Put your money where your values are!

 Put your money where your values are!

Maryland has a 1.4 billion dollar deficit.  So, some programs will need to be cut.  And, even with the deficit, some programs are getting an increase.  Currently there are 4,000 adults with disabilities who qualify for adult services but who are not receiving those services because there is no money.  If there are so many people waiting for service, why is the Governor proposing to cut the funds for those services even more. 

 In the budget presented to the legislature, the Governor is proposing a cut of 150 million to disability services. Currently it appears that the most significant cuts will be for those individuals with the most severe disabilities.  In the 2025 budget, Governor Moore proposed a 200 million dollar cut, but advocates were able to convince the legislature to restore about 97% of those cuts.  However, the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) lost a rate increase for providers.  These are individuals who care for the most vulnerable in our population.  We all get very angry when there is a case of a person with disabilities not receiving the attention and care he/she needs and becomes injured.  Everyone jumps and shouts, including members of the legislature, about how awful it is. It is all well and good after the injury to complain about the agency not doing its job.  But what is the job of the legislature to provide the funds to secure the appropriate adequately paid staff.

Support for DDA funding is bipartisan but Republicans are also using the full funding of DDA as a reason to cut the funding for the Blueprint for Education.  The Governor also wants to increase the per pupil state aide to school districts from around $9,500 per student to around $11,500 per student to help compensate school districts for the loss of funds due to decreased enrollment.  If schools are dealing with fewer kids, why do they need more money? And why is DDA with a waiting list that is YEARS long being cut when they have MORE people needing service?  And if members of the legislature all agree that serving these very vulnerable citizens is a top priority, how does that value align with cutting funds? Perhaps they talk big but need to put the money where they say their values are.