Julia's Musings: House Budget Jeopardizes Services and Families

Today the House Appropriations Subcommittee on HHS released its proposed budget.

This budget proposal will significantly impact community-based services for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Here are just some of the proposed cuts:

CAP/MR-DD Reduction in State Supplemental Funds: FY 09-10 $16 million dollars/FY 10-11 $16 million dollars.
-This cut will reduce service funding for supplemental state-funded services provided to people currently receiving CAP/MR-DD waivers.

State Funded Services: FY 09-10 $50 million dollars/FY 10-11 $50 million dollars.
-This cut will reduce funds for state-funded services provided by Local Management Entities.

Freeze CAP Slots: FY 09-10 $14 million dollars and FY 10-11 $15 million dollars.
Although this is not a cut of funding for CAP slots it does mean that there will be no critically needed slots opening in the next two fiscal years.

At the end of the budget presentation today Representative Brisson requested an accurate accounting of how many people are being served by each of the programs that are being cut or eliminated and how these changes are going to directly impact the lives of the people currently being served. 

This is an excellent question and one that we in the community can answer.  Without these critical services our state will see real families in real crisis.  These cuts mean the elimination of jobs, which in turn means the elimination of tax revenue and an increase in the unemployment numbers in our state.

It is time leaders in the House begin an honest discussion of how to raise revenue to avoid these deep and drastic cuts to needed programs.  It is time we put people’s lives ahead of concerns over raising revenue.