"Meet Nori, California Closed Project"

We want to thank everyone who signed the Courage Campaign petition and who rallied behind the "Meet Nori , California Closed Project".

An unprecedented 17,000 signatures were gathered in less than 36 hrs and delivered to our legislators and the "California Closed" video generated the same astounding numbers. Sadly all but one of our Democratic Leaders voted fairly unanimously to vote for the Republican Budget. The one small win for activists was the "no" vote on the oil drilling in Santa Barbara.

Democratic "Leaders" will need to take a hard look at this decision and explain why a democratic MAJORITY voted for this budget. It's not a budget they wrote nor was it one they believed in, nor was it a budget their constituents supported, yet still they voted "aye". Oddly, only a handful of Republicans voted for their own budget. Just enough to pass it. Hmmmm, we smell a strategy here. Maybe for 2010? Just one lone Democrat, Senator Gil Cedillo had the courage to say no. When you have a moment, please thank Senator Cedillo for standing strong for California, for you and for Nori.

A very special thanks to Laura Velkei and Marta Evry for sharing this very special with action with us. We hope they will do more and continue their path of Change for California. We were honored to have been even a small part of this extraordinary project.

You are your Government. Decisions are made by those who show up.

The Gang at LAG4O

Meet Nori...

Meet Nori...

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"California Closed"

Nori's Story

My name is Laura Velkei and I want you to meet my neighbor, Nori.

A bright and fiercely independent woman, Nori put herself through college and made a modest living as a jewelry designer - just enough for a small one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, plus a few extras.

When I met her 11 years ago, she had already become one of the 50 million Americans without health coverage. After many years struggling with failing kidney’s, Nori’s body gave out. No longer able to work or pay for health insurance, Nori maxed out her credit cards and sold off anything of value she had.

In 2001, while driving to the market in her old VW bug, Nori suddenly lost her vision and collided head on into oncoming traffic. She was rushed to the hospital, her face crushed. Internal injuries destroyed what was left of her kidneys and forced her into dialysis 3-4 times a week for the remainder of her life. She never regained her sight.

Since then, friends help where we can. I have taken over organizing her bills and dealing with the collection agencies. We were able to get her a few hours of in-home care after endless calls to social service agencies. But at the end of the day Nori is forced to live on a grand total of $890 a month. $561.00 comes from Social Security and the rest from State Disability Insurance.

So what does that 890.00 look like? After paying $646 a month for rent, utilities, and weekly ambulance service for dialysis treatments, Nori is left with only $8.13 a day for everything else; food, toiletries, clothing, and whatever household supplies she needs. To make matters worse, Sacramento recently cut her benefits by $20.00 a month, leaving her only $7.46 a day to live on.

Let me repeat that. $7.46 a day.

Last week Nori called me in tears, saying the Governor was cutting off the state portion of her monthly SSI check. She was terrified she would lose her home of 25 years and end up in the street.

“That’s not possible”, I said, “Let me look into it.”
To my horror, not only was it possible, it was true. In July, the State of California began issuing IOU's to recipients of Supplemental Security Income. The Federal Government stepped and in agreed to fill the gap for July and August, but after that, Nori’s income will drop by a third. The $561 she would be left with will not even cover her rent.

How is this possible? I look at Nori and think, "That could be me." One accident away from becoming profoundly dependent on a system more interested in politics than people.

Who speaks for Nori?
Not the Republican legislative minority who would rather cut the funds of a blind woman on dialysis than put a tax on oil revenues and cigarettes

Who speaks for Nori?
Not Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said of the budget stalemate in California, “Someone else might walk out of here every day depressed, but I don’t walk out of here depressed,” Whatever happens, “I will sit down in my Jacuzzi tonight. I’m going to lay back with a stogie.” This while Nori's body must take on the added stress from fear of losing her home.

Who speaks for Nori?
Not the Health Insurance Industry, spending $1.4 million dollars a day to strangle comprehensive health care reform.

Who speaks for Nori?
Not Senator Dianne Feinstein, who recently stated passing health care reform in the Senate was too “difficult.”

Who speaks for Nori?

WE speak for Nori.

Call Governor Schwarzenegger (916) 445-2841

Call Dennis Hollingworth, State Senate Republican Leader (951) 676-1020

Call Sam Blakeslee, State Assembly Republican Leader (805) 549-3381

Call Senator Dianne Feinstein (310) 914-7300

Call Senator Barbara Boxer (213) 894-5000

Call Your Congress Member (Don’t know who that is? Click here to look it up)

Tell them you speak for Nori and the thousands of others like her in our state. Demand a fair budget that shares the burden with ALL Californians, and comprehensive health care reform that would enable hard working Americans just like Nori to keep their dignity and their homes.

Help Speaker Bass - Tell the Guvernator - CUTTING VITAL SERVICES IS NOT AN OPTION

Please take action and sign the Speakers Petition, DOWNLOAD THE PETITION HERE or just call the Governor! Tell the Governor that cutting vital services to the poorest members of our community is NOT AN OPTION.

CALL THE GOVERNOR AT 916-445-2841

SPREAD THE WORD!!

URGENT ACTION: CALL THE GOVERNOR AND DEMAND HE APPROVE THE DEMOCRATS BUDGET

CALIFORNIA BUDGET CRISIS

The condition of the financing for this state has hit critical mass. Because Republican Legislators, including a full abstention from Rep. Maldonado in Santa Maria, the current iteration was defeated at midnight the other night. This utter inaction and stubbornness from the Republican members of the Senate to uphold the Guv's edict has caused an additional 2 billion in interest which must now be further factored in to the budget.

Republican members of the Senate are following orders from the Guvornator who made it clear that even before discussions began that he would veto anything that did not tow his party line. A couple of Republicans broke from the party line, but it was not enough

PLEASE HELP OUR DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATORS! CALL THE GUVERNATOR AND DEMAND HE APPROVE THE DEMOCRATS BUDGET NOW.

IOU's were sent out in lieu of cash today. The people affected by this stubborness?

The poorest members of our community. SSI, Social Services recipients all being issued IOU's.

Ask to speak to Governor directly. When they say no, which they will, ask for the Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy.

Write down the responses they give you and send them to us at FEEDBACK@LAG4O.COM

Click HERE for more info and phone numbers