Last year, Pennsylvania state budget cuts crippled many life-sustaining human services. While Domestic Violence agencies like WIT were spared the worst of it, many of our community partners – those that provide critical legal, housing and shelter services for vulnerable women and children – were forced to cut programs, reduce staff or shut down completely. The women who come through WIT’s doors relied on these coordinating services to help them rebuild safe and healthy lives.
Meanwhile, Domestic Violence services remained dangerously stagnant. In fact, since 2001, state funding for Domestic Violence services in Pennsylvania have increased less than 2%, despite skyrocketing operating costs and decreasing private sector support. The economy has hit us all hard, and in these times, stagnant funding is the equivalent of reduced funding. Many of us hoped that 2012 would bring a more reasonable budgetary response from Harrisburg. Judging from the word from Governor Corbett’s office yesterday, it looks like we have a long battle ahead of us.
On January 4th, Governor Corbett announced a statewide budgetary freeze of $157 million, including the removal of 5% to the line item for Domestic Violence services. This would bring funding for Domestic Violence services below the level it was in 2001 and continue to compromise desperately needed support services for women and children!
This not one month after the CDC released a report detailing that:
- On average, 24 people per minute are victimized by Domestic Violence
- 1 in 4 women has been severely assaulted by an intimate partner
- Women who experience Domestic Violence are more likely to experience asthma, diabetes and a host of other health issues
To freeze funding for crucial services at a time like this is outrageous and unconscionable! Please call Governor Corbett and your local legislators today and ask them to restore funding for vital, life-saving services. Your help is critical in ensuring that WIT can continue to support and empower women!
Talking Points for calls to Governor Corbett’s office (717-787-2500)
“My name is ___ and I’m calling as supporter of Women In Transition, the only counseling agency for women dealing with domestic violence & substance abuse in Philadelphia. I’m calling because I am outraged at the Governor’s 5% budgetary spending freeze on funding for domestic violence services.”
“With both the cost of providing services AND the demand for services has increased, WIT has already cut programs and lost staff. Legal, housing and shelter services that women in Philadelphia depend on were also frozen.”
“I want to believe that the Governor cares about how devastating domestic violence is to our communities. We know that the budget freeze reflects unmet state revenue and savings projections. However, our elected officials have failed to act on many opportunities for additional revenues or use of the surplus and Rainy Day Fund.
“I urge the Administration to restore this proposed cut before it cripples our ability to help women in life-threatening crises.”
Please contact Debasri Ghosh after your calls to report on whether you could get through, who you spoke with and what response you got.
Thank you so much for your continued support and advocacy!