BOISE, Idaho -- There will be no "bad guy" in the Capitol auditorium at the Idaho Statehouse on Friday, Jan. 28. There will be no Tom Luna versus teachers' unions. There will be no debate over lap tops. The issue coming before lawmakers, while packed with complexity, comes down to a basic question: Are you willing to cut services to Idaho's most vulnerable citizens?
In order to meet Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's projection of an $84 million shortfall, Idaho's Department of Health and Welfare is considering Plan A and Plan B. Plan A would see a hefty budget ax come down on Medicaid-funded services to adults. Wholesale cuts to developmental disability and psycho-social rehabilitative services could result in more than $25 million in reductions. Plan B would include less of an axe and more of a scalpel to select services, resulting in approximately $20 million in savings.
Advocates for the disabled say they need to influence lawmakers that there is a Plan C. It's risky and it may become the political hot potato of 2011. But it's simple.
"We want our legislators to know we support a tax increase if it is necessary to avoid further cuts in Medicaid."
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