Dave Perez: Good social programs make economic sense

By Dave Perez - Special to The Bee

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Like any child, our son, Sam, brings our family lots of joy, but more than his share of hard work. How many 17-year-old boys require 24-hour care, are tube-fed and incontinent?

All expecting parents know there is no guarantee of a healthy child. When disability occurs, we need to be responsible, but what happens if the parents of a child can't meet all of their child's needs, or if they become disabled themselves? These scenarios occur much more often then you might think.

There are no easy answers. Already this year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature cut $100 million from programs that serve Californians with cerebral palsy, autism and other developmental disabilities.

Dave Perez of Sacramento has a 17-year-old son, Sam, who has multiple disabilities.

Dave Perez

That $100 million cut followed a 10 percent hit on programs that help people with disabilities find jobs and a 3 percent cut on most of their other programs. Now, they are cutting another $234 million, with most of that coming from programs that serve disabled people in their communities.

These leaders are not from the same cloth as a legislator from the 1960s, Frank Lanterman. The "Lanterman Act" was signed into law by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1969 with input by Schwarzenegger's mother-in-law, Eunice Shriver. It addresses basic rights for people with disabilities and ensures they are not institutionalized.

The Lanterman Act is good social legislation, but it is also good economic legislation. By supporting people with disabilities in the community, we eliminate the greater expense of institutionalization.

California has kept the promise of the Lanterman Act – until now. The governor said in a recent live Web discussion that the Lanterman Act "is on the chopping block."

The additional cuts will devastate early intervention services, a foolish cut given evidence that these programs help children up to 3 years old avoid even becoming disabled. Cuts also threaten respite services for family members who care for their relatives. Considering that 80 percent of marriages involving children with disabilities end in divorce, giving families like ours a break sure helps. It's not a vacation but can free a parent to take a shower or go to the grocery store.

How we cut is critical. There are alternatives, such as accessing long-term funds the federal government has made available to us. We should also look closely at the remaining few large, expensive institutions, just as we closed Agnews Developmental Center in Santa Clara this past year.

The governor likes to show up one day a year at the Special Olympics and act inspired, but given his behavior that just seems to be Hollywood hype. These athletes' stories offer great Hollywood endings, but the choices he and the Legislature are making will make our kids' lives more difficult the other 364 days of the year.

Instead of spending a day at the Special Olympics, the governor ought to spend a weekend with a family such as ours. Perhaps then he would get the kind of inspiration he truly needs.