NEW: McKenna Wants Developmental Disability Funding Restored

NEW: McKenna Wants Developmental Disability Funding Restored

William P. McKenna, candidate for the Democratic nomination for State Representative from Cranston’s House District 18 has come out in favor of restoring at least $15 million of the $24 million cut from programs for persons with developmental disabilities. In letters to House Speaker Fox, Majority Leader Mattiello, House Finance Committee Chairman Melo and the entire House Finance Committee, McKenna said that he was “well aware of the fiscal problems faced by our state but programs for persons with developmental disabilities and the homeless should be put at the stop of the list of our spending priorities.”

McKenna said that “if employees providing direct services to the developmentally disabled were making fabulous salaries, I would say that they should share in the burden in these tight fiscal times. But this is not the case. These hard-working and dedicated folks are making moderate hourly wages.”

McKenna indicated that such a restoration of funding would be consistent with the values of the dignity of every human person and the solidarity of the human community with a special mindfulness of persons with disabilities.

McKenna was pleased to attend the rally at the state house in support of the restoration of funding on Wednesday, April 25th along with hundreds of others concerned about cuts to programs for persons with developmental disabilities.