President Parks asks you to call Congress now!

May 13, 2010
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Ohio is in trouble. Although the economy is beginning to rebound nationally, Ohio’s record unemployment and tax cuts for the wealthy have emptied the state’s coffers. Fiscal relief called the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) from the Obama administration last year is due to expire in December. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on a six-month extension of this funding, as part of a larger jobs bill. The Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes bill would increase the amount Ohio receives from the federal government for Medicare and Medicaid, freeing up funds in other Ohio state agencies like YOURS.

I am asking you to call your legislator in Congress TODAY and ask for their immediate support to ensure this funding for Ohio. Call 1-888-340-6517 TODAY to speak with your Congressman and ask for his or her support of the Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes bill. The money is critical to retaining quality public services that you provide to Ohio citizens.

Today, I’m calling on you to help make sure Ohioans continue to receive the kind of quality services from OCSEA members they have come to expect; services like clean air and water, housing and treatment programs for the disabled, security services for the state’s prisons, job training and employment services, parks services to name a few.

Without a continuation of this assistance, Ohio will be forced to close budget gaps with brutal cuts to state services….and state workers. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 900,000 jobs could be lost across the country without these funds and that would stall the national and our state recovery.

I’m counting on you.

Sincerely,

Eddie L. Parks
OCSEA President

See Related

Jobs bill - with aid to states - passes in the U.S. Senate

Senate passes short-term unemployment benefit extension without much-needed aid to states

A Long Way to go for State Fiscal Relief