Big Blue Huddle

General Category => The Front Porch => Topic started by: MightyGiants on March 29, 2025, 08:31:53 AM

Title: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on March 29, 2025, 08:31:53 AM
I need your help.  The President has illegally terminated millions of dollars being used to help health departments fight Measles and Bird Flu and protect public health.  If this illegal act isn't stopped, many people (myself included) could be out of work instead of protecting the public's health and well-being.  Please click on the link to send a report to your representatives requesting the restoration of the funds protecting all of us.  It will just take a minute, but it will make a world of difference

https://njaccho.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=317722&module_id=500406#/
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: Ed Vette on March 29, 2025, 08:36:46 AM
Done
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on March 29, 2025, 08:38:12 AM
Quote from: Ed Vette on March 29, 2025, 08:36:46 AMDone

Thank you!
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: Bob In PA on March 29, 2025, 08:48:44 AM
Public Health Funding Cuts

On Monday, March 24th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a series of stop work orders to cancel grant agreements for agencies throughout the Unites States, totaling $11B.  A detailed list of grants, state and local agencies has not been released.  However, funding that is connected to immunizations, epidemiology and lab capacity, COVID health disparities and community health workers has been identified, and may include funds being distributed by the New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials (NJACCHO) to New Jersey local health departments. 

New Jersey's local health departments depend on these grants to support disease prevention, outbreak response, vaccination and clinical services.  These funds also help local health departments maintain their workforce, increase community services and plan for the next public health emergency or event.  The work being funded is not limited to just COVID-19, but activities that will help us support and prepare for large scale events, such as the World Cup, which will draw in millions of international visitors to our region.    Our local health departments and communities will face significant workforce and operational challenges if these funds are taken away.

There are DEEP concerns about the potential impact stop work orders will have on local health departments and local communities.  These federal funds have helped to support important community programs, staff infrastructure investments, upgrade data systems and get communities better prepared.
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: Bob In PA on March 29, 2025, 08:49:53 AM
The above is from the organization's home page. The presence of the word "may" (highlighted in bold face type) is all-important. Bob
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on March 29, 2025, 09:15:51 AM
Bob, that was put up PRIOR to the grant termination notice going out late Friday.

Now we know it impacts ALL public health grants being provided with money that Congress had already approved.

Edit to add:  The link can get you to any reps, but the message is NJ-based.  The funding cuts are impacting all states, not just NJ
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: LennG on March 29, 2025, 12:19:50 PM

 Most of the food banks that feed so many veterans, among others, have been slashed

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/food-banks-usda-cuts-tciiyd8f

What's the possible reason for this? Some one cheat ed and received 2 dozen eggs instead of one?

Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on March 29, 2025, 12:57:38 PM
Quote from: LennG on March 29, 2025, 12:19:50 PMMost of the food banks that feed so many veterans, among others, have been slashed

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/food-banks-usda-cuts-tciiyd8f

What's the possible reason for this? Some one cheat ed and received 2 dozen eggs instead of one?



I heard that in some of my meetings.  We are living in dark times, very dark times
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: kartanoman on March 30, 2025, 12:21:49 PM
The impacts are very real, here in Arizona, as not only tens of thousands of jobs are at stake, but the impacts it will have on all of us, to include our Navajo Nation friends, is devastating.

Federal government terminates $190M in public health grants to Arizona (https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2025/03/29/arizona-loses-190m-federal-public-health-grants/82712391007/)

I'm going to sign the equivalent for my representatives here in Arizona and keep you in my thoughts and prayers, Rich @MightyGiants  .

Peace!
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on March 30, 2025, 12:32:11 PM
Quote from: kartanoman on March 30, 2025, 12:21:49 PMThe impacts are very real, here in Arizona, as not only tens of thousands of jobs are at stake, but the impacts it will have on all of us, to include our Navajo Nation friends, is devastating.

Federal government terminates $190M in public health grants to Arizona (https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2025/03/29/arizona-loses-190m-federal-public-health-grants/82712391007/)

I'm going to sign the equivalent for my representatives here in Arizona and keep you in my thoughts and prayers, Rich @MightyGiants  .

Peace!


There are similar terrible stories in all 50 states
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: AZGiantFan on March 31, 2025, 04:01:35 PM
I thought we didn't do politics here.
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on March 31, 2025, 07:15:36 PM
Quote from: AZGiantFan on March 31, 2025, 04:01:35 PMI thought we didn't do politics here.

Thank you for your help.  It's good to see there are good people I can turn to when I (and many others) are in desperate need
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: T200 on March 31, 2025, 11:47:22 PM
Quote from: AZGiantFan on March 31, 2025, 04:01:35 PMI thought we didn't do politics here.
It's political but it isn't. It's about politics negatively affecting people's livelihoods nationwide.

The reason politics is banned as a topic is because it divides. This isn't one of those divisive situations.
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on April 01, 2025, 08:57:32 AM
Quote from: T200 on March 31, 2025, 11:47:22 PMIt's political but it isn't. It's about politics negatively affecting people's livelihoods nationwide.

The reason politics is banned as a topic is because it divides. This isn't one of those divisive situations.

Tim,

I agree.  I think too often we get swept up in politics like it's a sporting event, and it's all about your side winning against the other side.   We tend to forget real people are suffering real harm in many cases. We need to never forget this critical aspect, or else we lose the best part of being human.
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: T200 on April 01, 2025, 09:00:59 AM
Quote from: MightyGiants on April 01, 2025, 08:57:32 AMTim,

I agree.  I think too often we get swept up in politics like it's a sporting event, and it's all about your side winning against the other side.   We tend to forget real people are suffering real harm in many cases. We need to never forget this critical aspect, or else we lose the best part of being human.
Agreed. This isn't a finger-pointing, back-and-forth blaming situation, which political discussions quickly devolve into.
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on April 01, 2025, 12:19:06 PM
There's a sliver of hope that this terrible thing could be reversed

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/01/health/public-health-funding-states-sue-hhs-rfk/index.html

For those who reached out to your representatives to help reverse this, thank you
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on April 04, 2025, 01:46:26 PM
Another sliver of hope


PROVIDENCE – A federal judge said Thursday she will grant a temporary restraining order requested by attorneys general and governors in 24 states that will keep in place for now the nearly $11 billion in public health grants – including $31 million for Rhode Island – that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services canceled last week.

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/courts/2025/04/03/federal-judge-grants-temporary-restraining-order-to-halt-hhs-cuts/82794782007/
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: PSUBeirut on April 04, 2025, 09:28:31 PM
For what it's worth, the grant myself and my wife have been working on in the past 5 years was federally funded and abruptly cut on Feb 19th.  I'm also deeply embedded in our local school system and the worries about the trickle down chaos on kids based on the Dept of Ed being next on the list are real. 

I for one have no problems with regularly finding efficiencies in government, but that's not what is happening.  It's slash and burn with very little understanding of the actual work being done.

Sorry to hear you're also caught up in the whirlwind, Rich.
Title: Re: I need your help or I will be out of work and the public health will be threated
Post by: MightyGiants on April 05, 2025, 08:07:17 AM
Quote from: PSUBeirut on April 04, 2025, 09:28:31 PMFor what it's worth, the grant myself and my wife have been working on in the past 5 years was federally funded and abruptly cut on Feb 19th.  I'm also deeply embedded in our local school system and the worries about the trickle down chaos on kids based on the Dept of Ed being next on the list are real. 

I for one have no problems with regularly finding efficiencies in government, but that's not what is happening.  It's slash and burn with very little understanding of the actual work being done.

Sorry to hear you're also caught up in the whirlwind, Rich.

I am sorry to hear that.  I completely agree, this is slash and burn, not surgical removal of waste.