by Jim Copeland

I have heard the Human Services Department has determined the $10 million appropriation from the Special Session will be used to serve people on the DD Waiver Waiting List.  $9 million is going for services.  $1 million is going to the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division in the Department of Health for infrastructure development.  This is the latest information I have been able to determine.  There is supposed to be a press release from the Human Services Department, but I have not seen it as of the writing of this piece.

I have also heard the $10 million may not be available when the legislature meets in January.  The price of a gallon of gasoline has dropped significantly over the past month.  That is good news for those of us who drive.  It could be terrible news for those citizens of New Mexico who are waiting for services.  The New Mexico economy is based significantly on the price of oil and gas.  With the drop in the price of gasoline there is a significant drop in the expected revenue for state coffers.  This revised revenue projection caused the Governor to mandate reductions in state expenditures throughout state government. 

How will this ultimately effect the $10 million appropriation?  We won’t be sure until the legislative session is over in March.  Who will be impacted?  We won’t know until the allocations have been made (or not made).  When will the price of gasoline go back up?  We only know that it WILL go back up.  It is difficult to need things to happen and know the consequences both if they do happen and if they don’t happen.  In general, people need cheap gasoline to get to and from their jobs and other responsibilities.  In particular, people on the DD Wavier waiting list need more expensive gasoline so they can get to their lives.  Never have there been more divergent needs on the same coin (or dollar).

Tune in next month to see where we are, what we know, and how it will probably impact all of us.