Anti-Abortion Initiative
Perhaps it has come to the attention of other voters that a signature campaign is under way to place an initiative on the November ballot that would eliminate Medi-Cal funding for abortions in California and re-direct these Medi-Cal dollars to facilities for unwed mothers and services for persons with disabilities.
Voters beware! No such alliance between the disability community and anti-abortion activists exists, as “pro-lifers” would like you to believe.
Funding for services for children and adults with developmental disabilities is mandated by the Lanterman Act, which provides for services that meet each disabled person’s needs on an individual basis. A long-standing structure exists for guaranteeing the rights of persons with handicapping conditions.
The developmental disabilities system does not need nor want to take benefits away from another needy group in order to finance services for the developmentally disabled in California.
The California Legislature and the U.S. Congress are doing a fine job of ensuring funding for disability services and ensuring protections of the rights of the disabled.
If the public is so concerned with the survival of community programs for disabled children and adults, ask your state legislators to support AB 2374, which would increase funds to community residential programs for severely disabled children and adults.
And contact your congressperson to ask his or her support for HR 700, the Civil Rights Restoration Act, on behalf of the nation’s disabled children. And support the continuation of Community Services block grant funds through the federal budget deliberations!
I believe the public does not want to legislate human services policy via the ballot initiative process! Remember the overwhelming defeat of Proposition 41 in November, 1984!
Linking services for the disabled to pro-life issues is bad public policy. Pro-lifers should advocate for their issue on its own merits! Voters beware! Think twice before you sign any petitions!
KAREN J. GILMAN
Los Angeles
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