Decisions Postponed

As I prepare this blog I have received word that the President has signed the legislation that extends the debt limit. My immediate reaction is relief--not that we increased our debt ceiling, but that finally the barrage of vitriol inundating the air waves for the last month will perhaps end soon. I am afraid, though, what we have experienced is just a dress rehearsal for the next round of elections. Meanwhile, what some say was a fabricated crisis to advance a particular agenda has kept us as a nation from addressing the needs of the most vulnerable among us, who are truly victims of what was unquestionably the excesses of the last decade.

I will leave to others more versed in these issues to analyze how we got into this situation. We can blame it on the polices of former administrations, the financial meltdown in 2008 or the increased costs of entitlements, but it would seem to me that the balancing of our budget at both the State and Federal level on the backs of the most vulnerable without soliciting  the support of those most able to assist is the most un-American thing I can imagine.  

Some have described the “deal” reached in Washington on the debt limit as a compromise. I suggest that it is rather a tactic in a strategy to build the political momentum that either side needs to address not just the pressing issue of debt reduction, but also entitlements.

Entitlements are the safety net that supports education, services to the needy, and access to health care. How can we consider cutting these crucial services and asking the most vulnerable to sacrifice without soliciting the support and sacrifice of those far less vulnerable? How fair is that in such a great nation?

Let there be no doubt the impact of potential cuts would be significant for the children, youth and families we serve. Further cuts at the federal level to education funding would only make it more difficult for local school districts to provide for children with special learning challenges. Cuts to services for foster care will only further jeopardize children and youth who are already very vulnerable. Reductions in health care would continue to limit access and ironically drive up the costs of providing care.

You don’t have to be an economist to know the solution to this problem. Several examples from our own history demonstrate how we can successfully reduce our national debt while maintaining our commitment to the needy. The solution requires not only prudence and discipline with regard to spending, but also requires fair access to resources to maintain the safety net and invigorate the economy. The sacrifices can not be borne just by some; they must be taken up by all.

Farm to Table Gives Voice to Children

For the second year H100, a group of young professionals that support Hillsides, have gathered at the Flintridge Riding Club for a wonderful evening under the great oak trees to enjoy a meal of local fresh food, good music and an opportunity to learn more about our mission. This year the evening featured artwork created by some of our residents and highlighted during a great presentation by Kim Ha, our art director.

The art program is such an important component of the services we offer at Hillsides. The program is focused on one thing: to give our residents an opportunity to express themselves. Often what they express is their hurt, anxiety and desire. Words fail at times, but an image captures the emotion that otherwise would be trapped by the limitations of speech. In viewing the artwork that evening you could not help but be touched by what our residents bear at a very tender age. And you can’t also help but be grateful for people like Kim Ha and so many others who support them to express and, therefore, release what can not be spoken.

Many things are associated with Hillsides. One of them is that our residential treatment center is a place where children are restored to hope, made confident and strengthened as they return to their families and communities. The presentation on the art program helped guests at the Farm to Table event appreciate how our mission is achieved and the kind of impact we have on the lives of the children and families we serve.

Quite frankly, we can not do enough regarding sharing with the community the great work we do and the compelling nature of the needs of those we serve. To tell the story is to put a face on the challenges our kids and families confront. At a time of fiscal constraint in the public funding sector, we must not forget how the cuts being contemplated will jeopardize the very same kids that so desperately poured out their hearts onto the canvases that were displayed that night!

H100 allows Hillsides to share our mission with a whole group of people who are at a critical point in their lives, starting their families and becoming established in their careers. As they embrace our mission and share it with their families, neighbors, colleagues and friends, they become a voice for our children. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of individuals supporting us.

Consider learning more about H100 and join this wonderful group. As Hillsides approaches its centennial in 2013, our goal is have 100 couples committed to H100 and its activity in support of our mission. For more information, contact Nicola Wilkins-Miller at 323-254-2274 ext. 454.

I’ll be on a well-deserved vacation for two weeks. Our blog postings will resume on August 3 so stay tuned for the next one. In the meantime, feel free to read postings that have been archived and share with your friends.

Independence

On the 4^th of July one of the local television stations interviewed some Los Angeles residents asking if they knew what was celebrated on Independence Day. Some of the answers sounded like the occasional gaffes we hear from some seeking the presidential nomination. Most thought it was just another excuse for a long weekend!

Although it may be taken for granted, Independence Day really speaks to one of the primordial values embraced by us as a nation at our inception--freedom. And yet as important as freedom is we can not help but recognize that our independence was gained by the many whom sacrificed to achieve it. Independence is very much about interdependence.

I reflect on this because, at a time when so much is at stake as our state and nation strains against historic fiscal constraints, it is important to not lose sight of how much we need one another to get through this challenging period. Once again independence will be preserved by the sacrifice of all.

For the first time in more than a decade, the State of California has passed a budget on time. In speaking to colleagues who monitored the process in Sacramento they confirm that it was not a “pretty sight”. At the end of the day most of the funding that we depend upon has been preserved though there continues to be great uncertainty as the responsibility for many services shifts from the state to the local counties. 

Dependent upon $4 billion in projected revenues, triggers have been established to enact cuts if the revenues are not generated. Local counties and the providers that serve them, like Hillsides, collectively hold our breath hoping the cuts can be avoided. In the meantime, we go about serving the most vulnerable, attempting to be faithful to our commitment to do all we can to assist. Like being told the likelihood of a disastrous earthquake is inevitable, we prepare for the worse, but hope for the best outcome. An awful lot is at stake when you consider the vulnerability of the children, youth and families we serve.

That being said, the state budget process is a lesson on how the independence we so cherish is maintained by the collective actions of many who try to balance out the many conflicting interests in order to preserve the common good.