News: Voting Yes on 51 is Essential for PEOPLE with Developmental Disabilities on the Waiting List
Life is Good for a Few of Us…
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could simply identify those who need services and the legislature would simply review the facts and appropriate the resources to serve the over 12,000 people with developmental disabilities 
on the wait list. Unfortunately it isn’t that logical and definitely not that simple. Colorado makes it necessary for us to spend resources and time to put an initiative on the ballot and then try to get it passed. State wide initiatives require lots of money and time. If we had money, we wouldn’t be in this predicament. So in order to get the word out we need to expend twice the energy as anyone else and hope that people understand that the responsibility lies with all of us to take care of those in our society with the most needs, those who through no fault of their own are developmentally disabled.
2/10 of 1% or 2 cents on a ten dollar purchase is all we’re asking for to help nearly 12,000 real people who can’t help themselves! Times are hard, but I certainly couldn’t live with myself knowing that I didn’t do my share. We need to multiply our efforts by convincing ten people who tell ten other people who tell ten other people……Now that we have done all that, we must go to the polls and vote and make sure our family and friends also get there. You can be sure that the opposition will be there. Help for people with developmental disabilities is learning how to eat, moving from place to place, getting job training, medication assistance, a safe place to live, therapies, and many other things in most cases not covered by insurance. For families on the wait list it is a 24 hour, 7days a week, 365 days a year of constant care for their child or adult with this life long disability.
Some say that we should simply rely on donations to meet the needs of people in need! Well we do! And we rely on grants, entrepreneurial endeavors, and thousands of volunteers, and small salaries, and dedicated staff, and creativity and loving parents. The need is still too great and the resources are still not sufficient. Colorado has the most efficient delivery system in the country. The community centered board system was set up through the wisdom of the legislature in 1963. The law created private nonprofit corporations to meet the many needs of people with developmental disabilities in their own communities. Millions of dollars have been saved by serving people in the community by efficient private nonprofits rather than State run institutions.
Let’s reward this efficient system and meet our obligation of helping those who can’t help themselves by saying Yes to this small request of 2/10 of 1%.
If you already voted …Thank you! If not, there is still time.
Yes on 51….A Very Small Price to Pay!
