House members Rod Hamilton and Jim Knoblach, as well as Sen. Jim Abeler, are under the impression that Minnesota taxpayers should fund a $500,000 grant for Africans with disabilities (HF2190, SF1959). Looking back on 2016, there was a total of $80,623,568 spent for people with disabilities in the state of Minnesota, which is an average of $1,893 per person with a disability (Case Management Program Statistics 2016). Why do Minnesota legislators believe that Africans in particular need an additional $500,000 spent on their disabilities, when in fact we are already spending over $80 million annually in our state? All taxpayers should benefit, not just a select group.

Michele Even

Prior Lake