DUH SYNDROME

Utah Legislature Mentally-Challenged When It Comes to Disabled Services

By Tracy Medley, 6-26-06

Apparently when it comes to the disabled, Utah’s state government doesn’t have a square to spare. Despite ending this fiscal year some $300 million dollars in the black, the state plans to make devastating cuts in services and cash assistance to Utah’s disabled.

After an already demoralizing blow in federal cuts, the state is proposing to reduce the two-year time limit for cash assistance to Utahns with both long and short-term disabilities down to one year. This will, in effect, slash aid and benefits for close to 600 disabled and unemployed Utahns, which, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, amounts to “more than a third of the state’s 1,733-person caseload.”

Officials at The Department of Workforce Services say they are approximately $3.4 million dollars shy of the $13.3 million needed to protect the benefits of these individuals. They have been left with few options since the legislature refused their request for $1.5 million in supplemental funding during the 2006 legislative session.

Provo Republican and House workforce chairman, Rep. Steve Clark had nothing helpful to offer, “This is a perplexing problem, I’m not sure what the solution is.” It seems that their “solution” for now, is to enjoy their new $15 million parking garage while forcing hundreds of disabled Utahns into shelters and onto the streets.

Or perhaps the legislature is hoping some generous rich guy will swoop in and do their job for them… again.

The problem might be that people (Republicans, I’m looking at you) still seem to think of those on welfare, even the disabled as lazy and living the high life on our tax dollars, mocking both working suckers and the very idea of our capitalist society. It’s simplistic and hardly true when you consider the numbers. Those on assisted living take home a whopping $261 per month and are expected to live on that, which is appalling. I realize that we don’t want to be taken advantage of but, there are many safeguards in place to keep the freeloaders out. Are we, as a society really so parsimonious, distrustful and vile that we’re willing to sacrifice the well being of our most vulnerable neighbors?

Maybe the legislature will let those disabled individuals slated to lose their benefits sleep in their parking garage through the winter… Probably not.

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