Says Connecticut Must Focus on 'Helping Those Who Help'
Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, potential candidate for Governor in 2010, was joined in Hartford today by State Rep. and Deputy Speaker David McCluskey (D-West Hartford) and State Rep. Deb Heinrich (D-Guilford, Madison) to announce his plan for addressing the crisis facing Connecticut's non-profit community providers.
The plan, titled "Helping Those Who Help," lays out three points that Malloy says will put Connecticut on a path to securing a more sustainable system of providers that can serve as a safety net for Connecticut residents in need:
* Establishing a Community Non-Profit Human Services Cabinet, and creating a new, Commissioner-level position to head that cabinet.
* Reforming the procedures Connecticut uses to reimburse and fund non-profit community providers.
* Moving non-profit providers to the top of the list of recipients for funding from the federal stimulus.
A more detailed explanation of each point can be viewed in the full plan, available at danmalloy.com or by pasting the following link: www.danmalloy.com/Helping-Those-Who-Help
"For decades Connecticut has underfunded the vital non-profit providers that the state's most vulnerable citizens rely on for help with developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic abuse and much more," said Mayor Malloy. "The only answer for this crisis is for Connecticut to begin to implement smarter, more sustainable reforms. It's past time that we, as a state, started helping those who help."
"The non-profit community which provides many of our state's public services is in financial crisis - the state must develop a plan to support non-profits that is thoughtful and cost-effective," said State Representative David McCluskey, Deputy Speaker. "Dan Malloy is working with non-profits to eliminate ineffective, duplicative and costly red tape and to creatively use existing state and federal resources to assist the non-profits in the vital role they perform for Connecticut. I am glad someone who is exploring a run for Governor is tackling this important issue."
"I am pleased to work with Dan Malloy to reform the way we, as a state, interact with the private provider community," said State Rep. Deb Heinrich. "The people who provide services to the neediest and most vulnerable in our state are hanging on by a thread. It is a crisis that has been years in the making. I am thankful that Dan recognizes the importance of true reform and has the courage to embrace real solutions, not quick fixes and gimmicks. This is a real benefit to our state, the providers and most importantly to the clients they serve."
