Many victims whom require important survival services such as shelter, legal, transitional housing, counseling, advocacy for their orders of protection and direction on how to leave with their lives from the 94 agencies in the state will be faced with two options. The first is they will take to the streets because the violence is life threatning in their home and they will become homeless. Currently, an estimated 50% of all victims of violence are either on the streets or seek assistance from orgnaizations such as the salvation army.
The second alternative in not an option, the women will be murdered in their own homes because a politican has erased an important component for victims to survive, basic services. And we must not forget the burden then to the legal system that will not be able to provide protection under the law as the victims will be unable to return to their homes once they press charges for the often near death violence in their own homes.
The passage of the existing law for victims of violence in this county were signed not with a pen of ink, but with a pen of blood for all those whose cries for help fell on deaf ears. Women like my mother who was murdered before laws were passed.
In removing these important dollars you provide another criminal perk for the offenders. The violent offender will use the removal of services to their advantage over the victims, knowing the individual has no place to seek assistance.
There is a reserve set aside by Governor Schwarzenegger of $500 million dollars. If he does not have a change of heart and reverse his decision then money should be set aside for the victims that will require proper burial services after they end up in a morgue because a former actor turned politican thinks the ending of women's lives is not important.
