It shouldn't take a crisis for families to get help

The sticking point — as always — is money. The Disability Community Alliance wants the Utah Legislature, in a year in which it is flush with money, to fully fund the waiting list with more than $8 million in ongoing money.

That's a lot of money and there are always competing needs in state government. But lawmakers are also contending with a federal lawsuit, which goes to trial this month. It alleges that the state Division of Services for People with Disabilities' policy of granting services to people in the most dire need increases unnecessary institutionalization and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To say that lawmakers loathe courts telling them what to do is an understatement. Many lawmakers still bristle over the ongoing federal court oversight of Utah's child welfare system. Many consider it an affront to states' rights. Potentially, another agency of state government — the Division of Services for People with Disabilities — could be under the jurisdiction of the federal court.

This is hardly ideal, but lawmakers have some say in the matter. Whether to fund the entire waiting list is a legislative decision. While it seems simple enough to wave a magic wand while the state's purse is bulging with excess cash, there are no guarantees that a like amount of ongoing revenues will be available in the future. Lawmakers, understandably, don't want to overextend their reach, only to have to cut budgets later.

There are no easy answers here. My greater concern is for parents, spouses and children who are doing their level best to care for and nurture a loved one with disabilities and who need the tiniest bit of help to make life more manageable. It shouldn't take a crisis for them to get some help.

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Marjorie Cortez is a Deseret Morning News editorial writer. E-mail her at marjorie@desnews.com.