Inclusion Daily Express -- Opening Of 'Lincoln Estates' Postponed

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Opening Of 'Lincoln Estates' Postponed
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
May 10, 2006

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS -- Budget cuts have forced Governor Rod Blagojevich to announce that a "community" development on the grounds of the now-closed Lincoln Developmental Center will be postponed for at least one year.

The opening of "Lincoln Estates", a set of four 10-bed facilities to house people with developmental disabilities, had been scheduled for later this summer. However, the proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 includes enough money for maintaining the facility, but not operating it.

According to the Lincoln Courier, Lena Parsons, spokesperson from the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, said last Tuesday that the delay would also give state officials the flexibility to use the site for other purposes, if needed.

"It could be used for a number of functions to serve people," she said.

Two days later, the Illinois House adopted a resolution to encourage federal officials to use the former LDC site as a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs clinic.

Governor George H. Ryan ordered LDC closed in August 2002, and the 250 residents moved to other institutions or homes in the community. Ryan came to the decision after the state lost federal money following investigations into alleged staff abuse and neglect, and suspicious deaths at the institution.

During his successful campaign for governor, Blagojevich promised to reopen LDC and get its 400 employees back to work. Blagojevich's original plan to reopen the 128-year-old institution was later scaled back to erecting the "community" of buildings on the campus to house 40 people who are currently housed at other state-operated institutions.

A state Senator whose district includes the town of Lincoln, told the Courier that Blagojevich cut a deal with him in 2003 to support the reopening of LDC in exchange for support of one of the Blagojevich's proposals.

"I agreed to help the governor out on the pension bonding bill, and I lived up to my commitment," said Sen. Larry Bomke. "The governor's commitment was to provide funding to reopen LDC."

"If he has chosen to back away from a deal he made with me and (the city of) Lincoln, I'm extremely disappointed."

Equip for Equality, the state's federally mandated protection and advocacy system, asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in March to withhold Medicaid and other funding to the state if it follows through with the Lincoln Estates plan. The agency claimed that the state's plan violates federal discrimination laws while denying valuable resources for people who want to live in homes in the community.

Related:
"LDC opening delayed a year" (Lincoln Courier)
http://www.lincolncourier.com/story.asp?SID=1311&SEC=8
"Lincoln Developmental Center -- Illinois Governor Strives To Return To The Past" (Inclusion Daily Express)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/institutions/il/ldc.htm

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