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At the same time Gov. Scott Walker is meeting with Special Olympians in Madison, the governor is slashing programs that are vital to the needs of Wisconsinites with disabilities: public transit and FamilyCare, IRIS and the Children's Long-Term Support waivers. As a result, individuals who can get job training, go to work, live independently and achieve their true potential will face an uncertain future. If they are not able to rely on these programs, their relatives may have to quit their jobs to care for them; they may have to quit their own jobs because they don't have transit options or job training; they may need to consider living in a nursing home; their overall quality of life will suffer.
Below is a guest op-ed from Nino Amato, the president of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups, who is urging legislators and the governor to restore funding for transit, a service that the state's seniors and disabled need to be productive members of society. Please contact your state representatives and ask them to fully fund transit and FamilyCare.
Below is a guest op-ed from Nino Amato, the president of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups, who is urging legislators and the governor to restore funding for transit, a service that the state's seniors and disabled need to be productive members of society. Please contact your state representatives and ask them to fully fund transit and FamilyCare.
Public Transit Aid
Something that many of us take for granted can be a life-altering challenge for seniors and people with disabilities
By A.J. Nino Amato, President
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups
Gov. Walker's state budget proposal drastically cuts state transit funding to already struggling local public transportation programs. This is frightening—not only for seniors and people with disabilities, but for taxpayers and for our state's economy.
With Wisconsin's population aging at a historic pace, it is vital to have a variety of transportation options to meet our aging population's needs and to maintain our communities' economic health. There are more than 1.2 million seniors and people with disabilities in our state, and those numbers will substantially increase as many of us baby boomers move into retirement between now and 2030. While the senior population will double by 2030, the general population growth is expected to grow just 18%.
Across Wisconsin, in urban and rural communities alike, seniors and people with disabilities rely on public transportation to get access to basic needs like healthcare, grocery shopping, meals and day programs. Affordable public transportation also provides freedom and independence to stay connected with family, friends, and community.
Moreover, public transit is a local economic development tool for our communities. Seniors are major contributors to the economy. When we hinder their ability to engage in it, it diminishes the tax base and economically hurts local communities. Transit helps keep seniors and people with disabilities active and supporting local businesses. In turn, those businesses are better able to retain and create jobs.
Wisconsin's transportation system is not effective if it ignores the basic needs of the largest segment of our population, and puts unnecessary cost burdens on taxpayers and negatively impacts local businesses.
Fortunately, Wisconsin has options for its budget challenges. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau recently projected an additional $27 million in revenue in the State's transportation fund. By using less than half of this new revenue (just $12 million out of the $6.4 billion state transportation fund) funding for transit can be restored in full and our vital public transportation programs can continue serving seniors and our local economies.
We are hopeful that state legislators will make the economically smart and compassionate decision to restore $12 million to public transit aids in Walker's state budget. By doing so, they will not only empower seniors and people with disabilities to remain independent and actively involved with their families and communities, but will simultaneously support and strengthen our local economies.
Nino Amato is president of the Coalition for Wisconsin Aging Groups, a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide organization with over 100,000 members that work to improve the quality of life for people of all ages through: intergenerational understanding and leadership development, public education, legal and legislative advocacy and public policy development.