Assembly Member Mike Villines, R-Clovis, received an unexpected Valentine’s Day gift Thursday when a small group of concerned citizens stood outside his north Fresno office holding hand-made paper hearts that said “don’t cut our school funding and healthcare.”

The citizens are worried about proposed cuts in Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget that they say will take money away from schools and Medi-Cal, the state insurance program for the poor. Similar “Have a Heart” demonstrations took place throughout the state this week at the offices of other elected officials.

The Fresno group also delivered a box of chocolates and a card to the Assembly Republican leader.
“We just want to make sure our voices are heard,” said May Blia Ly, a senior staff member for the Fresno Center for New Americans. “These cuts are going to hurt our folks.”

Villines was not in his Fresno office on Valentine’s Day. But his staff graciously accepted the gifts and said they would pass along the citizens’ concerns to the Assembly member.

Alan Gilmore, director of education for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, a local affiliate of the national organization, said he just wants Villines to know how damaging the proposed cuts would be to the Valley’s families.

Said Gilmore: “These cuts are only going to make things more challenging and more difficult for them.”

--Kerri Ginis