By Vivian Obarski
Regional Reporter

Panel discussion agrees not to sacrifice human services

Instead of beseeching Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk to increase funding for developmentally disabled programs, a group of organizations is taking its case to the public through a series of town hall meetings.

Even though developmentally disabled program advocates said during a town hall meeting last Thursday in Sun Prairie that they didnıt want to criticize Falkıs self-imposed tax levy formula of population growth plus inflation, that didnıt stop people from describing the effect it has on their programs.

"In 2005, that formula only allows taxes to go up $3.32 million," said MARC Executive Director Richard Berling during the town hall meeting at Westside Elementary School. But with union employee contracts and courthouse construction, Berling said the countyıs expenditures are estimated to increase $8 million. "Where do you think the gap is coming from?" he asked. "Human services."

Because of this, an organization called Save Our Services (SOS) Dane advocates increasing the countyıs portion of the property tax bill by $20 to preserve human services.

Falk countered in an interview that sheıs increased funding for human services by $4 million in the 2005 budget, thanks to federal and state funding. According to the county executive, developmentally disabled programs will see funding increase from $71 million this year to $73 million in 2005. "We have the best human services system in the state and I will be giving a budget to the county board that meets my levy target," Falk vowed. "I can and I will do both."

District 21 Supervisor Dave Wiganowsky also expressed hesitation at the $20 property tax increase proposal. "If it was used for what it was supposed to, it would be fine," he said after the meeting. "But I fear that weıll tax the $20 and use it to buy parkland."

District 19 Supervisor Jeff Kostelic echoed Wiganowskyıs words. "I do not endorse raising property taxes," he said. "We havenıt even begun to debate the budget. As for preservation of services, I believe it is time to look at whether all of our social services programming is necessary or even effective," Kostelic added. "Services for those with severe mental and physical disabilities should not face cuts when there is a possibility that some public funds are being expended unwisely or inefficiently."

While the funding increase is all well and good, Berling countered that it doesnıt do anything for existing clients. "My belief is that most of the new money is with new clients," he said. Berling explained that he believed most of the new money was for the new clients that will receive services next year. "If thereıs $2 million, it doesnıt do our existing clients any good," he said. "Purchase of service providers were cut one percent. Weıre glad to be serving new clients, but the real problem is that the 2004-05 budgets cut into existing clients," Berling added.

By increasing the property tax bill 10 cents per $1,000 of property valuation, Berling said that would take care of cost of living adjustments and fund services for existing clients. This year, MARC lost five staff members due to the budget cuts, Berling said. Work Opportunities in Rural Communities (WORC) Executive Director Janet Estervig said they lost 1.5 full-time staff members. WORC serves adults with developmental disabilities living in communities outside of the city of Madison.

"MARC cannot do this much longer," said Berling. In testimony before the countyıs Health and Human Needs Committee, Berling said the center is about to lose its line of sight supervision with its clients who have the highest needs.

"Their answer was to get a video monitor," he said. "Weıre not going to do that. Thatıs not realistic."

Estervig added that currently, if a WORC client is about to lose his or her job, no staff time is available to help that person find another job. "Weıre stretched so thin that we donıt have any staff able to do this," she said. "For people who get a job cleaning the streets, they get paid double what our people make."

In addition to Berling and Estervigıs pleas for more money, elected officials present at the town hall meeting also heard similar messages from the 13-member audience. "I want to tell them that I need a job coach and I canıt work without one," said 18-year-old Christie Dorn. Dornıs typed message was read by her mother, Margaret, to the panel. "I donıt want to sit at home and do nothing," Dorn stated. "I want to be an active citizen in the county. I need to be helped to do this. I wish you would do the right thing and give the money necessary to fund the program."

MARC client Sue Skernes also urged for more funding. "Theyıve been a great help to me," she said after the meeting. "They help me get a job and I also meet with them. Iım worried -- I hope that they can keep helping me."

As providersı budgets continue to shrink, the quality of service will degrade, said Suzanne Hanson of MARC. Hanson said that in the past, nothing negative about MARC was reported to the state. That changed this year when a client left a site and his caregiver couldnıt be found, Hanson said. "Weıre so lucky that nothing occurred," she said. "But it was embarrassing and humiliating."

After attending the human services budget hearing on Sept. 9, Sun Prairie High School Teacher Andy Tauber said it was degrading to have people request to preserve services. "Who in human services decided this is what weıre going to cut" he asked. "Who created that pony show last week?"

Wiganowsky replied that the "pony show" occurs every year during the budget process. Department heads are asked in the spring to take cuts in their budgets, and they must listen because Falk is their boss, Wiganowsky said. Because Dane County Sheriff Gary Hamblin is an elected official, he has the option of raising the tax levy if he wants -- an option Hamblin hasnıt exercised yet -- Sun Prairie Mayor Dave Hanneman said. A former county supervisor, Hanneman said that the "days of deep pockets" may be gone for government funding. Without the public urging for the increase in funding, Hanneman said the county board wonıt make many changes to the budget.

"You may get the feeling that no one is paying attention, for all seriousness, the majority is paying attention," he said. "A grass-roots effort does work".

Kostelic said one problem with the department heads choices in budget cuts is that no priorities are set. "Money gets tight and maybe the best decisions arenıt made," he said. "She (Falk) might have the vision but Dave (Wiganowsky) and I can say no."

During the meeting, Tauber stated that the loss of these services doesnıt impact just an individual, but families also. If a person loses their job, parents or other relatives end up unemployed to care for the developmentally disabled person, he said. "Now youıre taking the parent out of the loop," Tauber said. "They literally have no where to go."

Even though heıs new to the issue, State 46th Assembly Rep. Democratic candidate Gary Hebl said if elected, he would see what he could do to aid these services. "It does seem like a poor way to prioritize," he said. "But I donıt think we should attack the living wage by county employees . . . everyone deserves that.

"You folks are special and you do go that extra yard," Hebl said. "But itıs not right to not fairly compensate you."