Advocates angry at budget cuts, 16,000-person waiting list for services

From the Miami Herald:

Caught in a pincer between angry lawmakers and even angrier advocates, Jane Johnson, the head of one of the state’s most troubled departments, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, resigned Friday as the legislative session neared an end.

… About 31,000 Floridians — mostly people with mental retardation, autism and cerebral palsy — receive services from APD, and another 16,000 remain on a waiting list that gets longer every year. With a shrinking budget and growing costs, administrators have been forced to ration services, a policy that has drawn the ire of families and advocates.

… Johnson has acknowledged that much of her job entailed taking blows from angry parents, advocates and service providers. ”When I took the job,” she told The Miami Herald Friday, “I got more condolences than congratulations.

”It’s the best job in state government if you want to make a difference. But it’s a thankless job for someone who doesn’t mind getting beaten up,” she said.

Advocates for disabled people say they will endure a disproportionate share of the pain of nearly $4 billion in cuts from a $66.2 billion state budget approved Friday. Social service agencies will see cuts of about $451 million.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 at 7:46 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, waiting list. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post