รายละเอียดกระทู้

By Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune reporter James Laskey, 40, pauses from his work and plays air guitar to piped-in music at Pioneer Center in McHenry County. Residents in the county will vote on a proposal Tuesday that would create a new property tax to support the center and other service pr http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-devleopmental-disability-tax-referendum-20130407,0,6759279.story Advocates say McHenry County levy is needed after years of state funding cuts As his son James struggled into adulthood with Down syndrome, Bill Laskey and his wife worried about how they would take care of him in their old age. James had lived at home growing up, but after a 10-year wait, he got into a residential facility in western McHenry County, where he feels at home now at age 40. "I can die happy," said Bill Laskey, a 90-year-old widower. "I feel very confident that he'll be well taken care of." But advocates for the disabled in McHenry County say current government funding levels cover only a fraction of the need. Supporters are pushing for the passage Tuesday of a ballot initiative that would create a new property tax to help the estimated 5,000 people in the county with Down syndrome, autism and other developmental and intellectual disabilities. The vote comes after years of cuts in state funding, but also as citizens have grown increasingly vocal about opposing new taxes. The proposal highlights a growing debate over what role local taxes should play in funding services that have traditionally been state and federal responsibilities. Those who live and work with people with disabilities tell a common tale: As funding has dwindled, the need has increased. People with Down syndrome, for instance, are living longer than they used to. And as more people are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, they come out of school needing help with working, socializing and living independently. The plea for local funding is also motivated in part by a fundamental shift in how the state treats residents with disabilities. Under a series of court agreements in the past two years, state officials agreed to move people with disabilities from institutional to community-based housing. That puts greater pressure on local service providers to help new residents learn to live with their new freedom. In response, 14 Illinois counties have created tax-supported development disability boards, as the McHenry referendum proposal's backers seek to do. The McHenry County Board agreed to place the proposal on the ballot in response to requests by advocates for the disabled. A similar effort in Kane County was turned down by a County Board panel. Instead, advocates there are trying to land a spot on the ballot next year through a petition initiative that requires 18,000 signatures. Both proposals would tax property at 0.1 percent of its assessed valuation. That amounts to about $60 per year for a $200,000 home with a homestead exemption, according to county officials. Such a tax would generate about $8 million annually in McHenry, and $13 million in Kane, county officials estimate. The money would be distributed by a county-appointed disability board that would hire agencies to support independent living, jobs, therapy, transportation and supportive care. Among the recipients would be current service providers, like Pioneer Center, where James Laskey lives. Critics of the proposal have been outspoken, if few in number. Andrew Gasser, an Air Force veteran and a Republican precinct committeeman in Fox River Grove, said the tax will hurt poor and middle-class homeowners struggling to survive the recent housing bust and recession. Gasser said he has compassion for those with disabilities but questioned why they warrant a special tax, when many families also face financial strains while caring for loved ones with a host of other ailments. "There's a responsibility we have as a society," he said, "but at the same time, government cannot do it all. People just can't afford it." Another opponent, former state Rep. Cal Skinner, said the tax could attract more people with disabilities to McHenry, while prompting Illinois to reduce funding since the county would have its own resources. McHenry County already has a property tax that funds substance-abuse treatment and mental-health and developmental-disabilities assistance, Gasser said. The county Mental Health Board collects about $13 million annually, of which about 10 percent goes to developmental-disabilities assistance, officials said. The board has come under criticism for its spending choices and has gone through some recent turmoil, replacing board members and its executive director. Nationally, Illinois has long ranked near the bottom among all states in funding for developmental-disabilities help. Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed increasing funding for developmental disabilities to $1.7 billion this year after several years of cuts, but the latest ranking by the University of Colorado and University of Illinois at Chicago places Illinois 42nd in spending. Slightly more than half of the funds in the state come from the federal government, almost half from the state, and just 2 percent from local sources, the researchers found. One state, Ohio, has taken the lead in local funding, creating a tax to fund each county, University of Colorado professor David Braddock said. By contrast, Braddock said, "Illinois has been underfunding developmental disabilities for some time. You're taking advantage of Americans who are least able to speak up for themselves." Most developmental-disability boards are downstate. Champaign County voted to create such a board and tax in 2004. Board member Elaine Palencia, whose own son has severe disabilities, said the $3.5 million in annual funding helps those with disabilities find meaning in life through things the rest of us take for granted, like being able to work, go shopping or meet friends. The board also supports an anti-stigma movie every year at Roger Ebert's Film Festival, as well as an annual disabilities expo and art fair. "This money allows them to be full, functioning members of society," Palencia said. "It's a lifesaver for so many of them." rmccoppin@tribune.com