To the editor:

I am writing to let you know the impact the recent 10 percent cuts to Medicaid called for by Gov. Parkinson will have on Kansas. I own communityworks, inc., a Lawrence home health agency. I started my business on my own in 1991.

I am proud of my business and take pride in taking care of 423 employees and as many customers, people with brain injuries and other disabilities. By providing services to people with brain injuries at home, the state of Kansas saves $21,000 per person, per month. A majority of our customers only use services for less than two years and many return to taxpaying status.

Job creation doesn’t happen with budget cuts. I will have to find $800,000 in cuts in the next two weeks to be implemented January 1, 2010. The decision to make such deep cuts will result in many of your neighbors losing their jobs and in forcing many people to go to nursing homes or other institutions, at a much greater cost.

I want legislators to know that when they speak for businesses in Kansas they speak for me and I am not complaining about my taxes. In fact, the breaks I receive for creating jobs and expanding to other communities pale in comparison to the compassion I must now leave at the door every day. May I have my compassion back please?