By Brad Wood
In our recent debate on health care, it has seemed at times that shouting and distortion of facts are more powerful than truth. The image of “death panels” putting grandma out to pasture are more powerful than the reality of the option to discuss living wills with a doctor. This sort of discourse makes me sad, as God calls us to a higher level of dialogue about the issues, not the use of fear and scare tactics.
With the recent budget cuts here in Colorado that were announced, the affect they will have on the poorest and most vulnerable among us is awful. A Denver Post article from August 20th highlights one such individual who will be affected by a cut to a program that provides cash assistance, and the man is a grandfather. Instead of relying on fact or reason or discourse, I just want to make signs and shout “Governor Ritter is going to make grandpa homeless!” This might be a distortion of the truth, but it is a slight distortion at best.
Despite the appeal of marching around the Capitol with a sign saying this, I know that instead God calls me first to look at and layout the facts of the situation.
The program that is being “suspended” is called AND, or Aid to the Needy Disabled. It provides a $200 cash stipend to individuals who have less than $2,000 in assets, are disabled for at least 6 months, and are applying for SSI. The current caseload estimate for this program is around 6,400 individuals.
Two hundred dollars a month does not go far in this world, by any stretch of the imagination. After paying rent and some basic utility costs, there is no money left. Faith communities and other non profits likely fill in the rest of this population’s need with additional food, medical care and transportation. A true partnership between government and the public to keep these individuals housed and healthy until they can either go back to work or start to receive SSI because their disability is permanent.
Now, government is dropping their end of the bargain for these people. These are individuals who cannot work because of a disability. So what will happen?
Without any income, some will not qualify for or be able to keep their housing. Even if they can keep their housing many use their AND funds to pay the utility bill, and without paying the housing will disappear. Others may have a family member who will take them in. Most will go into our already overcrowded shelter system at best, or onto the streets at worst. The faith and nonprofit community might be able to help a few of these individuals stay housed, but most of them are already stretched thin with increasing demand and declining donations.
The end result will likely be thousands of new homeless in January, when this cut takes affect.
But there is time, and something can be done now to prevent this from happening.
First, in a budget briefing I attended in early August, the projected cuts were near $400 million. The budget cuts proposed this past week were $320 million. Somewhere in that $80 million that was spared must be something less drastic than letting thousands of our disabled citizens lose all their cash support? The Governor and his staff should be asked to prayerfully and thoughtfully reconsider this cut now, before it takes affect.
Second, if the governor is not willing to do this, he should be asked to publicly state that if revenue forecasts change between now and December (or, anytime in the future) that this program will be the FIRST to be restored because of the impact it causes for an extremely vulnerable population.
Third, contact your elected State Legislators and encourage them to NOT pass the bill that will be needed to suspend the program when they reconvene in January. Although the Governor is doing this by Executive Order, legislation is needed to suspend the program. By blocking legislation it will force the government to find the funds elsewhere.
And if all else fails, start making signs.
Brad Wood is the director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado. EDITOR’S NOTE: This online-only guest commentary has not been edited. Guest commentary submissions of up to 650 words may be sent to openforum@denverpost.com.
