2004-05 Budget Battle: Victories for Working Families

We kept the pressure on, over and over again demonstrating to legislators in a variety of ways that their constituents strongly oppose cuts to core services.  The results were impressive:

• We restored funding for housing vouchers and the Childrens’ Medical Security Plan.
• We protected the right of legal immigrants to receive emergency cash assistance (EAEDC).
• We defeated attempts to restrict eligibility for welfare disability and to raise rents for the neediest public housing residents.
• We saved health benefits for 11,000 long-term unemployed.
• We increased education and training opportunities for welfare recipients.
• We won a new homelessness prevention program and saved funding for community health clinics.
• We made significant progress in the fight to close unfair corporate tax loopholes.