Business of the Day

Advocates and Support Workers for the Developmentally Disabled Offer a Christmas Wish List

Workers from three agencies that support those with developmental disabilities presented their Christmas Wish List to House Finance Committee Chair Helio Melo. The General Assembly cut the agencies $24 million of state support last year, causing cuts in services and cuts to workers. These agencies have seen no increase in reimbursements from the State since 2005.

This year the General Assembly chose to slash services to the developmentally disabled by $24 million dollars while preserving tax breaks for the very wealthy and large multi-state corporations. Community based agencies throughout the state have already begun layoffs and cutting wages and benefits to a group of workers that is already underpaid for the noble services they provide. Cutting direct care staff and programs directly impacts the quality of life and services those consumers and their families have come to reply upon.

To view fliers, click on the links below:

Bulletin #1:  How Did We Get Here?

Bulletin #2:  Is It A Crisis?

Bulletin #3:   What is 'Normal' Cost and Why Should You Care?

Rhode Island Retirement Security Coalition
tutorial on the pension situation in Rhode Island To learn more visit: www.rhodeislandretirementsecurity.org 

Politicians at the Rhode Island State House are at it again—and your pension is in serious jeopardy.
These politicians have put everything on the table—raising the retirement age, doing away with cost
of living adjustments, and cutting benefits. But you can do something about it.

By Diane Ravitch
 

Imagine that you are a teacher in a high school in a high-poverty district. Many of your students don't speak English. Some don't attend school regularly because they have to earn money or baby-sit with their siblings while their parents are looking for work. Some come to school unprepared because they didn't do their homework. But you are idealistic and dedicated, you work with each of the students, you do your best to teach them reading, writing, science, math, history, whatever your subject. But despite your best efforts, many of your students can't read very well (they are struggling to learn English), and many of them don't graduate. If your school eliminated all its standards, you could easily push up the graduation rate.