Some big changes are coming...

The state of NC is proposing some SERIOUS cutbacks on home therapies and to Medicaid and Cap-C. All of these cuts will affect Aidan's care. With the massive cut they are proposing, we would most likely lose all of our nursing help, all of the therapies he is receiving at home and probably a large chunk of what medical supplies are covered by Cap-C.

Below is an email that we got from our speech therapist. She went to Raleigh yesterday to talk to some of the representatives and plead our case. She was going to print some pages from this blog and some pictures of Aidan to share with them. I have emailed them myself this morning and have asked them to visit our blog.

We met w/ Health and Human Service Members for both House/Senate:

• Rep from Cabarrus- Rep. Barnhardt - voting our way
• Senator Purcell - Anson, Stanly, Scotland, Richmond - voting our way
• Sen. Doug Berger- ,Frankline, Vance, Granville, Warren - voting our way
• Rep. Micheaux- one of the BIG CHAIRS!!! - AGAINST us
• Rep. Earle - Meck - voting our way
• Rep. England - didn't meet w/ left info- Cleveland, Rutherford - unsure
• Rep. Insko- Orange - voting our wayRep. Stewart- Nash- left me an email saying he would vote our way

These are the ones who will ultimately decide our fate before the bill goes to the Governor. They have to agree on the budget. We were working both sides to get them to vote OUR WAY!! They really are in favor of increasing taxes and making some cuts- just not to the extent it is right now. Some Reps expressed they don't see how it is going to agree. There is so much dissention right now even they don't understand it. ST/PT/OT is #2 on the list for if they get additional $, they will put us back into the budget. We'll still see a 5.5% reimbursement reduction this year and 6% reduction in 2010.

We met w/ other Reps. from Iredell, Gaston, Meck, Union and some other heavy voters in both the Senate and the House. One main point they stressed to us is that they need to hear from PARENTS!!! They need to hear ####s!!! They need to see how many will be affecting their stay in office. It is crazy it comes to that, but they are representing US, and they all know this and will vote as WE need them to just by the sheer weight of our COMBINED VOICES!

Pointers:

1. email, email, email!!!--> all addys below
2. put in the subject line "HELP, I'm a Parent of child in Cabarrus (whatever co) County"
3. then at the TOP of the email write the county name! More pull is given to residents in that county so have parents write letters to their own Reps and Senators. They want brief, personalized emails describing how the elimination of services would affect them.
4. Email more! Don't stop- is what many Assistants have said. Everyone we spoke to said to KEEP IT UP!!! until the votes are in- which could be by the end of this week, tomorrow in 2 weeks, they are really not sure.

The Reps and Senators do not really have a solution to this HUGE budget/revenue issue. They don't know WHAT to do- it is very scary!

REPRESENTATIVES:

Call / E-mail these BIG CHAIRS – let them know if you live or work in their county:

Mickey.Michaux@ncleg.net; Alma.Adams@ncleg.net; Martha.Alexander@ncleg.net; jim.Crawford@ncleg.net; Phillip.Haire@ncleg.net; Maggie.Jeffus@ncleg.net; Joe.Tolson@ncleg.net; Douglas.Yongue@ncleg.net; governor.office@nc.gov;

Senior Chair: Mickey.Michaux@ncleg.net ( Durham ) 1-919-715-2528 (Publicly against increased revenue)

BIG CHAIRS:

Alma.Adams@ncleg.net ( Guilford ) 1-919-733-5902

Martha.Alexander@ncleg.net ( Mecklenburg ) 1-919-733-5807

Jim.Crawford@ncleg.net (Granville/Vance) 1-919-733-5824

Phillip.Haire@ncleg.net (Haywood/Jackson/Macon/Swain) 1-919-715-3005

Maggie.Jeffus@ncleg.net ( Guilford ) 1-919-733-5191

Joe.Tolson@ncleg.net (Edgecombe / Wilson) 1-919-715-3024

Douglas.Yongue@ncleg.net (Hoke / Robeson / Scotland ) 1-919-733-5821

Please copy our Governor on ALL email communication – remember, she ultimately will sign the final budget. Governor Beverly Perdue: governor.office@nc.gov

These are local reps - and Health and Human Services Reps- email all:

Beverly.Earle@ncleg.net; bob.england@ncleg.net; verla.insko@ncleg.net; jeff.barnhart@ncleg.net; jean.farmer-butterfield@ncleg.net; william.brisson@ncleg.net; justin.burr@ncleg.net; pearl.burris-floyd@ncleg.net; nelson.dollar@ncleg.net; wil.neumann@ncleg.net; randy.stewart@ncleg.net; curtis.blackwood@ncleg.net; pryor.gibson@ncleg.net; linda.johnson@ncleg.net; lorene.coates@ncleg.net; fred.steen@ncleg.net; martha.alexander@ncleg.net; kelly.alexander@ncleg.net; becky.carney@ncleg.net; tricia.cotham@ncleg.net; jim.gulley@ncleg.net; ric.killian@ncleg.net; thom.tillis@ncleg.net; ruth.samuelson@ncleg.net

Meck and Union county residents: email this Senator who is STRONGLY against us: eddie.goodall@ncleg.net - he will not raise taxes, just wants to make cuts!

OR FIND YOUR REP/SENATOR:

http://www.ncleg.net/GIS/RandR07/Representation.html#byCounty

http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/Committees/Committees.asp?sAction=ViewCommitteeType&sActionDetails=Senate%20Standing

***email these Senators w/same email asking that they support services. The Senate budget has not cut PT/ot/st for children- only for adults (age 21+) ask for change!! Their budget has already been approved, now they (these specific senators) are just waiting for the Reps to approve their budget so that they can create ONE FINAL Budge to pass to the Gov. This will be a give and take power struggle process so these Senators need to be targeted NOW for action just to make sure ot/pt/st don't get left out or greatly reduced in $s.**

I do not know what is going to happen. I have no idea how we'll handle this if these changes pass. We are already struggling as it is. If you have a few minutes, PLEASE send an email to these representatives.

I'll throw in a little update on here.... Aidan is doing okay. He had to go to the hospital for a night last week. Turns out he had bronchitis. He's on an antibiotic and prednisone. We had a follow-up yesterday and one of his tubes is plugged, so we added ANOTHER antibiotic to help clear that up as well as some sinus congestion he's been having. Evan has also been sick, and it turns out he has an ear infection. It's been FUN around here to say the least.

I'm taking the boys to the zoo tomorrow with my friend, Brandy and her little boy who is 2 months older than Evan. She is part of a mommies group in the Raleigh area that is going and invited me. I hope it isn't too unbearably hot tomorrow.

Anyway, that's the news from the Wright household. Today is our 9th wedding anniversary. We have tickets to go see Phantom of the Opera in Charlotte on Saturday. I've been looking forward to this for months!

Thanks for the continued prayers and support everyone!

~Erin