If you love New York’s statewide network of adult literacy programs, call State Senate Conference Leader John Sampson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver TODAY and tell them to restore funding for the ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION (ALE) Program.
Governor Paterson’s 2010-11 Executive Budget continues the approximately $612,000 cut imposed by the 2009-10 Deficit Reduction Plan, AND further reduces funding to this vital program by an additional $2 million. Combined, the cuts represent a 38% reduction to this modest program!!
Last year, the Legislature successfully restored some funding for ALE during budget negotiations.
It’s not too late to do it again this year. Join hundreds of literacy supporters to call our top leaders and tell them to protect adult literacy education services in the State Budget!
The Adult Literacy Education program supports a wide variety not-for-profits, libraries, community and volunteer based organizations statewide to provide adult literacy education services
Call Senate Leader John Sampson at (518) 455-2788
Call Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver at (518) 455-3791
Here’s what you should say to Senator Sampson and Speaker Silver:
1. Hello, my name is (your name) and I live in (your town). I’m calling to ask Senator Sampson/Speaker Silver to restore funding for the Adult Literacy Education (ALE) program in the State Budget.
2. ALE supports a wide variety of and volunteer based organizations statewide to provide adult literacy education services; More than 22% of New Yorkers exhibit below basic literacy skills!
3. The Senator/Speaker should restore ALE in the State Budget.
4. Thank you.
Literacy New York has posted an Action Alert on our CapWiz Advocacy site. The message is set to send to your representatives in the NYS Senate and Assembly as well as Senate Leader Sampson and Assembly Speaker Silver.
Directions to get to the LNY CapWiz site:
Go to: www.literacynewyork.org/advocacy.html
Click on CapWiz XC (blue and red logo) in the center of the page (or the Please click here message at the bottom)
You will see the Action Alert: Restore Adult Literacy Education (ALE) Funding – Don’t Close the Book on Literacy!
Click the “Take Action” button
Fill in your name after “Sincerely”
And fill in all the contact information including Zip + 4
Click “Send Message” (only once)
Click here for the Press Release