Taxes for the Intellectually Disabled

Should Colorado taxes be increased to abolish the wait list of hundreds of intellectually disabled adults, who are in desperate need for services?

  My eldest son is twenty-one years old and intellectually disabled. His name is Nathanael. He has a rare genetic disorder, Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The shortened version of the scientific name of his disorder is Trisomy 5P. This disorder is so rare that it does not have a name such as "Autism" or "Down Syndrome." Basically, the scientific name means he has an extra piece on his fifth chromosome and it is inverted. Nathanael currently lives at home with me. He just recently graduated from Community Connections, which is an extension of the public school system. While he was in school, Nathanael took “Life Skills” classes. In these classes, they teach intellectually disabled students how to be independent (as much as they are able) in their community.

Nathanael has been on a Colorado waiting list to receive services since he was fourteen. At the last assessment he had, he was told it would be five or six more years before his name would come up to the top of the list.  Currently there are hundreds of adults waiting to get help with employment, adult day care and socialization, personal and home health care. The only way a spot opens up on the list is if someone dies or moves out of state. Why are there only a certain number of disabled adults that Colorado will help? Who made up this given number? The state will provide services to any number of residents who are unemployed, need child care, or hungry. There is not a list for those kinds of services. Why do adults who do not have cognitive disabilities get all the help they need? Daily I see individuals getting state funded services, when they are able to do something to improve their given situation. Why are my hard earned taxes paying for able adults, but not for my own son? 

I am not really sure if taxes should be raised to abolish the wait list. I do know there is money out there. I see it squandered on individuals who, I think, are able to provide for themselves. Maybe the state budget needs to be addressed to support our needy adult disabled community. I find it appalling that these individuals have to wait so long to get the help they so desperately need. 

I know there is a growing concern for unneeded tax hikes. We are in a recession and funds are very limited for all.  There have been tax increases for the disabled put on the state ballot in previous years. They have always failed, when other state funded projects requiring a tax hike, such as prisons and court houses, have passed. I think the general public sees "intellectually disabled" and they immediately think of the individuals, such as drug abusers and alcoholics, who take advantage of our welfare programs. Sometimes, I wish they could put a picture of some intellectually disabled adults next to the proposal on the ballot. 

I would like to know exactly how many are on this waiting list, what state funds are actually allocated for the intellectually disabled, to whom are the current funds dispersed, what effects a tax hike would have on our state's economy, how much of a tax hike would be needed to abolish the wait list, and why the heck do we even have a wait list for these individuals.