Some of our neighbors who need this kind of help today will not get it
if the drastic cuts the governor proposes are implemented.
Many of these proposals are poorly thought out. People doing difficult
direct care jobs, some earning $10 an hour without health benefits or
mileage reimbursements, are being told that they will have a 4 percent
reduction in the pay they get for helping seniors and individuals with
disabilities live at home. A program that funds bathroom modifications
and ramps for low-income seniors and for children and adults with
disabilities is losing funds, despite long waiting lists and federal
stimulus funds that can be used to protect the program.
The governor's proposal also eliminates a health department respite
program for families of children who have severe disabilities. Many
other disability and low income services are also cut drastically. I
can't believe Vermonters want these kinds of cuts to happen. Let the
budget created by the Legislature stand. It makes cuts in many
programs, but it also raises enough revenue to avoid some of the worst
cuts in the governor's proposal.
No one expects to become disabled or to have a child or family members
suddenly dealing with major illness or injury or lost wages or with
unexpected or extraordinary needs. These things can happen to any of us
and are even more likely in hard economic times. This is a time for
policy makers to hold fast to government's role in helping us help each
other. Cuts to low income, disability and senior programs often hurt
both the Vermonters who need help and the person who provides
assistance. Many direct care workers cannot afford to take the proposed
four percent cut to a $10 an hour job and still drive up a back road to
someone's home to help someone take a bath or dress themselves or
prepare a hot meal.
We should worry less about comparing our tax burden to other states and
more about whether our taxes are being used to provide essential
services and whether they provide good value, for ourselves and our
neighbors, now and in the future. This country was not founded on the
slogan of no new taxes but on fair taxation with representation. Many
Vermonters who need help today have paid taxes for years. It seems only
fair to create a state budget that will help them during these hard
times.
Deborah Lisi-Baker lives in Waterbury.
