June 23rd, 2008

Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer editorialized that Rendell’s proposed budget –which gives no cost-of-living increase for mental health and mental retardation facilities – is hurting the people that need help the most.

The Inquirer points out that this funding shortfall was proposed “despite waiting lists of tens of thousands of people who need these services, and despite rising agency costs for necessities such as fuel for transportation.”

About 700,000 people in Pennsylvania rely on these services, from autistic children to mentally retarded adults living at home with elderly parents. Overall state and federal funding for mental-health/mental-retardation programs totals about $5.4 billion. That includes a proposed $70 million increase to take about 900 families off of a waiting list, but there is no cost-of-living increase.”