More than 4,500 low-income elderly Virginians will lose their long-term care coverage under all versions of the state budget currently being debated. This comes after years of cuts to critical social services and cuts in payments to health care providers who treat Medicaid patients.

"Imagine 112 city buses packed full of seniors driving them away from their nursing homes and dropping them off away from their doctors," said David DeBiasi, AARP Virginia Associate State Director for Advocacy. "That's essentially the impact of this proposal."

These cuts could have been partially or even completely avoided – this year alone the General Assembly chose to preserve dozens of loopholes and opened new ones. Lawmakers declined to close the yacht buyers' tax break; declined to close a coal tax credit their own auditing agency called "inefficient and ineffective"; and declined to close corporate tax loopholes that allow big multi-state corporations to shift profits out of state to dodge taxes.

Better Choices for Virginia continues to call upon our legislators to focus on the choices we should have made, to put people ahead of loopholes here in Virginia.

Virginia Organizing is part of Better Choices for Virginia-a broad alliance of business leaders, community organizations, retirees, parents, educators, health care providers, people of faith, and nonprofit organizations who want to make sure our state is a great place to live, raise a family, and run a business. We've come together for the common good. We want to make sure Virginia invests what it takes to create jobs and preserve a prosperous future: schools, health care, public safety and other building blocks of a strong economy.

"10 Ways in 10 Days" is an educational campaign to highlight the impact of the budget choices we've made in Virginia, and how we can better address the current challenges we face to ensure future prosperity.