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Viewpoints: Are feds set to pull rug from under charities?

Sacramento Bee (Opinion)
October 28, 2011
By Ruth Blank

For a region still struggling with some of the worst economic conditions on record – a region that, even before the economy tanked, lagged the rest of the nation in philanthropic giving – proposals by the Obama administration and the so-called supercommittee to decrease the deductibility of charitable gifts are a very bad idea. They could severely damage our communities and set a dangerous precedent.

A recently completed multi-county study of philanthropic giving and attitudes in the region, the Greater Sacramento Generosity Project, highlighted the challenges local nonprofits face.

Guest Opinion: Top givers in the county that's tops for giving back

Press Democrat
October 22, 2011
By Eunice Valentine

Congratulations. You did it again, Sonoma County! You ranked first statewide in volunteerism for the second year in a row.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service report, 36.1 percent of local residents volunteer on a regular basis, over 10 percent more than most other California communities. That's 145,000 people who volunteer regularly throughout our county for hundreds of local nonprofit agencies.

Pete Manzo: Many in Bay Area are faring worse

Redding Record Searchlight
May 31, 2011

Pete Manzo, Pasadena
Manzo is president and CEO of United Ways of California.

Many in Bay Area are faring worse.

Your May 20 editorial, "Report opens a window onto two Californias," missed the mark with regard to the well-being report recently released by the American Human Development Project.

County's 'portrait' not a big surprise

Ventura County Star
May 22, 2011
By David M. Smith

When "A Portrait of California" was released last week, the results detailing the nitty-gritty of Ventura County's socio-economic profile were hardly a big surprise.

As background, the state "portrait" uses an internationally-recognized Human Development Index to rank how state, regional and local residents and communities are doing against key national benchmarks, broken out by demographic, geographic and other distinctions.

Report opens a window onto two Californias'

Redding Record Searchlight
May 20, 2011
Editorial

It's no secret that Californians are starkly divided — socially, economically, philosophically — to the point where, when our political leaders debate, they hardly seem to be talking about the same state.

Well, maybe that's because, in an important sense, we live in different states.

United Way Success!

KSBW-TV8 (NBC, Monterey)
May 16, 2011
Joseph W. Heston, President and General Manager

With the economy slowly slugging forward, it seems we see some gains and some setbacks almost every week. We're still waiting for the expected gasoline price reductions(!). So it was great news this week to hear that the United Way of Monterey County surpassed its 2010-2011 goal and surpassed last year's campaign results, for a total of $3,550,000 in contributions this year.

The United Way of Santa Cruz County had similar success. They surpassed their goal of $1 million and were almost even with last year.

Ventura County Star Op-ed: Health of 1 million children is at risk

Sunday, August 16, 2009

By David M. Smith, president and CEO of United Way of Ventura County

Without health coverage, the 5-year-old with diabetes could go without insulin that could save his life. The 12-year-old suffering from asthma could go without an inhaler, forcing her to suffer during those terrifying moments when she can't breathe. The sick 10-year-old, who has no access to a doctor, could be sent to school with a 103-degree fever. If kids don't get ongoing checkups, chronic diseases and life-threatening conditions could go undiagnosed until it is too late.

San Jose Mercury News Editorial: Cuts in safety net for children go far too deep

July 29, 2009

Tuesday marked a new low for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his role as a guardian of the health of California's children. With a stroke of his blue pencil, the governor axed an additional $50 million from the state's Healthy Families program, which provides health insurance to California's neediest children. That's on top of the devastating $144 million in cuts to Healthy Families in the budget deal Schwarzenegger had negotiated with the Legislature last week.

Press Democrat: CLOSE TO HOME - Sparing our children

WALTER COLLINS

Published: Monday, June 22, 2009 at 3:00 a.m.

One of our most basic human instincts is to protect our children. Throughout history, when danger or disaster strikes, children are rescued first.

Why? Because as humans, we are conditioned to first protect those who cannot protect themselves: our children.

San Francisco Chronicle: Health care for kids

January 17, 2009

Editor - Regarding E.J. Dionne's, "SCHIPing Away at the Need for Health Insurance," Jan. 12: SCHIP reauthorization offers an opportunity for Congress and President-elect Barack Obama to work together to extend and expand an immensely popular and crucial children's health program.

Mercury News Editorial: Obama must speak for our children on health care

January 7, 2009

Barack Obama must speak for America's uninsured children. George Bush claimed to care, but when it came to health coverage, he left behind one out of every nine kids in the United States — 8.6 million in all.

Los Angeles Times Editorial: Spend on healthcare, not paperwork

New Medi-Cal proposals put budgets and bureaucracy ahead of children's health.

June 27, 2008

With the state budget in such dismal shape, it's all the more important to spend money wisely, on those who need it most -- and not on increasing paperwork. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state Senate should drop proposals that would force the parents of children on Medi-Cal to re-enroll them more than the current once a year. The governor has called for renewal four times a year; after the Assembly rejected that idea, the Senate floated a compromise of twice a year.

Mercury News Editorial: California should maximize federal dollars, not throw them away

May 23, 2009

The day California health care experts have long dreaded is at hand. To close the state's $21.3 billion deficit gap, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature must slash health care programs to a degree that will cause irreparable harm to many of California's most vulnerable residents.

But the cuts the governor has proposed so far inflict far more damage than necessary, in part because they needlessly throw away federal dollars. He has better options.

The Sacramento Bee: Health coverage a priority

December 11, 2008

Letter to the Editor Re "Steinberg aim: All kids insured" (California Focus, Dec. 7): Sen. Darrell Steinberg should be commended for making health coverage for all California children a priority this legislative session.

Mercury News Editorial: How to make children's health care a priority in California

December 6, 2008

California's new Senate leader, Darrell Steinberg, wants to prove in his first 120 days in office that the California Legislature actually can accomplish something, despite recent evidence to the contrary.

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