FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ACTION


MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS


PEF urges federal lawmakers to protect members’ quality services to New Yorkers with disabilities


By SHERRY HALBROOK In late 2013, President Obama signed


a bipartisan budget deal that prevented another federal government shutdown for nearly two more years.


Overall federal budget The budget deal alleviates the harshest


effects of automatic budget cuts on domestic agencies and the Pentagon. The agreement provides much needed, although modest, relief from destructive across-the-board “sequestration” cuts planned for current and Fiscal Year 2015, by restoring approximately $63 billion over two years. The budget deal avoids benefit cuts to


Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Overall federal spending for Fiscal Year 2014, including aid and grants to state and local governments, would increase from $967 billion to $1.012 trillion, providing an additional $22 billion for domestic programs over last year. The deal passed with bipartisan support in both the Senate and House. While the broad parameters of funding


are decided, the details of how the money will be spent in each category are still being debated.


Federal funding for disabled John Murphy, PEF’s lobbyist on federal


issues, recently met with congressional and U.S. Senate staff in Washington on PEF’s most critical issues, which opened the doors for further communication regarding federal funding for state services to the developmentally disabled. New York’s congressional


representatives agreed it is a priority to maintain PEF members’ jobs and services to the disabled. However, it is vitally important for the congressmen and senators to hear directly from New York’s state legislators about how privatizing state services would affect their constituents who have developmental disabilities. Murphy emphasized the importance of


maintaining the high quality of safety-net services assured by using state employees who must meet the merit and fitness standards of the civil service system. More than 4,000 PEF members work for the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Murphy explained PEF is vigorously


advocating for New York’s federal Medicaid waiver to provide for a continuing role for state civil service


employees in assessing developmental disabilities and in overseeing their clinical treatment.


Improved communications Murphy said he “opened avenues for


information about federal funding and legislation to flow through federal representatives to PEF committees and staff regarding transportation, labor, training and unemployment, nursing and other services PEF members provide in New York state. “I also will provide PEF with drafts of


support or oppose memos, when key federal legislation becomes active,” Murphy said,” for PEF leaders and activists to use as talking points in their conversations with our federal representatives. “Now, Congress is working to assign


funding levels for all federal programs. During this process, I will continue to advocate and urge Congress to invest in PEF jobs that produce vital services our members perform for the citizens of New York state,” Murphy said.


INDICK


Retired activist mourned Members of PEF and PEF Retirees are


mourning the loss of Elizabeth Indick who died January 30 at age 70. Indick was a Region 3 activist in PEF from its start in 1979 and was a local PEF leader at the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. A certified occupational therapy assistant, Indick retired from Fingerlakes Developmental Disabilities Services Office in1998. An advocate for battered women, she


also was a certified addictions counselor at Finger Lakes Addiction Counseling and Referral Agency and at Otte Hall Halfway House in Newark.


www.pef.org


BRAVINGTHE COLD – PEF Council LeaderAnn Cinadre, state Sen. John Flanagan,PEF Executive Boardmember Carol Ferrante and Jennifer Colon from CSEA stand united at a rally to save inpatient services at Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center on February 14 in Dix Hills.


—Photos byMelissa D’Agostino The Communicator March 2014—Page 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28