Services for those suffering from mental illnesses are next on the chopping block for the Oklahoma Legislature as more programs are being cut to accommodate the budget deficit our state has fallen into. Now pundits are starting to worry that more medical and education programs could hit the block as an end to the budget nightmare has yet to appear, and some are starting to look at alternative means of balancing the state’s budget problems.
Should Politicians Pay For Disability Benefit Cuts?
A woman—whose son has been on the Medicaid home and community services waitlist for six years—is getting frustrated with the situation that is unfolding, and she is not alone. That waitlist for services that are meant to help people with disabilities is over 7,000 Oklahoman’s long and getting bigger. It is a problem that’s been getting worse despite the Blue Ribbon Panel that was formed to address these issues in 2013. Now Oklahomans who have a gotten off the waitlist are going to have to wait until July before they see their next benefits check, and more cuts may be soon to follow.
Now this mom and several others are suggesting their own solutions like—stopping Oklahoma income tax cuts and business tax cuts, freezing all cuts to disabilities programs, and cutting the pay of members of the Oklahoma State Legislature. Some of these suggestions are less feasible than other, but with a $1.3 billion hole in the budget, many programs are going to suffer before the situation gets better.
Do you have a solution to the state’s budget crisis? Do you have an idea that could help restore disability benefits to the thousands in need? Log onto our Facebook and Twitter pages and let your voice be heard.
