Ho Ho Hum...

Earlier today, Governor Gregoire released her budget recommendations. To the surprise of no one, it's a frugal offering. On the plus side, no one's been harmed through damaging cuts to program or services. Perhaps this is because fewer people are around to lose what little they have. On the downside, help is not on the way. Most notably, the needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities continue to go unnoticed.

With a hefty cushion of some $1.4 billion in reserves, Gregoire is budgeting for required spending on high ticket items such as pensions, education, and health insurance. Expecting the good economic times to stall with a slowdown in the housing market, she wants to tuck money away for the next biennium. Oddly, developmental disabilities is listed in the Governor's budget highlights under projected new costs, yet the overall funding for DD programs drops by less than a hair's breadth -- but it drops nonetheless. The increased costs are projected, but not funded. Apparently, it's the thought that's being counted, not the dollars.

While there's some funding for 6 new FTEs to add to the case management of persons with developmental disabilities receiving Medicaid Personal Care, there's also a $9.7 million reduction to Medicaid Personal Care due to a change in its forecasted growth. The reason for this reduction may be due to children whose respite care and time spent at school per federal rule can not be covered under MPC.

Even though the Governor is adhering to a strict supplemental proposal of budget fixes, the Division of Developmental Disabilities was not given funding to cover a fiscal hole in waiver services that we've heard is hovering around $3 million. Nor was it provided funding for any of the thousands of individuals and families who have been waiting for community-based services, providers who cannot pay their staff a living wage, or senior family caregivers headed for crisis. If this doesn't point to the need for "fixes" what does?

Again, advocates are left wondering why services for children and adults with developmental disabilities rate so low on the Governor's scale. Close to 9,500 families are waiting for low-cost family support services and some 700 young adults are graduating from high school this biennium without funding for employment services. This does not even factor in the unserved who are still waiting to be assessed.

Meanwhile, the DD Residential Advisory Council is well on its way to continue delaying further action on the DD institution issue. Charged with deciding how many of our state institutions are needed to serve a dwindling demand, the council is required by budget proviso to report its recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 2006. So far, its only recommendation has been to extend the date. In response, the Governor failed to propose a date change in her budget recommendations.

With only three meetings under its belt, the council has been up to its eyeballs in data that no one can agree to. It's scheduled to resume disagreeing after session. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. In the meantime, we urge people waiting for community-based services to email the council and let them know what services this state must include in its plan for in the future. Email: disabilities@gov.wa.gov. Website: http://www.governor.wa.gov/disabilities/default.htm

For information more on budget highlights for developmental disabilities, visit The Arc of Washington State website at: www.arcwa.org/2006_budget.htm. 

For a line item look at the Governor's supplemental budget proposals for developmental disabilities, visit: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget06/recsum/300040.pdf
 
Look for previews and reviews of all the session news in future editions of the Olympia Insider.

Happy Everything,
Your friends at The Arc of Washington State

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The Arc of Washington State
Advocates for the Rights of Citizens with Developmental Disabilities
2600 Martin Way E, Suite B
Olympia, WA 98506
888.754.8798
http://www.arcwa.org/