Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.
About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1987)
POOR PEOPLE’S DAY — A coalition of groups sponsored a day at the legislature for the poor to meet with their representatives. Above, right, Ellie Outlaw meets with Rep. Mable Thomas of Fulton County, one of the sponsors of a bill to exempt food from sales tax. The arch diocese of Atlanta and the diocese of Savannah are among the sup porters of a luncheon at Central Presbyterian Church for legislators and their needy constituents. (Photo by Linda Schaefer) PAGE 8 — The Georgia Bulletin, February 12, 1987 Legislation— (Continued from page 1 > she should get copies of, checks to see what committees are meeting, and tries to buttonhole legislators to talk about particular bills. “Lobbyists" interested in issues of social justice can be found at their station by the elevator next to Room 305. “Claiming” this territory with the lobbyist for the Christian Council are representatives of Continuum, Christians Against Hunger, the League of Women Voters and several other organizations. The affluent lobbyists representing manufacturers, industry associations and trade groups can be found around the corner near the Senate chamber There's a lot of color, noise, and milling around, especial ly when the chambers break for lunch and afternoon schedules of committee meetings and hearings. Corridors surrounding the staircase under the golden dome are thronged with people; small huddles of lawmakers being briefed by staffers or lobbyists, sightseers. Girl Scouts, and women choristers in long black skirts and white blouses be ing given a VIP tour after a noontime performance in the downstairs rotunda. People in wheelchairs wait quietly for a word with their lawmakers and an older couple watch the parade from a bench. The smell of fast food, lunch fare for security personnel, is tantalizing. As the representative of the Christian Council. Sister Tomlin moves swiftly through this lively environment. She has a heavy load of issues to keep current with: welfare, child day care, mental illness, infant mortality and teen pregnancy, low-income housing, energy assistance, homelessness are some of her concerns. “I’m following and giving information on 40 House bills out of 400 and 25 Senate bills out of 226," Sister Tomlin said. She testified at a subcommittee hearing on appropriations — an open hearing for advocates of the poor and the elderly. She attends numerous committee hearings. “I think there are individual legislators who are compas sionate, who are listening," she said. “I’m not sure there are enough of them to change the direction.” There is more openness so far in this year's session, more attention being paid to Sunshine Law requirements. Last year meeting notices were not posted in prominent places, were posted too late for many interested in the subject to at tend, and meetings were held in “closets,” rooms too small to accommodate the people who wanted to attend. Materials on bills were not available. This year more open ness is evident. Sister Tomlin finds. But in her areas of interest, "All issues that need to be ad dressed are not being addressed" One concerns a pro gram, PEACH (Positive Employment and Community Help) which she called one of the better employ-ability ef forts. PEACH provides day care, transportation and job training for women who are receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). It is presently in operation in two counties, Muscogee and Clayton. For fiscal year 1988, the Department of Human Resources recommended the program be extended to 32 counties at a cost of $9.4 million. Gov. Joe Frank Harris, in his budget, asked it be initiated in just three more counties, Cobb, Dougherty and Spalding, at a cost of $495,000. Another area of special focus is the AFDC Unemployed Parent Act passed by the legislature during the 1984 session but never funded by the legislature. In its budget sent to the governor this year the State Department of Human Resources had requested $11 million to fund this "intact family” program. Gov. Harris did not include it in his budget at all. Sister Tomlin doesn't see much chance of this being funded during the 1987 ses sion, but said advocates “will keep pushing it for next year." The amount, she said, "is minimal and it’s hard to understand why it’s not included." Efforts to have it included for FY 1989 will begin in April when DHR begins budget hear ings, preparatory to sub mitting its recommenda tions to the governor and the Office of Planning and Budget by October. She sees more hope of FY 1988 funding for another item being tacked onto House Bill 226, the massive appropriations measure. This would allot money to staff a personal care home for five chronically mental ly ill individuals and apart ments for 12 other people with the same handicap. The Christian Council Housing Corporation last year received federal funds in the amount of $576,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to build such a facility. Yet the Harris budget omitted any request for funds to staff this complex. Because of its direct relation to the issue of the homeless, a major issue this session. Sister Tomlin is hopeful that funding will be provided. “There has to be compassion behind funding," she believes, while admitting that some welfare issues pro moted by the Christian Council and other advocacy groups are not politically popular with some legislators who argue for “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps as I did.” This doesn’t address the problem. Sister Tomlin said, that most of the people on welfare are children. “The state doesn't put one cent into energy assistance," she said. Funding for this program comes from the federal Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Pro gram (LIHEAP); from the Petroleum Violations Funds; HEAT, the program of Atlanta Gaslight Co., and SHARE, the Georgia Power program, and from private con tributors. But all of these programs, she added, meet only one-third of the need in Georgia where there are 450,000 peo ple eligible for heating assistance because their incomes are below poverty level. “There is a good coalition of people working on these issues, but the general public needs to be plugged in across Notifying Parents the state,” she said, especially because of the constant tug- of-war in the legislature between rural Georgia and Atlanta for appropriations. Another problem activists for the disad vantaged face is that decreased funding has spurred com petition among advocacy groups for “a slice of the pie.” “One favor the Reagan administration has done for us (in reducing funding for human services) is to make us realize that we can’t rely on government completely. We need to work together, churches, private individuals, non-profit organizations, a collaboration of the new American ex perience the bishops asked for in the pastoral on the economy.” Sister Tomlin recently attended an implementation con ference on the pastoral held by the United States Catholic Conference in Washington and will be discussing the topic in the weeks ahead at several parishes, Holy Cross and St. Jude's in Atlanta. St. Joseph’s in Athens and Holy Family in Marietta. “I would like to be helpful with regard to the pastoral....There is a real need to look at our citizenship more responsibly. That does not necessarily mean through partisan politics. We need to have moral vision behind the decisions we make in the political sphere.” (For information on the computer program call 622-2235.) Custom Made Suits for Ladies and Gentlemen Alfrado Avlno, Prop. 233-6643 Tux*do Festival Shopping Contor 3655 Roswoll Rd. Suit* 202 Climer Moving & Storage Moving??? When It's Your Move Let Us Know IQuality work done, that will not be underpriced. Free Estimates, References Call Ron Climer. Owner 493-9153 tBEAOAZZLES | “Jewelry Designed And Made by You” \ PRESIDENT’S DAY SALE 20% All Merchandise I Fri. Feb.13 Sat. Feb.14 Mon. Feb.li The Balconies 843-8606 ! 290 Hilderbrand Dr. M-F 10-5 j Off Roswell Rd. - By the Punchline Sat. 10-4 ( “Children’s Birthday Parties” ! (Continued from page 1) The more basic intent of the bill, however, is to acknowledge that the deci sion by a minor to have an abortion is a serious deci sion with possible medical consequences and that the parent should be involved in the decision as in any other major medical or surgical Sandy Springs Chapel Funeral Directors A Personalized Service For All Faiths 136 Mt. Vernon Hwy., N.E. 255-8511 “doesn’t need to know” a matter of such conse quence, when parents bear all the responsibility for the teen’s welfare and support and health before and after a hidden abortion. The bill introduced in the Senate is SB 229 and has been introduced by Senators Tom Allgood, Roy Barnes and Joe Kennedy. Representative Tommy Smith of Alma will be in charge of moving the bill The Piano Tuning Company featuring "Total Piano Carol" Tuning — Repairs Rebuilding Refinishing *Over 30 yrs. exp.* P.C. Boyd, 458-3858 *5.00 Off With This Ad through the House of Representatives. Rep. Smith was the author and prime mover of a bill re quiring parental notifica tion for the past two years. Last year a similar bill was poised for passage when the Senate abruptly adjourned for the session preventing final action on the measure. The Pro-Life Office has encouraged support for the bill through letters and phone calls to represen tatives and senators. Anyone able to become in volved in lobbying efforts during February is asked to contact the Pro-Life Office at 888-7821 or 888-7822. Banquets/Meetings Dinner parties, recep tions, luncheons, and business meetings. Private Room Available BRANDO’S 5(10 Chamblee-Dunwoodv Rd. ontact Ken Eppard. 396-9300 1
