What will get attention for the most vulnerable?

As the result of the past two weeks from what has happened in Minnesota and across the country. Gov. Pritzker and Illinois legislators from both sides of the aisle at lighting speed are getting together to talk about reforming the criminal justice reform. Conveniently close to election time when they can tell voters they are on top of the needs of the people of Illinois.

Because of politics and this being Illinois, I can guarantee that after everything that has happened on the streets of Chicago and in the suburbs, you will see more done on the issue of criminal justice reform in 1 year than you have seen on funding services for people with autism and all developmental disabilities in Illinois in the last 30 years.

That has been the way it has been in Illinois for the past 30 years. The only way Illinois DCFS got attention to needed reforms was the tragedy in Crystal Lake.

What needs to happen for the state to take notice to the futures of the most vulnerable people with autism and all developmental disabilities? Does a big disruptive news story need to happen to peek the political interest of the governor and Illinois lawmakers before real action is taken? What is common and has not worked is that anyone that has waited for government to do the right thing, outside of the cameras and politics has run out of patience. Time to shake things up.

Mike Baker

Schaumburg