Advocate for DSPs During Tonight's 
'Ask The Governor'
Governor Christie will be a guest tonight on "Ask the Governor" and we need you to call into the program and urge him to support an increased wage for Direct Support Professionals in the FY18 Budget. With only four days left in the fiscal year, this is an excellent opportunity to bring attention to the issue on live radio!
What Do You Need to Do?

"Ask the Governor" starts at 7 pm on NJ 101.5 and there are multiple ways to submit your question. Here's what 101.5 instructs people to do:


"The governor will be taking your calls at 800-283-1015 — but the phone lines fill up quickly. Fortunately, that’s not the only way to get your question heard:

  • Follow New Jersey 101.5 on Facebook. We’ll start our Live Video of Ask The Governor at 7 p.m. - tell us in the comments what you’d like the governor to address.
  • Tweet your questions to @NJ1015 using the hashtag #AskGov during or ahead of the show. Selected Tweets will be featured on NJ1015.com as well."
What Do You Say If You Get on the Air?
If you're chosen to speak to the Governor on the air, make sure to say the following things:

  • Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) take care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but their wages are so low that hiring and retaining staff has become very challenging. I experience this first-hand with my loved one.

  • For people with developmental disabilities to receive services in the community, we need to increase wages for DSPs in the Budget.

  • When you get the Legislature's Budget, please support the included DSP wage increase.
What Should I Tweet?
Here's a sample tweet you can send during the "Ask the Governor" Program:

@NJ1015 Will u support people with dev. disabilities by increasing wages in FY18 budget for direct support professionals #AskGov 
Up Next....Stay Tuned!
There are only 4 days left in the fiscal year and we will need your help every step of the way. Thanks for all you've done and continue to do. Keep an eye out for additional alerts throughout the week. 
The Coalition for a DSP Living Wage Steering Committee Members

The Arc of New Jersey
The Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities
The New Jersey Association of Community Providers
Autism New Jersey
New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities
The Family Support Coalition of New Jersey
New Jersey Statewide Self-Advocacy Network
The Statewide Regional Family Support Planning Councils