Letter to the Editor - Draconian cuts hurt the most vulnerable

Editor,

My wife, Kristiny, and I are foster parents in Havre. We just renewed our license after finishing with the adoption of our youngest two children, Kady and Sammy. Their older brother, Ben, was also adopted through the foster care system. All three have severe delays in different areas of their development. I used to travel to Great Falls for speech and physical therapy through Scottish Rite and Benefis every Friday with all three kids.

Last year, I changed jobs and that was no longer possible. However, the pediatric physical therapist that we saw in Great Falls came to Havre once a month so we were able to continue to use that service, along with many other families. Honestly, it’s how two of my three children learned to walk. Quality Life Concepts is the program that made this possible. QLC is a private, non-profit agency that provides services and support for people with developmental needs and their families. QLC is a great program. We have used them for many different things in the lives of our children, and we are beyond grateful.

I just received a letter from QLC stating that the deep budget cuts that the Montana legislature has insisted on has forced them to drastically decrease services. QLC is seeing a 25 percent reduction in reimbursements for Part C Early Intervention and Family Education and Support services in the coming year. Part C Early Intervention services infants and toddlers.

These cuts are self-inflicted. The governor’s office suggested an estimated $204 million in increased revenue through closing tax loopholes, increased corporate taxes, and increased taxes on the wealthy. The republican-dominated legislature turn their noses up at the tax increases, despite the projected shortfall, and over-estimated revenues to make things look better. Then, when the $75 million shortfall happened, they inflicted cuts on the most vulnerable. The lion’s share of these cuts come from the Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Office of Public Instruction. The cuts to Public Health and Human Services will also terminate the state’s Medicare expansion and shutter nursing homes.

Havre has no pediatric physical therapist or pediatric dentist. In fact, there are very few specialists that specialize in children in Havre, period. Havre is hardly unique in Montana. These cuts are draconian. They hurt the most vulnerable among us. The people who would inflict them on us do not serve Montanans. We need these services, and ideological stands against raising taxes are just not worth our children’s futures.

Will Lorett

Havre