NCIL says President Obama's budget proposal will move independent living funding from consumer control

From the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL):

February 1st, President Obama released his 2011 Budget proposal after declaring last week that there will be a three-year spending freeze on most domestic programs.

NCIL obtained a copy of the Department of Education budget yesterday and we were outraged to learn that with the stroke of a pen, the President’s Budget proposed to eliminate the current funding mechanisms for Part B and C Centers, and replace them with a new Grants for Independent Living program!

The document claims that the consolidated program would provide formula grants to states to support the provision of independent living services through CILs, and to hold states accountable.

This is a bad idea! Instead of providing direct funding to CILs, as has been the case since 1992, this proposal will put all of the money in the hands and at the discretion of each state’s DSU. This proposal is an insult to years of work to develop a consumer controlled program that is funded in a method that assures such control. Allocating all Independent Living Program dollars through each state will remove much of that control.

The one positive aspect is that the budget calls for a $6.3 million increase over 2010 funding. However, if the money goes directly to the state, there is a good chance that those dollars will go to increased administrative costs instead of to the CILs and SILCs that desperately need that money.

NCIL finds it incredibly disheartening that the Department of Education would think so poorly of the Independent Living Program in America to reformulate our funding back to a process that proved to be inefficient and lacking in consumer control in the past.

Act Now!

Fortunately, the President’s budget proposal is just that – a proposal. The next step is for Congress to put together their own budgets in each Chamber, starting with the House of Representatives. The Appropriations Committee in the House and Senate need to know that this change is a bad idea, and that the Independent Living community will not tolerate such attacks on our existence and ability to control our programmatic activities. Here’s who needs to hear from all of us:

1. Call the White House! This is the President’s budget and the White House needs to hear from the IL community that we are not happy that the President would propose a budget with negative ramifications for the Independent Living Program in America. Contact the White House online, or call them at: 202-456-1111.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees in Congress need to know about the proposal for the Independent Living Program, and that we need Congress to send the President a budget that doesn’t reduce the consumer control of the Independent Living Program and create more bureaucratic hurdles for Centers for Independent Living.

2. Contact both Appropriations Committees! If your Senator or Representative is on any of the Committees or Subcommittees listed below, they need to hear from you! If your Representative sits on any of these Subcommittees, your help is especially needed!

· Senate Appropriations Committee

· Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, HHS and Education

· House Appropriations Committee

· House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education