PROVIDENCE
–– An estimated 2,000 people rallied outside the State House Tuesday
afternoon to send a message — “No More Cuts” to programs and services
for the developmentally disabled.
The protesters, wearing orange
T-shirts that say “Keep the Promise” and “No More Cuts,” said they
began a grass-roots effort after “an official with the House Finance
Committee” said he would not rule out sweeping cuts to human-service
programs for the elderly and disabled as the legislators grapple with
the state’s budget deficit.
They referred to comments made last
month by Rep. Steven M. Costantino, who is overseeing the budget battle
as chairman of the House Finance Committee. Costantino yesterday
referred questions to Rep. Thomas Slater, D-Providence, chair of the
committee’s Human Services Subcommittee.
“As far as I know, there
have been no decisions on developmentally disabled [funding] and on
elderly affairs,” said Slater. “There have been no decisions made at
this time.”
Slater said of the demonstrators, “Either they’re
misguided or premature or somebody heard something or told somebody
else. They have not come to talk to me about it. They know I’m in
charge of the DD budget and the elderly budget. They’ve got to realize
how the system works.”
Rally organizers said they ran out of
T-shirts after handing out 2,000 of them. Demonstrators, including
dozens of people in wheelchairs, filled the stone plaza outside the
main State House entrance.
The rally was preceded by a 72-hour
vigil that began Sunday on the grounds of the former Ladd Center, the
original “Rhode Island School for the Feeble-Minded,” which federal
authorities closed 15 years ago after an investigation revealed
deplorable conditions.
Tom Kane, president of the Community
Provider Network of Rhode Island, said that while no one foresees a
return to such institutionalization, “if there are cuts, people will be
segregated in their homes.”
Kane, who is also president/CEO of
CranstonArc, said, “All Rhode Islanders deserve to live with dignity
and to be cared for by family and trained professionals. These funding
cuts to services will cause irreparable damage to the individuals the
developmental disabilities’ system is designed to protect — the most
vulnerable of Rhode Islanders.”
Steve Reeder, associate director
of Ocean State Community Resources Inc., of Rhode Island, stood in the
crowd with client Mildred Hayes, who uses a wheelchair.
“We don’t
want to see residents lose any services,” said Reeder. Budget cuts
would threaten day programs that allow people “to be out in the
community,” participating in programs such as music, art and pet
therapy.
Reeder said Hayes “has the opportunity to go to a knitting group one night a week,” and has also had a volunteer job.
“The
way these cuts are going — you’d have to look at [cutting] staff. In
some cases they’re making nine or ten dollars an hour. What do you cut
after that?”
