Palin opposes Colorado tax to help people with disabilities
October 21st, 2008
Speaking in an interview, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said she opposes a Colorado ballot measure that would raise the state’s sales tax and devote the funds to assisting people with developmental disabilities.
The measure, called Amendment 51, would raise the sales tax by one cent on every $10 spent in each of the next two years. It is designed to reduce the state’s waiting list of more than 12,000 people with disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy who are waiting for services like home nursing care or job training. Palin has campaigned with the promise of advocating for families of children with disabilities.
An excerpt:
There’s got to be an alternative to raising taxes. It’s a matter of prioritizing the dollars that are already there in government. What I did as governor of the state of Alaska was prioritize for a great increase in funding for our students with special needs up there, And I think that Colorado can do that also. And that is an issue near and dear to my heart.
My nephew with autism, my son with Down syndrome. I’m going to make sure that on a national level, too, that we prioritize to meet the needs of these special needs children. And the families will know that they have a friend and an advocate in the White House.
Doesn’t necessarily mean increasing taxes to meet those needs. It’s all a matter of prioritizing.
The comment came in response to a question submitted by former Colorado First Lady Frances Owens, who described herself as a “fiscal conservative,” a supporter of the McCain Palin ticket and one of the spokespeople in support of Amendment 51.
Video is here.
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on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 8:38 pm and is filed under Campaign 2008, Down syndrome, NOT2BEMISSED, cerebral palsy, politics.
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November 4th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
My son has a disability and I oppose 51. It falls short of adressing underlying problems in the current system that only services less than 1% of the disabled population in this state.
This tax is asking families who struggle to make ends meet beacuse they too have a disabled child or adult in their household but do not receive current services through the CCB’s to foot the bill for their families children. Why should I a single mother with a child inflicted with autism pay out of my very limited income a sales tax that will support a program that will never help my child? Yes that is right, this bill does not support all children with autism, cerebal palsy, etc.
The CCB’s are corrupt and run very poorly. CEO’s that make over $100k a year. Cut the non-profits out that distribute the funds and bring them inhouse.
This bill also fails to address:
1. What happens with current state funding? Will the state find that since they have this additional money coming in they can cut back on the funding they supply currently?
2. In years when the state is in an emergency financially this money can be used on administrative costs. This pulls the funding away from the people who supposidly are going to be getting it.
3. When years of sales are low, and taxes are not enough to cover all these people, where will the money come from to do so? Will the system have to cut people off of their benefits?
4. How does this address the needs of thousands of children and adults who have autism, cerebal palsy, etc. that do not receive services through the CCB? Thats right.. there are tons of children with autism, cerebal palsy, etc. that do not receive and will never receive services desperately needed under this program.
5. How does this address the needs of thousands of children and adults who suffer from mental health issues that make day to day living hard if not impossible? It doesn’t. It leaves people out of the same needed services that have things like severe bipolar, severe schziphrenia, etc. These people get no support, even through the mental health agencies.
6. Why should we the taxpayer have to pay out more of our money to support one organization? Is this not forced charity? We should be secure in knowing that our state puts these individuals on a higher priority level than they currently do. We should know that our tax monies already being spent are being done so in an appropriate fashion.
7. How does this address the current level of fraud being committed by non-profits and outside agencies who serve these individuals? I have seen items purchased for the disabled that go unused, yet cost thousands of dollars for the adult or child. The families then resell the item and pocket the money. I have seen contractors walk off with thousands of dollars of money for work not completed, then the CCB turn around and contracts the same work again with someone “in-house”. I have seen families damage their own property and then turn to these organizations and tell them their child with a disablity did it and they must get it fixed with your tax money.
8. What about family accountability for their own children? I have witnessed families living in upper middle class homes, driving brand new cars, with plenty of retirement and savings access these programs. I have witnessed many families with high incomes “hide” their money in “trusts” to access these services for their now “adult children”. I have seen these same families claim their children pay rent to them just to claim these kids are not actually living off their income. I know of one family in particular that makes $100k per year, lives in a 1/2 a million dollar home, drives volvos, has significant retirement savings and gets CCB services for their 16 year old child. Services that have include respite while mom and dad go skiing, boating, traveling out of state to places like Las Vegas, California, etc.
Yes these adults and children are expensive, but these programs are nothing more than middle class and upper middle class welfare programs. They neglect thousands of children in the state that desperately need programs to help them become independent adults.
This is not a fiscally sound source of income as they depend on a stream of unpredictable funding.
Vote no on 51.
October 27th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Sarah Palin is a hypocrite. I also work in a government section, in medical, and the finances. There does need to be a special devoted tax for the benefit of providing supports for the people with developmental disabilities.
The funding could be re-allocated from other projects if you want to cut supports for other programs.
What program did you want to cut? I don’t think that this is the time to cut unemployment, so what will it be?
People with disabilities can increase their self-esteem and ability to contribute with the additional supports in place. This population of people would love the opportunity to be able to show that they have more to offer. Please vote to help get the supports needed to assist people with developmental disabilities.
This should prove that Sarah Palin is all talk without substance. Yeah, she can pose as the cheerleader; but she has no substance to back up her words.
It is so sad that there is a specific group of people that want pro-life; but don’t want to support the child and family when there are “Special Needs” that require more than the typical family can give. And some will vote against any kind of assistance to help these families.
October 26th, 2008 at 2:47 am
What about the jobs that would be created? It is shortsighted to speak out against funding for assistance to people with developmental disabilities. Most of those tax dollars would go toward salaries for program specialists and caregivers, most likely to be our sons and daughters’ mainstream peers.
These jobs provide training and advancement for children of the middle class who, like Barack Obama, might choose jobs that give back to the community after they graduate from college, or like many young adults who can’t afford college, employment that will inspire them to enter the teaching profession or other public service careers.
These are not tax dollars that would be squandered on AIG type retreats for greedy, self centered people who could care less for their fellow citizens.
Funds spent on home nursing care, job training and other services for adults with disabilities save taxpayers more by reducing institutional care costs, emergency room treatment and allowing family members who are primary caregivers to get back into the workforce where their education and training will serve their communities best. Our sons and daughters deserve lives of dignity and choose to be taxpayers rather than living lives of isolation and lack of opportunity.
I hope that Amendment 51 passes with a great majority and taxpayers as well as people with developmental disabilities will reap the benefits.
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
In her acceptance speech at the RNC, Governor Palin said she was going to be an “advocate” for families of citizens with special needs. I assumed she meant advocacy in favor of my son, but I guess I was naive.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:12 am
While I would love to believe that all we need to do is reprioritize, the truth is that families, state and local non-partisan experts and Joint Budget Committee analysts have all come to the same conclusion.
While Colorado has more children and adults with developmental disabilities waiting for basic supports that we are actually assisting, we continue to hear that there is plenty of money in the system!
In the words of Aldous Huxley, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” These are real people who just need a little help. There is no one “out there” and no government safety net to provide help when aging parents become disabled themselves or pass away.
Our country decided almost a century ago that the “handicapped” no longer needed to beg on the streets with their caps in their hands! As a country, we are to be judged by how we treat the least among us. 2 cents on $10 is a small price to pay to help real people!
Yes, parents and families do everything they can to care for their children. Yes, we must teach individuals with DD to become valuable members of our communities. Yes, we must care for those who cannot “think through their day”. Yes, Colorado can do better. It’s never the wrong time to do the right thing!
Vote YES on 51 today!
October 21st, 2008 at 10:19 pm
this is just the beginning of Palin’s lack of support.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Amen! I work for the govt and I guarantee you there is plenty of existing money that is just put into insane projects that have no accountability and no useful purpose. Repurpose that money — no need to raise additional revenues!