Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Rift forms over aid for disabled

At issue is best way to end wait list for services

Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 19, 2007 at midnight

Text size  

More Colorado Government

More stories »

On this they agree: Too many of Colorado's neediest citizens are on a waiting list to get help they need.

But lawmakers and advocates for the developmentally disabled are split over the best way to pare the list, and they're divided over a memorandum on the issue that's recently surfaced.

Rep. Mike Garcia, D-Aurora, wants a measure on the 2008 ballot to allow voters to decide whether to increase the state sales tax to raise money for people who are mentally retarded, autistic or have other developmental disabilities.

Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colo. Springs, wants to pare the waiting list by appropriating more money within existing budget revenues over five years.

Supporters of the tax proposal have written a "memorandum of understanding" - a document that's part pledge and part political strategy. The memorandum, which has been circulated among advocates for the disabled, seeks to bind supporters to the tax approach and to oppose any effort to solve the problem with existing revenues.

Opponents, including Republican lawmakers, called it heavy- handed.

"Were it any other issue, the memorandum would have become a huge political issue, very publicly in the press, several weeks ago," Gardner said. "But many of us feel that services for the disabled are so important that we can't allow it to be politicized."

Garcia said the memorandum was developed by advocates and with plenty of input. He said they are concerned that there are so many demands on the state budget and so many funding restrictions that more disabled clients can't be helped without cutting other programs.

"They don't want to close down a four-year college to end the waiting list," he said.

Each state determines what level of resources to spend on services for the developmentally disabled. The federal government then matches the spending.

Nearly 8,000 Coloradans are on waiting lists of some kind, for services that range from round-the-clock home care for the severely disabled to job training, housing assistance and nutritional drinks. Some Coloradans have been on waiting lists for as long as 20 years.

A 10-member interim committee, which Garcia chairs, is looking at why. The committee will meet next on Oct. 10 to discuss proposed legislation for the upcoming session in January.

Gardner said he's opposed to the tax proposal because it's a large hike, and there are no details on how the money would be spent. He also questions whether voters would approve it.

Garcia said specifics are still being worked out. The proposal calls for increasing the state sales tax rate from 2.9 percent to either 3.1 percent or 3.2 percent, or 2 or 3 cents for every $10 spent.

The money would raise an estimated $175 million or $240 million annually, depending on the amount of the tax increase.

Programs for the disabled currently receive about $350 million annually.

Among those supporting the tax proposal is The Arc of Colorado, which advocates for the developmentally disabled.

"This is the best solution offered to end the waiting list without butchering other state programs," said Marijo Rymer, Arc executive director.

Rymer said she was surprised that the memorandum, which her group helped develop, has generated controversy.

"I don't see anything heavy- handed about it," she said.

The Alliance, another group that assists the developmentally disabled, offered input but opposes the memorandum.

"The memorandum prevents us from supporting other measures out there. Our group found we were not able to sign it," said Roger Jensen, chairman of the Alliance board.