Advocating for Program Funding During Hard Economic Times

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

4:30 - 7:00 PM

Public Policy Institute
9th Floor Conference Room
30 Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108

Cost: $10 (covers a snack and take-home materials). The fee may be waived upon request for those unable to pay.

Please register by January 29th to Carmen Arce-Bowen at carmen@realclout.org or 617-275-2833.

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Faced with a $3 billion budget deficit, our state legislators must balance the our state budget by increasing revenues, making cuts, or a combination of the two options. Probable areas for significant cuts include youth, education, health care, housing, crime prevention, Local Aid and other human service programs.

Budget NightmaresThis training will help you:

1. Better understand the state budget process, the politics that are infused, and how state legislators think about related decisions. Presentations from people such as Judy Meredith of the Public Policy Institute (PPI).

2. Organize effective local meetings with legislators and gather commitments to work for your state budget priorities. This workshop will include teaching, exercises, role-plays, along with a seven-page guide to organizing legislative budget priority meetings. Lead by Lew Finfer of MCAN and Judy Meredith of PPI.

3. Communicate more effectively about revenue and taxes and help you develop good answers for when your legislator asks: "How do we increase funding for your priority when our deficit is already in the billions?" This training will increase your understanding of our current state revenue situation, and will cover possible ways to raise revenues, rather than relying solely on cuts. Examples include reviewing the $1.7 billion given in current tax breaks for businesses and implementing progressive tax increases. Training done by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and Yawu Miller from PPI.

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Sponsoring Organizations:

-Safe Teens/Safe Communities Coalition

-Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)

-Public Policy Institute (PPI)