Homelessness prevention programs at risk

Though we all cringe at Miami’s $4-a-gallon gas prices, most of us can at least be grateful we’re able to fill up our tanks and get to work. The cost of fuel appears more dire to someone who’s just been laid off and can’t make it to a job interview. Having transportation can be the difference between unemployment and employment, between homelessness and having a place to stay.

Jewish Community Services of South Florida is addressing this and other factors that contribute to homelessness with its Homeless Outreach for Prevention and Employment (HOPE) program. HOPE provides vocational training, transportation assistance, job referrals, rent assistance and other guidance to those at risk of becoming homeless. Unfortunately, JCS is one of the community-based organizations slated to receive half of their funding from Miami-Dade County.

County funding for organizations like JCS has been steadily eroded over the course of the last five years. JCS Vice President of Rehabilitation and Employment Tom Fleischmann says they are receiving a mere fraction of their initial funding. While they were once able to serve upwards of 120 people a year, they are now contracted to serve 26. And Fleischmann worries that next year with half the money they will serve half the people. As it is, Fleischmann says they are “treading water,” until things begin to look up.

JCS is not the only agency tackling homelessness at risk of losing funding. Camillus House and Catholic Charities, among others, are looking at a 50% cut in their funding this year. These types of programs are not only critical to the well being of the county, but save us money in the long run by preventing problems like homelessness from reaching a boiling point.

To learn more about the budget and what you can do to save services and jobs, visit the Penny Wise Campaign page.

Carlos A. Gimenez to Host Proposed 2011-2012 Budget Facebook Town Hall Meeting

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR CARLOS A. GIMENEZ TO HOST 
PROPOSED 2011-2012 BUDGET FACEBOOK TOWN HALL MEETING

(MIAMI, July 13, 2011) – Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez will hold a first of its kind Facebook town hall meeting TODAY July 14, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.  Mayor Gimenez will answer questions submitted on Facebook from residents and employees they may have about the proposed Fiscal Year 2011-2012 budget via www.miamidade.gov/mayor. 

WHO:            

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez

                       

WHAT: 

2011-2012 Proposed County Budget Presentation Social Media Town Hall Meeting

WHERE:        www.miamidade.gov/mayor

                       

WHEN:          TODAY July 14, 2011

                        7:00 p.m.

VICTORY AT THE COUNTY TODAY

Earlier today, the Board of County Commissioners met to vote on the property tax rate ceiling for the 2010-2011 county budget. When the commissioners vote in September to determine what the actual rate will be, the rate they just voted on cannot be exceeded. With the exception of three members, the Board voted to support the rollback rate. Though we won’t know the actual rate until September, this is one of three critical steps that will ensure that we prevent the worst of the cuts.

It is due to the efforts of several organizations and numerous concerned residents of Miami-Dade County that we were able to secure this vote. The rollback rate will earn the county the same amount of property tax revenue as last year, thus avoiding even greater budget cuts. While we would have liked to have the flexibility of the maximum rate, this is a huge victory for the Penny Wise Campaign given the recent developments and setbacks encountered.

It is important that we acknowledge that we have only won a battle –the outcome of the war remains to be seen. We will still be facing a deficit of around $60 million- a huge improvement over the $400 million loss without rollback. But because the cost of services increases each year, cuts will still happen. On the chopping block now are over 900 jobs and a 25% reduction in funding to social services agencies (on top of the 30% cut last year!).

We have until September to collect as many signatures as possible and let the Board of County Commissioners and the mayor know that social services and county jobs are not expendable parts of the county budget. Please help us by signing the petition and forwarding it to all of your friends- we’ll be collecting them until the next vote in September. We also need you to keep calling commissioners, keep coming to our actions and keep attending our meetings. If you’d like to become further involved, please contact the phone number or e-mail address listed below. We will need a tremendous amount of support if we are to protect social services and county jobs in Miami-Dade. As residents, we all deserve to live in a healthy and safe community and we cannot allow ourselves to be penny wise and pound foolish!

There will be several opportunities in July, August and September to engage in this process and add your voice to this important deliberation.

Here are key dates to keep in mind:

August 24: Property tax TRIM (truth in millage) notices will be sent out to homeowners to inform them of the property tax rate ceiling set on July 20 (a.k.a. the rollback rate).

Sept. 13: First budget public hearing, at which any member of the community may address the Commission regarding the tax rate, funding priorities and other budget issues.

Sept. 23: Final budget public hearing. The final tax rate and budget are approved at this meeting.

Oct. 1: New fiscal year begins.

For the full text of the Mayor Carlos Alvarez's Proposed Budget Message, visit www.miamidade.gov/budget/

Contact Information: Jacob Coker-Dukowitz, Coordinator, Penny Wise Campaign, 305.576.5001 x25 or Pennywise.campaign@gmail.com

Strategy session to fight budget cuts

Last Thursday, more than 80 people came to HSC to attend a community forum with county budget officials and discuss last year's budget cuts and the budget for next year. After narrowly avoiding complete elimination from the budget last fall through a quick organizing effort, community organizations are ready to collaborate early on to stop the county from further diminishing their funding. It was awesome to see the interest of so many different organization in the room: from the Girl Scouts to Belafonte Tacolcy to the guardianship program. The meeting set the groundwork for a powerful coalition to come together this summer. I'm confident the county commissioners will hear our message loud and clear: no more cuts for community-based organizations!

Miami-Dade County passes wage theft ordinance

South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice (SFIWJ) and South Florida Wage Theft Task Force scored a victory last week when the Miami-Dade County Commission passed, 10-0, an ordinance prohibiting wage theft. This measure, sponsored by Commissioner Natacha Seijas, establishes a process by which workers can file complaints and employers who steal from workers will be fined. SFIWJ wrote to its base, "And now, the real work begins. We go out to the streets and we talk to workers. We visit congregations. We educate. We involve our community in a county-wide effort to implement this historic piece of legislation. The message is clear -- thou shalt not steal. Not in our community. Not anywhere." If the law is properly enforced and the word is effectively spread to workers, this ordinance will be a greatly needed boost for Miami-Dade families and the local economy.