Organizations Providing Services to Individuals with Disabilities
Oppose the Passage of TPA/TABOR Legislation

Madison, WI. This week, the Wisconsin State Assembly plans to vote on TPA-TABOR, legislation that will negatively impact the lives of people with disabilities in Wisconsin. The Legislature is considering a constitutional change that would modify the way government at all levels receives and spends tax dollars. This proposed change would seriously hurt services that are provided for people with disabilities in Wisconsin. State and local funding is the cornerstone for delivering needed programs and services.

Putting spending and taxing limits in the state constitution takes away the ability of elected officials to respond to the needs and wishes of their constituents. A constitution is not a vehicle to deciding public policy, spending programs, or collecting revenues. A constitution is designed to set out broad principals and rights for its citizens and allow the elected officials to make decisions on what programs are funded and how much to spend on those programs. This is at a time when the need for these services continues to increase. Wisconsin's elderly population (65+) will nearly double by 2030, from 703,000 to 1.3 million, meaning that over 21% of Wisconsin's total population will be 65+ years of age. TPA-TABOR fails to recognize these facts in its fixed statewide population equation, which will be placed into the Constitution and harder to rectify in the future.

This constitutional change eliminates the responsibility of elected officials to make decisions and govern, which is what they were elected to do. The legislative process, especially the budget process, is complex and difficult; taking away the ability to question and modify revenue collections and expenditures basically ties the hands of elected officials in carrying out the duties of their office.

On behalf of the constituents who provide and receive services, Rehabilitation For Wisconsin, Inc., an association of over 50 organizations providing services to people with disabilities, urges legislators to vote against any joint resolution that addresses spending and taxation limits in our state constitution.

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Rehabilitation For Wisconsin, Inc. (RFW) is a statewide nonprofit membership association located in Madison, Wisconsin. Our members consist of over 50 community rehabilitation programs. RFW members provide services that address the vocational, residential and community support needs of people with disabilities or other special needs. RFW provides leadership, advocacy, education and other services to its members and works to build strong partnerships between community rehabilitation programs, public policy makers and the community of people with disabilities in Wisconsin.

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