The $30 Million Move

    You may have read about the Governor's action in taking 30-Million from a PSC fund for services for the Deaf to help pay for the children's health insurance (CHIP) program.

    He did so with the help of a bill that passed both the House and Senate, and it now sits on his desk awaiting his decision.

    He has till next Wednesday.

    The folks at the state Association For The Deaf are staging a volunteer, last ditch effort to save the fund.    

    Here's a guest editorial they are distributing:





The Telecommunications Relay Service Fund was established in the early 1980s by Federal law to pay for relay services for deaf people. Each state pays into this fund; Alabama was the first to establish its Dual Party Relay System, funded by a few cents’ surcharge on landline phones.





This has been a vital service that provides equal telecommunication access for deaf and hard of hearing people to America‘s telephone system.. It is used daily for everything from ordering a pizza to calling emergency services. The Dual Party Relay System has also been a source of funding for the newsline service offered to Blind and visually impaired Alabamians.



The state Legislature, however , has determined it is acceptable to meddle into this fund—a private fund administered by the Public Service Commission—and remove almost all of the money without any plan to pay it back. They want to use this funding to temporarily remedy funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).



This is similar to having the government decide suddenly that it has the right to seize your private savings account, and telling you that the money in your checking account is what you can use for your daily operations. Representative Jay Love, the bill’s author, and his supporters, (including the governor), are simply trying to find temporary fixes for their budgetary deficit What will they do in a year or so when this money runs out?



To make matters worse, they have the shamelessness to take funds earmarked for people with disabilities. Deaf, deaf-blind, late deafened and speech impaired people have a long list of unmet needs. It is hurtful to have our legislators disrupt much-needed services, determining that other purposes are more important . The original intent of this fund was to be directed to deaf services; to take most of the fund without reimbursement is unfathomable.



The Deaf community has made many calls to representatives and senators, but only a very few have listened to our messages and returned our calls. Steve Hurst, Joe Hubbard, Jamie Ison and Craig Ford are among the ones who took time to hear our side, and they are to be praised.



As elected officials, legislators do not have the privilege of installing answering machines and listening only to the messages they like; they have the responsibility of communicating with their constituents and acknowledging our needs and concerns.



Is it really acceptable to take away what is a lifeline for deaf and hard of hearing people? I say no. It is unfortunate and inappropriate, that Rep. Love, the governor, and their supporters have chosen to play deaf.

Judith M. Gilliam, Legislative Liaison



Alabama Association of the Deaf