Open Letter to the MAGA Community

I am someone who supports secure borders, lower taxes, and fair international trading policies. I also support programs for people with disabilities that promote independence, including those in all environments — education, employment, health care, housing, transportation, recreation and other parts of community living. 

Of course, sometimes to achieve independence in any of these environments, a person with a disability may need to have access to accommodations, often minor, so they can engage in these environments like others without disabilities. 

Arranging accessible environments takes time and cooperation. Government, organizations, and private citizens all play a part in creating accessible communities, so that community members with disabilities can contribute to community life. 

The Developmental Disabilities Network, funded through the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, are partners with others within states to help people with disabilities achieve independence. 

This Network, made up of a governor’s council, one or more universities, and a disability rights center, in each state, work with others within states to try out new ways of improving accessibility; training people with and without disabilities on smart ways of increasing opportunities and educating others about the benefits of helping people with disabilities become more independent and productive; and brainstorm with others about challenges that need to be tackled. 

DOGE said these programs need to be closed down. I don’t agree.  The money put in these programs is smart money. Money from these programs causes others to partner with them and put money up to allow broader implementation of a tested idea to reach more people more quickly. Money from these programs allows others to come together and brainstorm without spending a dime of their money. Money from these programs allows things to be evaluated to determine if they are worth continuing. Money from these programs teaches others how to do things that change things for the better. Money from these programs allows good ideas to be shared across the nation so others can save time and benefit from good ideas that already have been implemented and evaluated. 

What I have described in this post is not waste, fraud, and abuse. All dollars have a local positive impact. Federal dollars spent on somethings make sense — bridges, roads, national security. Well, spending money on things that help people with disabilities achieve independence is right up there with bridges, roads, and national security. Please join me in educating DOGE and Congress about continuing to put money in DD Act programs — it is smart money, spent in communities, that increases the number of people with disabilities who contribute to the economy and vitality of their communities. 

Thank you. 

Common Grounder