From the Executive Director

Business as usual? 

In 2002, Governor Blagojevich took office with a pledge to end “business as usual”.  In August, 2007, Illinois set a record for an 84 day overtime session, with the Gov and Legislative leadership bickering about budgets and other state priorities.  This indeed, was an unusual way to do business, but for people with developmental disabilities in Illinois, it got even worse.

Robert Okazaki, Executive Director

When presented with the Fiscal Year 2008 budget, Blagojevich vetoed $500 million dollars worth of spending which according to the Governor, were “pet projects and other non-essential programs that Illinois could not afford”.

Among the cuts was $11 million dollars for a cost-of-living increase to programs supporting individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Funding for $35.5 million of other community developmental disability support was also removed because they too were considered “pet projects”.

The Governor knows well that since 1990, Illinois has under-funded community services by 30% when compared to what the state paid itself for similar services over that time.  He understands that community providers, mostly non-profit charitable organizations such as Avenues, are becoming increasingly unable to support the over 45,000 individuals statewide who depend upon us each day for needed support. 

According to the Blagojevich’s own Department of Human Services, over 10,000 individuals with disabilities are waiting for residential, day and employment support services.  As a result of the funding reductions, elderly caretakers providing for their adult child with a disability have to hang on even longer before they have any chance of help from the state.  Children graduating out of special education services lose important skills as they languish due to their inability to access important community support programs.  Too bad the Governor considers their problems “non-essential”.

A 2007 University of Illinois report titled “State Funding of Community Agencies for Services Provided to Illinois Residents with Mental Illnesses and/or Developmental Disabilities” concludes that “Illinois needs to proceed with substantial reforms to preserve its community system assisting persons with developmental disabilities”.  Business as usual means those reforms will not be taking place.

To consider community developmental disability programs as a priority would have been a welcome change to the way things were going in Illinois.  However, when an increase in funding for cost-of-living for people with disabilities is considered a “pet project”, then we realize that this Governor is no different than the others and will only hasten Illinois’ decline of its developmental disability support system. 

By the way, in this same budget, the Governor approved a pay raise of 13% for himself and his legislative colleagues.  The proposal for a miserly .50 cents per hour increase for community direct care workers was not approved.  What leader pays himself first, while ignoring the needs of his Illinois citizens with disabilities?  Certainly not one intent on changing “business as usual”.