Los Angeles Daily News
Re: “State must not siphon off developmental services funding” (Editorial, May 9)
Posted: 5/14/2017
Your editorial was right about the need to prevent Sacramento from siphoning funds away from services for the developmentally disabled.
I applaud Assemblyman Tom Lackey and the authors of ACR77, who have fought valiantly to preserve these dwindling resources for those who need them most. To that end, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved my motion, with Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, to support Assembly Bill 279, by Chris Holden, that would adjust the rates of service providers to comply with local increased wage ordinances.
Without an increase to reimbursement rates to meet local mandates, many service providers in the county will have to shut their doors, leading to a shortage of services for the disabled.
Unfortunately, state funding reductions over the past 20 years, coupled with increased costs, have significantly eroded developmental services and the quality and access to care provided.
The 1969 Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act proclaimed that people with developmental disabilities and their families have a right to get the services and support they need to live like people without disabilities.
We need to do more to ensure that the 80,000 residents in Los Angeles County living with developmental disabilities have access to community-based programs providing vital services and support.
— Kathryn Barger The letter writer is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, representing District 5