Colorado Group Pushes Ballot to Increase Taxes and Remedy Wait Lists

From Answers And Alternatives for Families of the Developmentally Disabled:

Dear Parents and others:

It is official. We are moving forward with a proposed ballot measure for 2008. After much consideration and a great deal of trying at the Capitol, we are making plans to take matters into our own hands and go directly to the people of Colorado.

A group of dedicated individuals, parents, and advocacy organizations have joined forces to end Colorado's wait list for people with developmental disabilities by generating revenue through a proposed ballot measure. Collectively, we feel that the children and families on our state's developmental disability wait list can no longer wait any longer for critical services, and that going to the people of Colorado may be the only option to remedy this unjust situation.

While we are hopeful that the Legislature will address the problem of long term care for persons with developmental disabilities via a referred measure, we can not wait until May to move ahead with our own plans. As we move forward with our ballot measure effort, we will continue to explore other opportunities in the legislative process that may address long-term fixes. For now, however, we feel that we owe it to our children, our loved ones and the constituencies that we serve to move forward with a proposed ballot measure to end Colorado's wait list for children and families with developmental disabilities now. And while we all agree there are other issues, such as systems reform, that are critically important -- we feel there remain other advocacy routes at this time to address those broader issues.

Our Leadership Coalition will begin meeting monthly. There are also opportunities to participate in various campaign sub-committees. We will continue to provide you with a monthly update and let you know how you can participate in this effort because it will take each and everyone of us to make the impossible, possible.

Please contact me at dnvrfox@aol.com if you have questions. You may also contact Marijo Rymer, who is serving as the chair of this campaign effort, at the ARC of Colorado, 303-864-9334 or at _mrymer@thearcofco.org_ Please contact us if you are interested in actively joining our coalition. We will send you a copy of the resolution that all coalition members are committed to and details about future meetings.

Denver Fox, PAD-CO
http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox

[Draft of Resolution, dated January 2008]

RESOLUTION: End the Waiting List for Persons with Developmental Disabilities NOW

WHEREAS, as of November 2007, in the state of Colorado, more than more than 7,000 adults and 150 children with developmental disabilities were in need of long-term health care services and support and more than 4,000
families supporting children with developmental disabilities were in need of family support services; and

WHEREAS, the undersigned is committed to supporting all reasonable efforts to end the waiting list for services for persons in Colorado with developmental disabilities; and,

WHEREAS, the State of Colorado is constitutionally constrained from fully appropriating funds to end the waiting list and support ongoing efforts to sustain acceptable levels of service without harming other programs and services that benefit the people of Colorado; and

WHEREAS, it is evident that new funding sources be accessed to address this critical need; and

WHEREAS, the Colorado constitution requires voter approval for imposition of any new tax, tax rate increases, change in use of a tax resource or collection or retention of moneys above limits established by TABOR.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The undersigned support efforts during the 2008 legislative session to address Colorado's serious healthcare needs and partnership efforts with other organizations to mitigate the crisis with the proviso that long-term care needs of all persons with developmental disabilities are fully addressed and other important programs that benefit Colorado citizens are not harmed;

AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: The undersigned support efforts to ask Colorado voters to approve new sources of revenue and/or changes in uses of revenue that will end the waiting list for services for persons with developmental disabilities and provide for the long-term care needs of persons with developmental disabilities at the next general election in November of 2008;

AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: The undersigned will make significant contributions in time and effort to inform the Legislative and Executive branches of state government and voters of the critical need to solve this problem.