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Sample letter template to oppose budget cuts (general)
Sample letter to oppose cuts to Cal-SAFE
California School Age Families Legislative Report
Fact Sheet For Teen Parent Programs
No Time for Complacency 2008 Update
Fact Sheet for Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Information about affected teen parenting and pregnancy prevention programs
Legislative roster
Courtesy of On the Capitol Doorstep
Cal-SAFE Conference Call Minutes, 5/27/08
Governor's Contact Information:
Governor Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160
Welcome
Save Our Cal-SAFE Programs!
The Governor is proposing in his May Revise to cut Cal-SAFE programs by 10%, resulting in a $6 million loss. This would necessitate either cutting all programs throughout the state, or cutting some program entirely to preserve others. We can stop these cuts, if we act in a unified effort.
Why Advocate?
In 2003, CACSAP and member agencies, along with many other teen pregnancy prevention and parenting programs, launched a state-wide effort to stop the elimination of Community Challenge Grants from the state budget. In that proposed budget, the entire $20 million that funded CCG was cut, meaning that hundreds of teen pregnancy prevention programs across the state would have to close their doors. Through wide-scale advocacy efforts, we were able to make legislators and the Governor realize the importance of these programs, and all $20 million was reinstated into the budget. It can be done!
We can't afford to lose a single Cal-SAFE program or a single Cal-SAFE teacher. Speak out, not only to save jobs, but to save our teen parents and ensure they have the resources and opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life. Join us in acting NOW!
What You Can Do
Join CACSAP on a strategy brainstorming conference call. The call will take place on May 29th, at 3:00PM. We encourage all Cal-SAFE teachers and staff to participate, as well as those involved in any teen parent program or teen pregnancy prevention program. Teachers and educators, plan to join the call and include your students, to teach them about advocacy and include them in this vital effort to save their programs. We need your voices to make sure we're heard! To participate in the call, please dial (616) 347-8300, then plug in the access code of 279000#
Gather signatures on a petition in your community. We have created a petition that you can print out and pass around in your community. The more signatures you receive, the stronger the message you send to your legislators. Send the signed petition (make copies and retain one for your files) to all the legislators in your area to let them know that your community strongly supports Cal-SAFE.
Organize a letter-writing campaign that involves your staff, the youth you serve, their parents, teachers, and others who support your program. We're including some samples here that you can use as templates, but please remember that individualized letters mean much more than boilerplate templates. Change the letter to suit your needs, and ask your students and parents to add their anecdotes and heart-felt support for the services you offer.
Visit your legislator in Sacramento or at home to express your views. Be prepared before you go: look up statistics about teen parent programs or teen pregnancy prevention, and plan out three talking points that you ca focus on. Speak to your representative or his or her aides--if you can get the ear of a legislator's staff, you can make your point heard through them.
Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Too often the editorial sections are dominated by the vocal minority. Let your voice be heard throughout your community. Make your message clear and concise, and back it up with citations and statistics. if you can't get your letter into print, use the paper's online presence to print your letter.
Hold rallies or other community events in support of your program. Make sure to invite your legislators, the press, and other community leaders to the event to demonstrate the importance of your program. Have one or more teens at the event who are comfortable speaking in public; they can be invaluable for getting moving interviews, and talking with leaders in a compelling way.
Attend public hearings at the Capitol. There will be continued hearings on budget cuts at the Capitol. CACSAP will be tracking hearings and will post the times and dates here. However, many times we have little or no warning, so if you want to attend hearings and testify, be sure to be ready at a moment's notice.