Seniors, people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, joined with Quality Home Care Coalition members and other protesters to denounce Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to programs that serve the elderly and disabled. During the two community forums that were held simultaneously in Sylmar and Lancaster, more than 200 residents spoke out against the cuts to Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment (SSI/SSP) grants and In-Home Supportive Services (homecare). “The Governor’s May Revise not only robs seniors and people with disabilities of the money they need to pay for basic living expenses, but it also denies them the care they need to live safely and independently in their own homes,” said Brenda Premo, a Western University professor who moderated the forum. “It’s appalling to consider the Governor’s willingness to sacrifice the health and well-being of the elderly and disabled in an attempt to balance the state budget.”
