Letter: Budget cuts endanger women

Domestic violence programs throughout Louisiana are staggering after Gov. Bobby Jindal’s most-recent budget cuts. The model being proposed will cut “costly residential care” and allow for “more-productive” approaches such as short-term hotel stays and support for family members. The problem? This will not work. This is where we were over 20 years ago, and under this model, lives were lost.

A woman staying in a hotel or returning to friends or family when she leaves her abuser is placed in extreme danger. Since Louisiana consistently leads the nation in domestic violence deaths, it is clear that the security of shelters and confidential locations are necessary to save lives.

Everyone understands the need to balance the budget, and everyone should be prepared to do their part. However, this level of cut is too deep and too dangerous for this type of program. Gov. Jindal must rethink the numbers and make a plan to keep shelters open in Louisiana.

Terrie Queen Autrey

social worker, writer

Simsboro

Comments

1) Comment by Attila - 09/01/2013

DMJ, do you have to work at being ignorant and clueless??? Or does it just come naturally to you?

2) Comment by BoiledCrabs - 08/01/2013

Teach them to safely own and shoot a weapon. Then they can defend themselves like the woman just did when the guy broke into her home and threatened her and her children. She unloaded the gun on him and hit him with five of six rounds. Darn good shooting.

3) Comment by DMJ - 08/01/2013

Atilla, you're a walking George Zimmerman waiting to happen.

4) Comment by bourbon-soda - 08/01/2013

@tradewinns - just kidding, but what is the "social worker position" Is it different from the missionary position?

5) Comment by Attila - 08/01/2013

I suggest that the women that Autrey is concerned about go out and buy a gun while they still can..learn to use it correctly....and if confronted with a situation that means being physically harmed USE IT.

6) Comment by J.R.Madden - 08/01/2013

From THE ADVOCATE: (1) A Baton Rouge man, 26, was indicted Thursday in the June shooting and wounding of his pregnant wife and killing of her unborn child. ... a temporary restraining order was issued June 18 that required Frank Atkins to stay away from his wife. (2) A man arrested in the Tuesday morning shooting of his estranged girlfriend ... who turned 18 on Saturday and is three months pregnant, had a temporary restraining order against Patrick Guillory Jr. ... (3) [EBR] sheriff’s deputies arrested a 46-year-old man Saturday accused of trying to kill his girlfriend ... The victim had filed a restraining order against Franklin ...

7) Comment by civitasiveritas - 08/01/2013

@Being_Stupid is. Obviously he has never known any of the women he speaks so easily of. If only life were so sweet. Just file a complaint with the police. Restraining order. No problems. If only that were a solution to all the situations. @rgeraldwallace wants only to speak of the whining (regardless of the truth that lies within what he labels whining) without ever addressing the reality. Really is a sycophant of Jindal. Fellow pseudologists they are...

8) Comment by tradewinns - 08/01/2013

being stupid; if there wasn't for the social worker position, where would all those liberals find a job?

9) Comment by Being_Stupid - 08/01/2013

No more entitlements. Keep cutting, Bobby. Thanks.

10) Comment by Being_Stupid - 08/01/2013

There is a real easy solution to battered women syndrome. It is called leave the scum who is beating you and have him arrested and put in jail, then file a restraining order (which you can do for free with a police report). Simple solution. We don't need government to do what grown adults should be able to do on their own. If they are stupid enough to stay with a guy that beats them, then that is their own fault. Take some personal responsibility, and quit relying on Government to solve your problems. A woman who is battered once is a victim, a woman that is battered multiple times is at fault for not leaving the first time it happened.

11) Comment by Being_Stupid - 08/01/2013

Social worker has got to be most useless job in the world.

12) Comment by DMJ - 08/01/2013

In Jindal's Louisiana, in a contest between battered women and taxing rich people or coporations, battered women lose. What did any of you expect?

13) Comment by [e-mail] - 08/01/2013

I've been waiting patiently for the whiny-bears (those of Ms. Autrey's persuasion) to come out of the woodwork with the tears and sobs about the severe and draconian effects of spending within budgetary limits will have on women, minorities, police, firemen, teachers, etc. Let the plethora of nonsense commence.

14) Comment by crazycajun - 08/01/2013

L'il booby says it's up to the families of these individuals and the churches to take care of these situations. Yeah right.Maybe if you're rich enough to live in the country club of Louisiana maybe. You know. Like the majority of the average people do. LOL

15) Comment by dday198 - 08/01/2013

this writer in my opinion is giving governor jindal a lot of credit she still thinks he cares about the people of this state. he cares about higher office and like most of these politicos will sellout anybody and everybody to get there. this man doesn't how many helpless people he needs to step on he's jumping on the life boat full steam ahead.

16) Comment by Bighug - 08/01/2013

How can King Jindal do that and still afford to pay exorbitant salaries to his buddies?