Rally will protest province's funding cuts to the disabled (please help if you can) (6)

Group won't bottle up its discontent

Rally will protest province's funding cuts to the disabled

Local organizations that support people with disabilities want Edmontonians to bring their empathy and empties to a mock bottle drive this week.

The group, also made up of affected families, hopes to raise $2.8 million to turn over to the Alberta government to make up for funding cuts that they say will severely impact the province's most vulnerable citizens.

Of course they don't actually expect to raise millions, said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, executive director for Public Interest Alberta.

Instead, they hope to put on a unique rally that will prompt the government to reverse the decision it made before Christmas to force agencies to cut $2.8 million from their budgets, effective this month.

"People are very, very angry," Moore-Kilgannon said. "Families have been struggling for years to find programs as it is and to have the government turn around and cut programs, it's kind of the last straw."

The bottle drive idea comes from the fact that the government reversed its decision last summer to raise liquor taxes and collect an additional $180 million, which could've gone to funding for people with disabilities.

"That's about a 10 cents saving on a bottle of beer," Moore-Kilgannon said. "It's important to get that big picture for people."

A similar event was held in Calgary recently featuring a mock bake sale with $10,000 cupcakes.

"One of the things I'm really frustrated with is the minister keeps saying this won't affect services. That's simply not accurate," said Wendy McDonald, president of the Alberta Association for Community Living and mother of a 15-year-old son with disabilities. "We're already seeing services that are already being reduced. The other thing that's happened is agencies are pulling back service now in anticipation of what the budget cut might be in April."

Although funding to children with disabilities isn't being cut, McDonald said she fears for her son's future.

A spokesman for the Department of Seniors and Community Supports said the government is working to ensure cuts don't affect people supported by programs. They plan to focus on slashing administration costs and attempt to use resources more wisely, encouraging a support worker to take two clients on a trip rather than one, for example, spokesman Dan Laville said.

The bottle drive will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at McDougall United Church, 10025 101 Street.

ALYSSA.NOEL@SUNMEDIA.CA



The groups working with people with disabilities were given money from the government, and now the government is saying they have a deposit (arrears) and now need those groups to find the money and give it to the government. These are non profit groups that have to raise their own money. The money that was given to these groups was to pay for the people looking after the adults with disabilities.

It was suggested that these programs shut down for 1 day a week, or 1 whole week to save money, but where do these adults go??? Now figure this one out, if the clients are not in the programs, they have to stay home or in the residence. Parents work, so who stays home, and in the residence's, the same group that pays the workers in the programs, pays the people that are care takers in the residences. During the day, most residences are closed. Where will the money come from to pay caretakers to look after the clients .... DUH the same idiots asking for the money back and asking these places to cut back.

Some places have already said they have to shut down if this happens. What happens to those clients??? Especially the ones with no family to look after them? or their families are not able to look after them?

How many of you think these same political morons are going to show up at the Olympics at our expense? and are enjoying their own loverly large Christmas bonus's, and raises???

Our luck... government will use those bottles for their slush coffee fund.

I wish I could help...you know how I feel about this whole issue. It seems when budgets are being developed it is those most in need that are at the bottom of the priority list...and when cutting is to be done, it is those same people, with the lesser of provisions, that are targeted. Because I work primarily with adults with disabilities and I know of the challenges and barriers that are faced everyday; I find this kind of action to be very offensive and quite likely the biggest barrier of all. I am right beside you in spirit...

Do the same as you eyes, work with adults with disabilities ... and have one of my own. This also affects former foster kids with disabilities.

Might also put me back on the unemployment line.