Article Contributed on: 8/26/2008 9:51:01 AM
The Arc in Jefferson County, which serves individuals with developmental disabilities in Lakewood, as well as the rest of Jefferson, Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties, dug deeply into its rainy day reserves to contribute $51,000 toward the campaign to educate voters about the injustice of the long Wait List for services.
In Colorado more than 12,000 real people who are otherwise eligible to receive supports like job coaching, assistance with shopping, menu planning, or with learning other self-sufficiency skills must wait many years--sometimes 10 or more years--with no help.
Most Coloradans believe that a state as caring and committed as Colorado would certainly have some system of supports available when individuals with disabilities such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or autism finish their K-12 educations, but sadly, no such Safety Net exists. Young people often remain at home with aging parents while the skills they learned in school are lost or forgotten.
Initiative 51 calls for a statewide increase of two-tenths of one percent to the sales tax that would begin to collect the resources necessary to provide supports and services to everyone on the Wait Lists, children as well as adults. That's two cents on a $10 purchase, a small price to help!
Colorado is currently 46 out of 50 states in funding for disability services, a fact that is shocking and embarrassing to many of our citizens. Passing Initiative 51 would move Colorado into the top 25.
Why a citizen's initiative? With all due respect, the legislature has been unable to keep pace with all the other resource demands from those with much louder voices and more political strength. The governor's office is sympathetic but even with his support, without an election, the Wait Lists will extend on and on.
So, we urge a Yes vote on 51. More than 12,000 people are waiting on you.