[Numbers Guy]

Every government program is "vital." That's why we can never eliminate anything. We'll just keep on our merry, bankrupt way and tax the "rich" for the money we need.

Another way to save a significant amount of money with these programs is to means test them and have the users pay for them on a sliding scale. The greater the income, the greater the user contribution. That doesn't save the full amount, but it's much more difficult for someone to argue that people with decent incomes shouldn't pay for a portion (or all, if they're making a large income) of respite and other services. And those families who can't afford respite services are still fully covered.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Means testing is called for, absolutely!

[lainde]

I'm a consultant for the regional centers. Your means test is a reasonable idea. otherwise I know there is a lot of other pork to be attacked besides the disabled.

[Little Ray]

Ain't that sorta like Communism? "From each according his ability, to each according to his need?"