Aaron Rendoff, 29, is outgoing, personable, gifted in theater and brain-damaged. Since his schooling ended a decade ago, he helped start a theater group for people with developmental disabilities and joined a bowling league despite having dementia and mild retardation.
But when his parents go to work, he still spends the days at home by himself, unable to remember bus routes and longing to work a real job.
For five years legal assistant Patty Rendoff has waited for help from the state in the form of job training and other care for her son — until recently, she thought she’d wait 20 more.
As nearly 10,000 Colorado families are waiting for similar state assistance, the Rendoffs’ situation isn’t uncommon, and it’s one advocacy groups for the developmentally disabled hope voters will solve this year by raising the state sales tax.
Shoppers would spend an extra 2 cents for every $10 if Amendment 51 succeeds, generating $186 million a year and relieving the service backlog. In total, the amendment would cost the average Colorado household $40 more a year.
“We cannot get him any kind of job training because we have no money,” said Patty Rendoff, saying paying out of pocket would cost a few thousand dollars a month. “It’s very expensive. Nor can we get people to work on skills while we’re away at work.”
Campaigners are targeting young people and suburban women, groups internal polls show are likely to support the measure despite the tough financial times, said Marijo Rymer, director of ARC of Colorado.
Advocates for the developmentally disabled — a group that includes people with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, retardation and other conditions — have pushed legislative remedies time and again, Rymer said.
But with each failed attempt, the backlog worsened until now it looms so large — the state estimates that by 2012 more people will wait for services than be served — that nothing but a new revenue stream will help, she said.
“We have to show people that these are real people, and there is no safety net for them,” Rymer said. “It’s a pretty small price to help those who really need it most.”
While there’s no organized opposition to Amendment 51, the Colorado ballot guide lists several arguments against the measure.
Sales taxes disproportionately affect poor people, for whom daily purchases make up a larger chunk of income. And with price tags on gas and groceries climbing, Coloradans can ill afford to pay more on other purchases as well, according to the 2008 Bluebook.
The pro-51 effort is largely grassroots. Contributors include scores of small, individual donations with some bigger donations coming from ARC and other service groups.
In total they’ve raised just more than half a million dollars, most of which was spent getting the measure onto the ballot.
Families within the developmentally disabled community are waiting to post signs and are spreading the word at their churches and jobs, said Patty Rendoff.
Aaron Rendoff recently moved from his spot in line for state services to a shorter, emergency line. His mother hopes to see some aid within the year.
“You love your kids,” Patty Rendoff said. “When you reach the end of your resources, you’d like to hope that there’s another resource out there.”
