“What we do for ourselves dies with us;
What we do for others and the world remains immortal”
                                  Albert Pines

An ancient Chinese proverb warns, “May you live in interesting times.”  Well, the times we live in are not just interesting or extraordinary; they are also quite challenging.  For many, it is not easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We worry, like that soldier in Vietnam yelling to the late General William Westmoreland that the light may be an oncoming locomotive.  Let’s hope that is not the case.  But better yet, we all can try and do something to insure that it isn’t.

I rarely do this in the pages of EP (Exceptional Parent) Magazine, but I feel it is time to share my own personal perspectives about matters that impact the disability and special needs community we are passionate about. What follow are my own educated viewpoints, rooted in over 40 years in the publishing and special needs arena.  These are all a part of my personal message, given once a year and intended for you, our valued readers.

It seems like everywhere we turn, we witness greed, corruption and decay from within, coupled with incredibly inept controls by the government.  For example, recall when our banking and investment systems needed bailout support from us, the taxpayers.  Money invested in that bailout was supposed to trickle down to businesses, to stimulate job creation and provide loans to small- and intermediate-sized companies suffering from the declining economy.  Yet, none of it seemed to reach its objective.

To compound matters, government representatives we elected to champion our interests in Washington cannot seem to find common ground.  When representatives on both sides of the aisle were called upon to come together in a bi-partisan meeting (the so-called “Super Committee”) to trim costs and build credibility back in our system, they just could not agree on a single plan or program for reducing costs. They could not save a single dollar from the $3.8 trillion dollars the Federal Government spends each year!  Instead, they pointed fingers at each other.  Meanwhile, senior citizens, including “Baby Boomers” like me, watched in horror as our life savings, 401-K plans and retirement plans lost more than 50% of their values, while the notion of retirement became a fleeting thought for many of us.

The economic issues are just not all that complex.  In a nutshell, our government takes in, on average, $2.2 trillion dollars in tax revenues per year.  The Federal Budget calls for spending of $3.8 trillion.  That means a shortfall of $1.6 trillion which we have to borrow from other nations like China, Russia and Germany.  This “deficit spending” has been going on for a long time (though not at this high level)—to the point where our national debt currently stands at a little over $15 trillion dollars.  The interest alone on this mountain of debt is enough to hamper recovery for decades unless we do two basic things:  cut spending drastically and increase tax revenues.  One without the other is accomplishes very little.  The reality is, we need both.

Sadly, it does not look like things will get better anytime soon.  Our government, in an election year, seems more focused on inaction than in looking after its citizens and its future.  To make matters worse, the ones we look to report on what is going on around us have similarly lost their way.  I fear for the future of journalism because mainstream media seems to have done a disservice to our nation.   They have ignored the basic tenets of journalism and sacrificed integrity for “news highlights” and “sound bites;” and twisted stories, not based on fact, but conjecture and their own agendas. 

Beyond our country’s economic problems, front page headlines point to the fact that our world seems to be sitting on a powder keg.  If you think any of these events have nothing to do with our efforts to help people with disabilities and special needs, think again.    The impact of such issues on the disability and special needs community cannot be overstated.  And, if each of us does not do our share in taking action, someday soon, it may be next to impossible to raise funds to support the 3,000 organizations, associations and professional medical societies serving families affected by special needs.

The bottom line is that we are facing perhaps the most significant changes in our history which will affect the way we conduct business here and abroad.  These changes will permeate every aspect of our lives.  And guess what?  The 55 million American’s with disabilities and special needs will find themselves right in the middle of the battle, getting squeezed from all sides. Nowhere will this be felt more than in the ability of non-profit organizations to raise financing for their own specific programs and projects to help serve those with disabilities and special needs. There is no question that there will be some significant cost- cutting going on in the next few years, and we are all going to have to tighten our belts more than ever before.  On the other hand, what I have learned over 40 years in industry is that whenever there is market dissonance or discord, there is also opportunity—that is, if we are bold enough to keep our eyes focused, and if we are emboldened enough to take action.

Remember that each of the thousands of organizations and associations will increasingly compete for the same funding dollar, and that funding will clearly diminish as Washington gets the message that they cannot continue to spend without increasing revenues.  Just as the economic environment has changed, non-profit organizations and professional medical societies will need to change.  They will need to deal, rigidly, with issues like “return-on-investment” and “market share,” and become more business-like in their dealings with financial supporters and other foundations.  Success in the non-profit world will largely be measured by how well programs will accomplish things like extending reach, increasing awareness, and the ability to influence behavior, all for the benefit of the members they serve. 

Without marginalizing their mission, non-profit entities will need to learn to partner with other organizations and companies, to share responsibilities and use funding judiciously to achieve growth.  Funding decisions from the perspective of corporations and other foundations will be made on the basis of what the real value is of a given relationship, and what the company or organization can expect from their “investment” into non-profit projects and programs.  From the non-profit disability advocacy perspective, it will be necessary to prioritize programs that offer opportunities, to generate an economic return to funding sources and put to the back burner those that do not.  Otherwise, survival could come into question.

At the core of all of this will be education.  We need to educate non-profit corporations, families, foundations, to level the playing field.

Most of all, it will be necessary for exceptional parents everywhere to come together in a common purpose and work towards achieving goals to help those who need our help and support.  It is an extraordinary challenge, but one that we can overcome if we stay focused and don’t allow the market dissonance to define what we do.  The decisions we make at this critical juncture, and the actions we take, will have a lasting impact on future generations of Americans, and particularly Americans with disabilities. Remember always the words of Ernest Hemmingway: “The darker the night, the brighter the stars.”

Have a wonderful, safe and healthy New Year.

Best,

Joseph M. Valenzano, Jr.
President, CEO & Publisher