Archives for November 2017

Click here to read the November/December newsletter »

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During the month of November, Aveyron promoted kindness!   With kindness in mind, each of our group homes came up with an activity that supported our community or those in need of assistance.  Projects included; delivering goodie bags to the Hutch High School staff, collecting food for the local food shelves and volunteering at the animal shelter, just to name a few.  We are proud of the way our staff and clients came together in their efforts to be kind.  Pictured are Jane, Kathy, Caroline and Kathy from our Jorgenson St. home, showing their creative skills by filling craft Turkeys with goodies, and delivering them to the Oaks and Pines, where they were enjoyed by the residents there!

We are grateful for our Aveyron Family and the support we receive from our community.  May each of you find reasons to be thankful this Holiday Season and don’t forget to be kind!

This important message from ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources) outlines the importance of letting our Senators know how you feel about the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which the Finance Committee has already passed, in an attempt to overhaul the federal tax code.

Please contact your Senators TODAY and tell them that you cannot support the legislation in its current form because:

• The changes proposed to the charitable tax deduction reduce the ability of nonprofit disability service providers to fund important services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
• As the only other federal support for Medicaid long term services and supports, the House passed legislation removing the medical expense deduction could put significant strain on the Medicaid program that serves people with I/DD.
• The changes to the unrelated business income tax (UBIT) impact the ability of nonprofit providers and their associations to maintain limited but important revenues.
• The changes to state and local taxes would have a negative impact on certain states that obtain significant funding from these taxes for services for people with I/DD.
• The House legislation’s elimination of tax breaks on bond financing could significantly undermine the financing for affordable housing for people with I/DD.
• The addition of $1.5 trillion to the national debt may be used to justify future cuts in Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security which are the main federal programs that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Click here to send an email directly to your Senators! Please do not put this off – a full Senate vote could happen soon after the Thanksgiving holiday.

This position is in keeping with the Board-approved ANCOR tax reform principles that we adopted at the beginning of this debate.

ANCOR Tax Reform Principles

1. Any process that includes changes to Medicaid should be accomplished through a process that affords sufficient opportunity for legislators, advocates, and constituents to review and provide feedback on the proposal and legislative language prior to passage.
2. Individual or corporate tax cuts or expenditures must not be paid for by cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, or other mandatory or discretionary programs that promote independence, inclusion, and community living for people with disabilities.
3. Tax reform should not decrease revenue to an extent that revenue is insufficient to continue to fund the programs and services and supports for people with disabilities at current levels or above.
4. The charitable deduction should be maintained and improved for the non-profit sector which provides the majority of services and supports for people with disabilities.
5. Unrelated business income tax should be held harmless to protect the vital role of nonprofits and associations in the disability services sector.

Thank you for your advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities. Should you have any questions or need more information, please contact Sarah Meek, Director of Legislative Affairs, at [email protected].