We would like to give a huge THANK YOU to the Lyon County School District Office and Yerington Intermediate School for their support in getting our flyers out.

Together we can make a difference for our kids!

Thanks!

 Very important info sent in by Holly

In case you are not aware…………Governor Gibbons gave state agency chiefs the directive of finding ways to cut more than a half billion dollars from the budgets that they will be submitting for the 2009 Legislature. These are supposedly “what if  scenarios”, but as we have seen before, “what if”, will become reality !

There has already been more than $900 million cut from the current budget, and now if a half a billion is added to that, it will be devastating to the Education and Human Services divisions of this state. Many programs and employees will be cut. Gibbons has already put in place a commission to recommend cuts in state government, and has said that those savings will result in tax cuts!  Also, those savings will not be a part of the half billion in cuts !

Andrew Clinger, Gibbons budget director, said that ” the state agencies will need to look for programs, offices, and facilities that they can close. Also, programs that can be scaled back or eliminated.”

Any new programs that were put in the current budget, will be the first targets. I cannot get an answer about the Autism money that was new to the current budget in the last legislative session, so therefore I fear it will not make it in the new budget. This CANNOT happen ! This is not acceptable, and goes against all that we have fought for !

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie said, “We’re in a crisis…. There are going to be some excruciating decisions that will have to be made…..there will be dramatic cuts in services”.  “ Nevada has one of the weakest safety nets in the nation……We know that….So, are we going to just give up and start slashing away at the little we still have ?”

Yes, Sheila……it sure looks like it………

Paul Dugan, Washoe County School Superintendent said….” This is more than a giant step backwards …..my concern is this is a PERMANENT step backward for education in the state of Nevada”…..

Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley said..” this budget scenario is a train wreck waiting to happen!”

I think it has already happened, Speaker, and now we need to look for survivors !

My friends, we need your help more than ever…….let your legislators know that you will not stand for this state hurting our kids and adults with Autism anymore. At a time when we are in need of massive improvement of services, our STATE  may be proposing cutting the little that we have. This is not acceptable !  Let them know how you feel……we need to start now, not after the devastation takes place.

Please let your voice be heard, for the sake of all of our children.

Thank You,

Ralph Toddre

Founder

Autism Coalition of Nevada

Chairman

Nevada Autism Task Force

rtoddre@krnv.com