200 gather on steps of San Francisco City Hall to challenge Governor's veto…Seniors and people with disabilities tell Schwarzenegger, 'You Can't Veto My Voice!'

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, San Francisco Supervisors Sophie Maxwell, Aaron Peskin and Tom Ammiano, along with senior organizations, disability groups, homecare workers and community leaders, joined with homecare consumers to speak out against Governor Schwarzenegger's across-the-board vetoes of bipartisan legislation written to protect and enhance the State's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Program.

Today's event is part of a statewide "virtual caravan" to call attention to serious and negative effects the vetoes will have on senior citizens and people with disabilities across California. The caravan was launched in Sacramento, and is being followed by events in counties across California, including Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Fresno and Contra Costa and culminating in Los Angeles.

The Caravan is being coordinated by the Quality Homecare Coalition and Californians Care -- organizations comprised of homecare consumers, senior and disability organization representatives and homecare workers.

More than 300,000 Californians rely on homecare for assistance with their tasks of daily living, such as eating, dressing, bathing, cooking and cleaning. It allows seniors and people with disabilities to continue living safely and independently in their own homes, instead of unnecessarily or prematurely entering nursing homes, which cost up to seven times what homecare costs.

IHSS bills vetoed by the Governor includes legislation that would have provided additional training for homecare workers, assisted rural counties in making homecare available for their residents, provided for background checks for new workers, and would have made it possible for low-income individuals to purchase homecare services from an IHSS Public Authority.

"So many senior citizens and people with disabilities are afraid that they will one day be forced out of their homes into unfamiliar nursing homes or institutions," said Luis Calderon, an IHSS consumer and Project Coordinator for the San Francisco IHSS Public Authority. "Homecare makes it possible for us to continue living safely and with dignity in our own homes. Vetoing this legislation could jeopardize this very vital and compassionate program."

The vetoes come at the same time that the State Legislature has committed itself to developing a strategy to ensure there are adequate programs and services available for a senior population that is expected to increase exponentially in the coming years. According to the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care, about 4 million of California's 36 million residents are senior citizens. That number is expected to double in relation to the total population by 2020.

Governor Schwarzenegger's past record on the IHSS program includes proposals to cut the wages of homecare workers to minimum wage and take away health benefits, as well as abolish the "Residual Program" which makes it possible for thousands of family members to provide care for their elderly or disabled loved ones.