David P. Rundle: State wrong to return jobs money

Many of the Brownback administration’s motives, policies and actions appear at odds with each other.

One example is pursuing the goal of creating jobs and economic growth while cutting state funding for the arts, which generate both growth and jobs.

Another example, which affects Kansans with disabilities, is Kansas’ returning $15 million of its annual federal allotment of funds to be used for vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs.

These programs help people with disabilities join or rejoin the workforce. A young woman who is blind and completing her education may need help landing her first job, while a 40-year-old construction worker paralyzed by an accident who wants to rejoin the labor force may need assistance discovering a new line of employment and training.

Michael Donnelly, director of rehabilitation services for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, has said the number of people seeking VR help has dropped because the recession is over. This statement comes as other officials blame the state’s budget woes on a bad national economy.

Colin McKenney heads Wichita’s Starkey Inc., which provides employment services for people with intellectual disabilities. He told me demand of VR programs in urban services has remained constant. That makes sense, because on-the-job and other accidents continue, and people with disabilities are still finishing their education. Any improvement in the economy would not change these facts.

It is more probable that people are becoming frustrated with the system. VR counselors come and go with unnerving frequency. Sue Huber of Atchison told the Kansas Health Institute News Service she has had 13 case managers in four years.

Ron Pasmore, president of KETCH in Wichita, suggested that instead of returning the $15 million, Kansas could have used it to pay KETCH, Starkey and similar agencies to do case management. Had Donnelly heard that before he acted, he might have solved a big problem. But first he would have had to admit a problem existed, something the Brownback administration is not wont to do.

Also, people like McKenney, Pasmore, Huber and the general public were not told the money had been returned until three months later. The delay in announcing the decision is slightly puzzling. The lack of public input is not.

While Brownback decries the liberal nanny state, he and his fellow Republicans have created a conservative one. An old disability rights movement argued, “Nothing about us without us.” Since 2011, the Brownback administration has effectively told consumers, families, caregivers and service providers, “Everything about you without you.”

This latest decision will only make things worse.

McKenney told me that some agencies have stopped providing employment services because what the state pays for them is far less than the actual cost. He also said that when clients can’t get jobs because of the state’s actions, they get frustrated with Starkey.

Pasmore said the decision made a few months ago can’t be undone. He is a bit hopeful the state will use all its remaining federal allotment to get people jobs.

After observing Topeka since 2011, I think he has more hope than I have.

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "David P. Rundle: State wrong to return jobs money."