Both candidates ignore needs of disabled

To parents like myself who have children with autism and all other developmental disabilities. Go to the last four minutes of the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board interview of Republican governor candidates Bruce Rauner and Rep. Jeanne Ives and listen to comments about how the last three years of a Republican governor and listen to Rep. Ives talk about how pensions have been prioritized over reducing the state's PUNS list. The need to expand Medicaid and how it is troubling that Illinois is still 48th in the nation in providing services to people like my 19-year-old son Bryan, who has autism, and all others with developmental disabilities.

Questions for Rep. Ives over a sudden interest in people like my son: Where was your voice in 2015 during Gov. Rauner's Friday Night Massacre for standing up for the developmentally disabled and every year since you took office in 2013 and especially since Gov. Rauner took office, when you have consistently voted with Gov. Rauner to cut funding for developmentally disabled people for at least the last three years and fail to support state budgets that do?

You find three years troubling, Mrs. Ives! Try entire lives of our kids with autism and all developmental disabilities. Where has been your support since 2013? We are now worse than 48th in the nation and we don't need four more years of either candidate. Facts and actual legislation passed matter to the futures of people like my 19-year-old son who need our help and protection.

Mike Baker

Schaumburg