I'm currently the Business and Agriculture Reporter at a daily newspaper - The News Leader in Staunton, Virginia. Prior to joining The News Leader I worked at a weekly paper for almost two years - The Loudoun Times-Mirror. I'm interested in writing on hard-hitting issues, features and anything that is going on in my community. I love to travel and write about my experiences and I hope to visit every state and state park someday. My days mostly conclude enjoying and curling up with a good book and a record playing, with my cat Thea. My blog is updated weekly with stories from the previous week. Check NewsLeader.com to follow current stories I've written.
Published:
Delmarvanow
Fund Community Services, Arc of Virginia Urges
By Laura Peters
Capital News Service
RICHMOND – Virginia should help people with developmental disabilities live in the community – instead of housing them in state institutions.
That was the message that the Arc of Virginia, an advocacy group for developmentally disabled people, sent last week to state officials. More than 100 people attended the group’s rally at the Capitol, warning against proposed state budget cuts for community-based services.
“We’re dealing with significant reductions. There are reductions of support services,” Howard Cullum, president of Arc of Virginia, told the people who gathered around the Bell Tower at Capitol Square.
“This is not looking good. We recognize there are significant money problems, and we accept that, but we don’t like it. We recognize the difficult task the governor and the General Assembly have.”
Attendees at Monday’s rally held signs and pictures of people who would be affected by the budget cuts. The Arc of Virginia is pushing for programs that serve developmentally disabled people in the community instead of putting them in state institutions.
Virginia’s proposed budget would cut state funding for community-based services by more than $270 million.
“The problem is, we’re about to go backwards. We’re about to continue a policy that says people with significant disabilities need to be removed from society,” Cullum said. “We don’t believe that’s the way to go.”
Catherine Olson showed people at the rally the cost difference between state institutions and community services: The average annual cost of operating a Virginia institution is $194,000 per person – but for a community-based service, it is $95,000 per person.
Community-based services are not only cheaper to operate but also cheaper to build, Olson said. It costs $23 million to construct a 70-bed institution but just $8.4 million for a 90-bed community-based service.
“Why in God’s earthly name are they giving money to the people in the institutions when we need it more?” Olson said.
The rally participants marched through Capitol Square to the Civil Rights Memorial and then on to the General Assembly Building. There, they filed onto every floor to hold a vigil for more than 7,300 Virginians who are on waiting lists for services and others who are institutionalized. They stood for 47 minutes for the $47 million needed to rebuild and renovate state institutions.
Linda Trippet of McLean traveled to Richmond on behalf of her daughter, who is 26 years old and living with her. Trippet also cares for her elderly mother, who has Alzheimer’s.
“I’m here to show support,” Trippet said. “It doesn’t make sense to choose an institution. There is a solution.”
###
Information for text box
About the Arc of Virginia
The Arc of Virginia’s mission is to advocate for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The organization speaks out on issues that affect not only people with disabilities but also their families.
The Arc has six core values: people first; democracy; visionary leadership; community
participation; diversity; and integrity and excellence.
“The Arc believes that all people with intellectual and related developmental disabilities have strengths, abilities and inherent value; are equal before the law; and must be treated with dignity and respect,” the group’s Web site says.
For more about the organization, visit the Arc’s:
Web site, http://thearcofva.org/
Twitter feed, http://twitter.com/TheArcofVA
Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TheArcofVA
Recent Posts
Feb 24, 2010
Feb 20, 2010
Petersen's Conservation Bill
The following article is about Chap Petersen's, D-Fairfax, Green Public Buildings Act.
Feb 11, 2010
The Arc of Virginia
Audio Version
This week on Richmond Independent Radio News, community organization rallies Monday.
Many people associate February with civil rights. It is, after all, Black History Month and a time to reflect on African Americans’ struggle for equality. But another group also celebrates its progress during February. Fifty-five years ago – on February 15th 19-55 -- families of people with developmental disabilities formed the organization called The Arc of Virginia to create a voice in Virginia’s capital. … This created a movement that brought the community together in recognizing Virginians with developmental disabilities. Monday, to continue their movement, The Arc of Virginia is having a March for Rights at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square. Continuing on, the rally will march to the Virginia General Assembly building. There they will hold a vigil for the 6,000 Virginians who are still waiting for community-based services. They will fill every floor of the building and stand in protest of the $47 million being spent on the rebuilding and renovations of segregated state institutions. Each of the nine floors are for specific regions of Virginia, the first floor designated for Richmond. At 1 p.m. the group will meet with their legislators to voice their concerns about what should be done for the intellectual and developmental disabled people of Virginia.
Jamie Liban, executive director of The Arc of Virginia urges people to come out.
This week on Richmond Independent Radio News, community organization rallies Monday.
Many people associate February with civil rights. It is, after all, Black History Month and a time to reflect on African Americans’ struggle for equality. But another group also celebrates its progress during February. Fifty-five years ago – on February 15th 19-55 -- families of people with developmental disabilities formed the organization called The Arc of Virginia to create a voice in Virginia’s capital. … This created a movement that brought the community together in recognizing Virginians with developmental disabilities. Monday, to continue their movement, The Arc of Virginia is having a March for Rights at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square. Continuing on, the rally will march to the Virginia General Assembly building. There they will hold a vigil for the 6,000 Virginians who are still waiting for community-based services. They will fill every floor of the building and stand in protest of the $47 million being spent on the rebuilding and renovations of segregated state institutions. Each of the nine floors are for specific regions of Virginia, the first floor designated for Richmond. At 1 p.m. the group will meet with their legislators to voice their concerns about what should be done for the intellectual and developmental disabled people of Virginia.
Jamie Liban, executive director of The Arc of Virginia urges people to come out.
Arc’s main 2010 Legislative goal is to restore major cuts that have been imposed and oppose new building of institutions.
The Arc of Virginia is an advocacy group with the mission to advocate the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization speaks out on issues that not only affect the people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities but, their families as well. They seek to help people with disabilities, and urge others to become a part of the movement. They have six core values starting with people first, then creating involvement through democracy. With their leadership they create community participation, and have diversity among their members and conduct their business with integrity and excellence.
The rally starts at 10am at the intersection of 9th and Franklin Streets. To keep up with The Arc of Virginia you can visit their website at TheArcofVA.org or catch them on twitter or facebook at twitter.com/TheArcofVA or facebook.com/TheArcOfVA. You can also sign up for Action Alerts that tell you about budget issues and legislation that may affect you by going to http://capwiz.com/arcofva/mlm/signup.
-Laura Peters
Feb 4, 2010
Smoking Ban Follow-Up
Places it's been published
The Whipple Report for Feb. 11, 2009
Smoke-Free May Be Working for
Capital News Service
Poe’s Pub owner Mike Britt says his business hasn’t been that much affected by the ban in the two months it’s been enforced. He also said when speaking to some law enforcement officials, not one he spoke to has written a ticket for violators.
“There’s nobody to go out and enforce it. It’s basically under the health department. When they come in they’re supposed to tell the owner that they are under violation,” Britt says. “But, they can’t do anything about it. They have to go back to their office and call the police. If the police show up, which I don’t think they are, unless they’re calling 911. Who’s going to call 911 for a cigarette?”
According to James Mercante, part of the Richmond Police Department Public Affairs, the department is working with the Attorney General’s office to develop an enforcement plan.
The Attorney General’s office said they don’t go out and enforce the law; that’s up to the local law officials and the health department.
Chuck James, the Chief Deputy to the Attorney General said there are two ways in enforcing the Smoking Ban. One way, is to fine an individual for no more than $25 if they have violated the ban and refused to refrain from smoking. The second way, James says, is if a proprietor of a restaurant doesn’t comply with the ban, they are noted with the Virginia Department of Health.
Gary Hagy, head of the Food and Environmental Services for the Virginia Department of Health, says his department is in charge of the restaurant inspections that also look for violations of the ban. To comply with the ban, there needs to be either separate rooms or separate ventilation for the smoking rooms and a separate entrance. Restaurants also need to post no smoking signs and remove ash trays.
“The law limits the enforcement quite a bit,” Hagy says. “During regular inspections, we will also evaluate the restaurants compliance with the Clean Air Act.”
The limit that the health department faces is that they cannot issue any fines for violators.
“If we see something, we’ll discuss it with the owner, and try educate them on the requirements of the law, and try to obtain compliance,” Hagy says. “If they don’t comply, then we refer it to the local law enforcement. The code gives the authority for any law enforcement to issue a summons for the violator.”
To James’ knowledge, there hasn’t been any big flag as to smoking ban violators, and most restaurants have been taking it upon themselves to make their restaurant non-smoking.
“A lot of restaurants went smokeless on their own accord without having this legislation being passed,” James says.
Over 4,000 restaurants have been inspected in the commonwealth, according to Hagy, and 95 percent have all complied with the ban. In the past year, the number of smoke-free restaurants has increased from 66 percent to 85 percent.
Poe’s Pub has been smoke-free in their dining room two years prior to the ban being enacted. Britt even enjoys not having smoking in his restaurant.
“I think it’s nice for people to walk in the front door and not have smoke in their face,” Britt says.
The smoking ban was put into effect
Feb 3, 2010
Rail Transit Story
Capital News Service
“As
He made his comments last week at a House transportation subcommittee meeting attended by officials from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Thelma Drake, director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, addressed the subcommittee. She is a former House member from
Drake said public transportation reduces energy consumption and improves air quality.
But public transit faces a funding crisis, she said. “Revenues are declining, as needs continue to increase.”
She said the federal stimulus funds would not be used for operating the rail service.
Gregory Whirley Sr., acting commissioner of VDOT, told the subcommittee that his agency is being revamped.
For one thing, VDOT has been trimming its workforce, cutting 450 employees last April, 640 in July and about 680 in January. Also, the agency is focusing on road maintenance, not construction.
“Maintenance is to preserve the existing highway systems, not to increase capacity,” Whirley said.
He said VDOT is working hard to cut costs and redefine its mission.
“We have to keep our eye on the ball, in spite of all these changes,” Whirley said. “Our operations won’t be perfect, and our activities won’t be flawless. But I guarantee you we will get the job done. Hopefully, we will emerge from this a strong and more focused agency.”