[Njabs-talk] URGENT Assembly Budget Hearing --Speak Out for Blind Kids!!!

Thu Mar 3 03:41:09 UTC 2011

>From Carol Castellano, POBC President

Hello Everyone,

Each year the State Senate and Assembly hold hearings on the

budget.  This is the time that citizens can speak out about the real

affect that the budget cuts will have on their lives.

This year, they did not give us much warning--the hearing on our specific

issue is on Tuesday!  But people can sign up for any of the

hearings.

We NEED PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK!!!  It's a little scary, but DO

IT ANYWAY!!!   There is TOO MUCH TO LOSE for us to be silent or

scared.  Sign up using the instructions below.  In my

experience, they only let you speak for 5 minutes.  Write out your

speech so that you will be less nervous!  

All you have to do is tell your story from the heart.  Tell what

these cuts to the Commission will mean to your child and to the rest of

the blind children in the state.  Bring your child or sign your

child up if he/she is old enough to read a speech.  Reading in

braille is especially good!  

PLEASE, PLEASE, step up.  Call or email me to let me know that you

can testify.  If you have any questions about what to expect,

contact me.  I have done it many times--my daughter, also. 

It is really too bad that they are giving us so little time to plan, but

that's how things are.  I am heartbroken to say that I will be out

of town--in Texas--on Tuesday so that I myself cannot go.  PLEASE

sign up.  The blind children of New Jersey are depending on

you.

Let me know.

Sincerely,

Carol

Carol Castellano
President, Parents of Blind Children-NJ
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net

www.blindchildren.org
www.nopbc.org

Public Hearing Announcement 

Today you can begin registering to

testify at the public hearings to be held by the Assembly Budget

Committee on the proposed State Budget for Fiscal Year 2012. 

		    The

Assembly will hold 3 hearings. You may participate in one

by selecting the topics/dates and time below that best

suits you or your organization.  Every attempt will be made to honor

your request, but the committee may have to reschedule some individuals

should the requested times be over subscribed.

You, the public will have the opportunity to testify at

ONE public hearing.  Simply

go to the New Jersey Legislative Home Page at:

www.njleg.state.nj.us, click on online registration and

follow the directions to register.  Submit the form and print a copy

of your REGISTRATIONand a CONFIRMATION will

be sent to you via e-mail using the same address you registered

with.  If you need assistance please call the Legislative Budget and

Finance Office at (609) 292-1170.

Assembly Budget

Committee

Public HearingsDates:  

March 8, 2011

(Tuesday)		  State

House Annex, Committee Room 11
(Starting at

9:30

AM)

Fourth Floor

Trenton, New Jersey

*TOPICS- Health, Human Services, Senior, Family & Childrens

Issues

March 16, 2011 (Wednesday)  University Hall Conference Center
(Starting at

9:30

AM)

Montclair State University

1 Normal Avenue

Montclair, New Jersey

*TOPICS- Education, Higher Education & Local Government Issues

March 23, 2011 (Wednesday)  Camden County College 
(Starting at

9:30

AM)

Blackwood Campus

311 College Drive

Blackwood, New Jersey	    

*TOPICS- Public Safety, Economic Development, Transportation,

Environment, Arts, History & Cultural Issues (and all other subjects

not listed above)

NOTE: 

Participants will only be allowed to testify at

ONE public hearing.  In

consideration of all who wish to contribute, we prefer that those

participants from statewide or national organizations with multiple

chapters, offices, locations, etc., consolidate their efforts and select

one person to represent the organization at each public hearing. 

Your presentation may include information pertaining to more than one

chapter, office, location, etc.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR

ASSEMBLY PUBLIC HEARING REGISTRATION

To register for

participation in one of the Assembly public hearings, please do ONLY

ONE of the following:

a.	  fill out the PUBLIC HEARING SELECTION

FORM and fax the	  completed form to our

office at (609) 777-2442,

b.	 OR, mail it to our office,

c.	  OR, call the information in to

our office by dialing (609) 292-1170, stating that you wish to register

for one of the Assembly public hearings.  

NOTE:  PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER BY PHONE IF YOU HAVE

FAXED	  

OR MAILED OR E-MAILED YOUR REGISTRATION FORM.

!	 

AS SOON AS WE HEAR FROM YOU, WE WILL SEND YOU THE

CONFIRMATION PACKAGE.  IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SCHEDULING

CONFIRMATION BY March 4th FOR THE March 8th HEARING,

March 14th FOR THE March 16th HEARING OR March 21st

FOR THE March 23rd HEARING, PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE AT (609)

292-1170.

WE

THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR COOPERATION

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Registration form ASM.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 38400 bytes
Desc: Registration form ASM.doc
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/njabs-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20110303/9b3a1cd1/attachment.doc>
-------------- next part --------------
An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed...
Name: CT_CF_Drop_61.txt
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/njabs-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20110303/9b3a1cd1/attachment.txt>