect and serve, even if they do not realize this when they enlist.”

Perhaps not everyone feels that Veteran’s Day should be celebrated in the same way, but all should commit to honoring those who have sacrificed for our freedom.

Veteran’s Day has a long history, but what it originally stood for is still true today – to honor those who have served and especially those who have fallen for our country. When you see a veteran, you should shake his or her hand and thank them for their service.

-Bethany McFerrin