URGENT
ACTION NEEDED TO PROTECT IMPACT
When
Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 650 making IMPACT a permanent
program, he promised to maintain funding for the Program at $3.478
million a year for as long as he was governor. The CPCC and Friends
of IMPACT have just learned that there are plans to cut the Program’s
budget by as much as 12% to help alleviate the state’s budget
deficit.
|
Current
IMPACT Budget
|
$3.478
million
|
|
Money
given to UCLA as contractor to run Program:
|
$3.178
million
|
|
UCLA
Administrative Budget
|
$413,000
|
|
UCLA
Patient Care Budget
|
$2.765
million
|
|
|
|
|
Proposed
up to a 12% Budget Cut to UCLA
|
$365,000
|
A
12% cut amounts to $365,000, which will have little effect on the
estimated $14 billion deficit and it will KILL
THE PROGRAM.
The
lives of men with prostate cancer are worth more than $365,000 that
would be saved. We
need your help to remind the Governor of his promise to keep IMPACT
funded at $3.478 million.
It
was your calls, faxes, letters, and emails that saved the program
before. We are asking you once again to raise your voice in support
of men with prostate cancer.
Correspondence
may be sent to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger via mail at: Governor
Schwarzenegger, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814 or via fax at
(916) 558-3160.
You may also call the Governor at the Capitol at (916) 445-2841,
press 1, than press 2 and voice your support for the IMPACT Program.
GOAL:
ENSURE THAT GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER UPHOLDS HIS PROMISE TO FUND THE
PROGRAM AT $3.478 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008-2009.
SPEAKING
POINTS
Explain
why you are calling. “I am calling to remind the Governor of
his promise to fund the IMPACT Program, California’s prostate
cancer treatment program, at $3.478 million each year. I understand
that there are plans to cut the funding to alleviate the budget
deficit. If he cuts the IMPACT Program’s budget, the Program
will have NO funding to run the program and will need to cut the
nursing staff that provides essential patient care. This will cause
the program to close leaving men with prostate cancer no options for
treatment. Men will die without IMPACT.”
Take
a minute to explain why IMPACT is important – these men have
no other options to get care for their prostate cancer because they
are not eligible for other state or federal health care programs
like MediCal – men will die if this program closes. This
program is already running on a bare bones budget and is saving the
state money by treating men and returning them to work.
Thank
the Governor for his past support of the Program and urge him to
uphold his promise to maintain funding for IMPACT.
SAMPLE
LETTER/FAX
Dear
Governor Schwarzenegger:
When
you signed SB 650, you promised to fund the IMPACT Program at $3.478
million for as long as you were governor. I have received word that
there are plans to cut the program’s budget to help close the
state budget deficit. The money taken from this program will do
nothing to help the state budget deficit, but it will close the
program. The Cancer Detection Section is proposing a program budget
cut of up to 12%. This cut will eliminate essential nursing staff
that provides clinical care to these cancer patients. The budget cut
will eliminate a program, which is actually saving the state money.
We urge you to keep your promise to these men and the citizens of
California. Don’t cut the funding of a life-saving Program
already running on a bare bones budget.
Sincerely,
NAME
ADDRESS
| 