2008 Colorado Amendment 51

Last updated

Amendment 51
State Sales Tax Increase for Services for People with Developmental Disabilities
Results
Choice
Votes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes853,17637.63%
Light brown x.svg No1,414,01262.37%
Valid votes2,267,188100.00%
Invalid or blank votes00.00%
Total votes2,267,188100.00%

2008 Colorado Constitutional amendment 51.svg

Colorado Amendment 51 was a citizen's initiative proposed by Wendy B. Rosanova of Centennial, CO, and Marijo Rymer, executive director of The Arc of Colorado. [1] It was turned down by 62.4% of the voters. If it had passed, Amendment 51 would have amended the Colorado statutes to:

Contents

Statement of intent

(1) It is the intent of the People of the State of Colorado in enacting this initiative to eliminate the waiting lists for the continuum of long-term services for persons who, through no fault of their own, have developmental disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and mental retardation. Long-term health care services and supports at a minimum could include a place to live, help with daily living tasks, early intervention care, nursing services, training and employment. Providing funding to end Colorado's waiting lists for children and adults with developmental disabilities will enable them to receive the necessary supports to live with dignity and be fully included in community life.

(2) As of November 2007 more than twelve thousand children and adults who have developmental disabilities were on waiting lists for long-term health care services and supports. Many of these children and adults wait more than ten years before receiving care. Many individuals need almost constant guidance and assistance due to behavioral or mental health problems, a lack of adaptive skills, major medical issues, and absence of family support. Further, many need assistance to eat, dress, bathe or use the bathroom. Some cannot speak or read and are seriously limited in their ability to express their needs. Still others are young children with autism who cannot access early intervention services that are so desperately needed and proven to be effective. Many of these children and adults and the families who care for them are at the point of an acute crisis due to their unfulfilled needs. The state does not provide back-up options for those in crisis, leaving many with no help at all.

(3) The People find the current circumstances unacceptable and do hereby enact a slight increase in the rate of the state sales and use tax – an amount equal to one or two pennies on a ten dollar purchase – to be phased in over a two-year period. The People acknowledge that current system infrastructure is insufficient to address the needs of all those on the waiting lists. A phased-in increase of revenue will allow time to build capacity in the current system to better serve those in need. It is the intent of the People that the revenues generated by this initiative be used to serve additional persons with developmental disabilities except in the event of a declaration of a state fiscal emergency as provided herein.

Services for people with developmental disabilities

Services for people with developmental disabilities are delivered through a state and local system. The state administers the overall system; twenty local nonprofit agencies throughout the state determine a person's eligibility and arrange and provide services. Services are generally provided in the community or in the family home, and vary based upon the person's specific disability and needs.

In 2008 federal, state, and local government funding for these services is estimated at $372 million. The state's share of that total is about $184 million. This allows about 11,800 people to receive services. [2]

Waiting lists for services

There are currently about 9,700 adults and children on waiting lists for services within the next two years. That number is expected to grow to over 12,000 people by 2012. [2] If funding to eliminate the waiting lists becomes available, a number of people who are not currently on a waiting list may seek services as services become more accessible. Thus, it is difficult to estimate the total number of people who are eligible for services and the cost to eliminate the waiting lists.

Estimate of fiscal impact

State revenue

The sales tax increase raises about $89 million in budget year 2010 and about $186 million in budget year 2011 to provide services for people with developmental disabilities. The state is also expected to receive about $19 million in 2010 and about $39 million in 2011 from the federal government to fund these services. [2]

State spending

Amendment 51 increases state administrative costs by about $100,000 in 2009, $315,000 in 2010, and $430,000 in 2011 to oversee the services provided to people with developmental disabilities and to implement the sales tax increase. These costs cannot be paid from the new sales tax money, but a portion will be paid with funding from the federal government. [2]

Nonprofit agencies that provide services will experience additional costs of around $46 million in 2010 and $94 million in 2011. These costs include both providing the actual services to more people and startup and training expenses to accommodate the increase in services provided. The new sales tax money is expected to pay for some of these costs, with the remainder funded by the federal government. It is unlikely that all of the new sales tax money will be spent in the first several years because developing the capacity to serve the number of people who are on waiting lists will take time. Any sales tax money that is not immediately spent on services must be placed in reserve. [2]

Impact on taxpayers

Both individuals and businesses pay sales and use taxes. Businesses pay about 40 percent of the state's sales taxes; Colorado residents pay about half; and the remaining 10 percent is paid by visitors to the state. The additional amount of taxes paid by each Colorado household will depend on a household's income and number of people. A three-person household with around $55,000 in annual income is estimated to pay an additional $20 in state sales taxes in the first year of the tax increase and an additional $40 in the second year when the tax increase is fully in place. [2]

Results

Amendment 51 [3]
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No1,414,01262.37
Yes853,17637.63
Total votes2,267,188100.00

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social Security (United States)</span> American retirement system

In the United States, Social Security is the commonly used term for the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program and is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Social Security Act was passed in 1935, and the existing version of the Act, as amended, encompasses several social welfare and social insurance programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medicaid</span> United States social health care program for families and individuals with limited resources

In the United States, Medicaid is a government program that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by state governments, which also have wide latitude in determining eligibility and benefits, but the federal government sets baseline standards for state Medicaid programs and provides a significant portion of their funding.

Health insurance or medical insurance is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among many individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health risk and health system expenses over the risk pool, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to provide the money to pay for the health care benefits specified in the insurance agreement. The benefit is administered by a central organization, such as a government agency, private business, or not-for-profit entity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</span> United States government food assistance program

In the United States, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal government program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people to help them maintain adequate nutrition and health. It is a federal aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), though benefits are distributed by specific departments of U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in Canada</span>

Healthcare in Canada is delivered through the provincial and territorial systems of publicly funded health care, informally called Medicare. It is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984, and is universal. The 2002 Royal Commission, known as the Romanow Report, revealed that Canadians consider universal access to publicly funded health services as a "fundamental value that ensures national health care insurance for everyone wherever they live in the country."

Long-term care insurance is an insurance product, sold in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada that helps pay for the costs associated with long-term care. Long-term care insurance covers care generally not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elderly care</span> Care serving the needs and requirements of senior citizens

Elderly care, or simply eldercare, serves the needs of old adults. It encompasses assisted living, adult daycare, long-term care, nursing homes, hospice care, and home care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-term care</span> Services for the elderly or those with chronic illness or disability

Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long-term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time.

Social Security Disability Insurance is a payroll tax-funded federal insurance program of the United States government. It is managed by the Social Security Administration and designed to provide monthly benefits to people who have a medically determinable disability that restricts their ability to be employed. SSDI does not provide partial or temporary benefits but rather pays only full benefits and only pays benefits in cases in which the disability is "expected to last at least one year or result in death." Relative to disability programs in other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the SSDI program in the United States has strict requirements regarding eligibility.

A group home, congregate living facility, care home, adult family home, etc., is a structured and supervised residence model that provides assisted living and medical care for those with complex health needs. Traditionally, the model has been used for children or young people who cannot live with their families or afford their own homes, people with chronic disabilities who may be adults or seniors, or people with dementia and related aged illnesses. Typically, there are no more than six residents, and there is at least one trained caregiver there 24 hours a day. In some early "model programs", a house manager, night manager, weekend activity coordinator, and four part-time skill teachers were reported. Originally, the term group home referred to homes of 8 to 16 individuals, which was a state-mandated size during deinstitutionalization. Residential nursing facilities, also included in this article, may be as large as 100 individuals in 2015, which is no longer the case in fields such as intellectual and developmental disabilities. Depending on the severity of the condition requiring one to need to live in a group home, some clients are able to attend day programs and most clients are able to live normal lifestyles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthcare in the Netherlands</span>

Healthcare in the Netherlands is differentiated along three dimensions (1) level (2) physical versus mental and (3) short term versus long term care.

In the United States, health insurance helps pay for medical expenses through privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government. Synonyms for this usage include "health coverage", "health care coverage", and "health benefits". In a more technical sense, the term "health insurance" is used to describe any form of insurance providing protection against the costs of medical services. This usage includes both private insurance programs and social insurance programs such as Medicare, which pools resources and spreads the financial risk associated with major medical expenses across the entire population to protect everyone, as well as social welfare programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which both provide assistance to people who cannot afford health coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Gardner</span> American politician (born 1954)

Robert S. Gardner is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. A United States Air Force veteran and attorney, Gardner was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006. From 2006 to 2012, he represented House District 21, which encompasses western El Paso County and northeastern Fremont County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health insurance coverage in the United States</span>

In the United States, health insurance coverage is provided by several public and private sources. During 2019, the U.S. population overall was approximately 330 million, with 59 million people 65 years of age and over covered by the federal Medicare program. The 273 million non-institutionalized persons under age 65 either obtained their coverage from employer-based or non-employer based sources, or were uninsured. During the year 2019, 89% of the non-institutionalized population had health insurance coverage. Separately, approximately 12 million military personnel received coverage through the Veteran's Administration and Military Health System.

In England, social care is defined as the provision of social work, personal care, protection or social support services to children or adults in need or at risk, or adults with needs arising from illness, disability, old age or poverty. The main legal definitions flow from the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, with other provisions covering disability and responsibilities to informal carers. That provision may have one or more of the following aims: to protect people who use care services from abuse or neglect, to prevent deterioration of or promote physical or mental health, to promote independence and social inclusion, to improve opportunities and life chances, to strengthen families and to protect human rights in relation to people's social needs.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is a cabinet-level agency charged with providing aid to Pennsylvania's approximately three million individuals age 60 and older. Although the bureau operates some services directly, such as the Pharmaceutical Contact for the Elderly (PACE) prescription drug program, it generally serves as a clearinghouse of funding and information for county-level Area Agencies on Aging. The department was formed under the governorship of Milton Shapp.

Family support is the support of families with a member with a disability, which may include a child, an adult, or even the parent in the family. In the United States, family support includes "unpaid" or "informal" support by neighbors, families, and friends, "paid services" through specialist agencies providing an array of services termed "family support services", school or parent services for special needs such as respite care, specialized child care or peer companions, or cash subsidies, tax deductions or other financial subsidies. Family support has been extended to different population groups in the US and worldwide. Family support services are currently a "community services and funding" stream in New York and the US which has had variable "application" based on disability groups, administrating agencies, and even, regulatory and legislative intent.

The world's poor are significantly more likely to have or incur a disability within their lifetime compared to more financially privileged populations. The rate of disability within impoverished nations is notably higher than that found in more developed countries. Since the early 2010s there has been growing research in support of an association between disability and poverty and of a cycle by which poverty and disability are mutually reinforcing. Physical, cognitive, mental, emotional, sensory, or developmental impairments independently or in tandem with one another may increase one's likelihood of becoming impoverished, while living in poverty may increase one's potential of having or acquiring disability in some capacity.

The Utah HCBS waiver program is a state-run program that serves individuals in Utah with intellectual disabilities or related conditions (ID/RC). HCBS stands for Home and Community-Based Services.

As of 2017, approximately 1.4 million Americans live in a nursing home, two-thirds of whom rely on Medicaid to pay for their care. Residential nursing facilities receive Medicaid federal funding and approvals through a state health department. These facilities may be overseen by various types of state agency.

References

  1. Secretary of State, Statement of Sufficiency
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2008 State Ballot Information Booklet". pp. 9–12. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008.
  3. "Canvass Results - General Election 2008". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-06-24.