California Agency Faces Financial Crisis

PETALUMA, Calif. -- Jay Brown and Gary Hament rave about the help that Old Adobe Development Services have provided them, so they didn't hesitate to participate in a grassroots effort this year seeking to reduce proposed state budget cuts that would have severely cut services for people with intellectual and development disabilities.
Brown and Hament felt empowered after Gov. Jerry Brown released a revised budget in March reducing these cuts to $174 million, but they remain concerned because the very existence of OADS could be threatened if statewide tax initiatives are not extended.
"I feel that people with disabilities are really being put under pressure: It's falling on all of us," Hament said. "Through our efforts, we found that we can actually make changes happen. I hope that the cuts won't be as severe as originally thought."