Letter to the legislature 6 2-25-10

I hope you will consider the following ideas and needs:

1. We need to continue to maintain GAU or at the very least ensure the Disability Lifeline program. The federal money needed for this needs to come through to match the state level. The House bill going through right now needs support. In order to do so we need to start a flat tax or hopefully a progressive tax and consider taxing all millionaire's at 1.5%. We need transparency in how taxpayer's money is used at the local, state and federal levels. We need to maintain the social services and increase low income housing (charging tenants at a rate of 30-40% of their net income levels), The Housing Trust Fund is needed to be maintained or increased again through suggested tax ideas as earlier mentioned, Basic Health Plan needs support federally as many people rely on this!

2. The HOPE Act needs to be maintained and supported fiscally as well as the Responsible Living Skills Program so teens in need are helped as much as possible. When I volunteered at DYS, I saw that a good share of the kids who ran away needed to to protect themselves from problems at home.

3. People of low income (in housing or not) need access to legal help that will be able to effectively represent them and help them whether it's over housing and tenant's rights or being targeted through hate crimes and social games and smear campaigns that can be initiated through well connected individuals, organizations, business groups and their connections, etc. This would include the need for 'No Bullying in the Workplace', etc. People need to feel safe in their communities and not be smeared. We need enforcement on this. If necessary, use polygraphing as a tool toward truth. We must put an end toward predatory people (some wealthy and very disconnected from their less well to do brother's and sister's) who take advantage of the disadvantaged individuals who are targeted in this way. I know myself from personal experience.

4. We need more well trained PTSD counselors for our local community social service clinics. PTSD is just finally starting to be understood (personally I think it was ignored for decades with anyone except veterans), and many people are affected by it. Some have it to a pretty severe degree. Myself included. When someone cries out for help, for days, weeks, monthys, years, let's stop ignoring them or looking for an easy way out so not to have to take it seriously.

5. We need police oversight committees, and neighborhood block watch groups that keep predators and dangerous vigilante types under control. They can also help spot and stop smear campaigns--which can be cleverly set up and quietly carried out.

Thank you very much for listening,

Aaron Crosetto