For job creation, help disabled

Congratulations to the challengers and incumbents who were winners in the state elections for governor and the General Assembly. As we often read and heard from the candidates, we need more job creation programs.

What about a jobs program that allows taxpayers to feel better? In Illinois we have over 21,000 individuals with developmental disabilities waiting to be helped.

According to the Department of Human Services, the agency randomly selected only enough names to fill 200 program offerings. Those selected will be able to approach community providers to address their needs.

What if we helped more on the list, allowing us to fulfill a need while creating more jobs and helping our economy? For example, a group home with five people requires caregivers for three shifts seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Workers cover 168 hours a week so they may work a 32-hour shift.

This means you need at least five to eight workers per house. If half the list went into group homes, you would see at least 16,000 caregivers employed not to mention filling other staff positions. All those employed would now be spending money in their local communities and towns across Illinois.

We also would have community providers stimulating our local economy, because we would need about 2,100 homes which would be leased or purchased. Then there are occupancy fees, along with home maintenance and repairs. Transportation costs would occur locally from the 2,100 vans purchased all of them needing gas, repairs, vehicle maintenance, city stickers, plates and insurance.

While in our care along with teaching life skills, we in part provide meals, local shopping, and outings. Then we work to help them find jobs which lead them to spending their pay checks at local stores.

What's interesting is that the federal government has provided us a 62 percent match to help those on the waiting list. If we factor in some of the things I mention, it's easy to make helping the disabled a priority.

Karl Kopp

Zion