From the Press of Atlantic City and the East Brunswick Home News Tribune, editorial praise for a proposal to close five of New Jersey’s state-run institutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The opposition to this plan has been painfully parochial. Unions and state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, have voiced criticism because jobs will be lost if developmental centers are closed (although [Assemblyman Louis] Greenwald, D-Camden, says some of those workers would be redeployed to community residences).

Jobs, of course, are always an issue, particularly in this economy. But are Van Drew and the others really suggesting that New Jersey’s policy for caring for the disabled should be determined by how many state jobs are created?

The goal should be the most humane, effective — and cost-effective — care. New Jersey desperately needs more community-based alternatives for the disabled. Greenwald is on the right track and deserves praise for even tackling this often-ignored issue.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 15th, 2009 at 3:48 pm and is filed under community participation, group homes, housing, institutionalization. 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.