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Buildings Page 9
Access Press I Battle of the Bud&
Governor Won - Public Lost Money Piles Up As Good Programs Suffer by Charlie Smith r,;
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Educational Vouchers What Are They Really About?
huing the last legislativesession the governor and his conservativefollrepeatt edlytold us how bad the envirot&ent was for business and that our spending on a lot of valuable programs had to be cut if the Statewas to survive. Eaolg p p b believed this dubious premise to do some
vide real numbers to the next legislative session. Serious discussion of cost controls by this department are frustrated -The latest discussion about now by their lack of informas costs for the disposition of the $800 tion. ~ r & d o w nof million surplus indudes the thevarious programsfor 1994 Governor's advice to give it are still not available to those back to the taxpayers (a pdit- studying specific programs. is spendical ploy which wnlbt mean- ~nd,thisde~artment kglpaglessto most taxpayers) or ing in excess of $5 billion, to save it for a "rainy byw, making it ourrecond largest ernor has agreed to ask for more funds for MTCO in 1996.
Governor Carlson ets to the various
dents so that they can "attend schooling". It's differentnow, the nonpublic school of their this report claims. Now we choicen. We at ACCESS must get used to the idea of PRESSthiithat this is a had making do with "a fixed ~ e t h i c a l l y a s w e 1 l a s p ~ -mount of money available fwtheeducationofchildren."
marketplace" will make better decisions than somethiig called "democracy". Since competitionby its nature calls for some to be winners and some to be losers, we have to
quitefitabovethebottomline, well, too bad for them. Because W e carinot raise tax-
the competition for a good education?
es".
Even though we didn't like the idea in the first place, we decided to actually read the Governor's proposal to see if
First of all, we oppose the philosophicalretreat-the idea &at thete is something called the 'public good" fiom which each citizen bneflts. As the recently publisvd Weber-Bradl report (upon
We alsoobjecttothe idea that what ourschoolsneedis some-
ty needed $6 millian more to
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Access Press
December 10,1995
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St. Pr -1 Changes
interpreted-for.ieople who are deaf or hard of hearing.
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he City of St. PauLstartodan '.w policy November 20,1995, Every $1,000,000 cut fmm the federal budget translates into: garding thg 1 ~ - 6 % ~ 1 t ~ dparking o w meters. A I ~users, cludmg those' displaying disability certificates or license 159,770 hours ofpersonal care needed by people with disabilates, are subject to the 15-minute limit. Violators are issued ities 10 cihtions. Chronic violators will have their vehicle towed. or 77.0 Full time employees of personal care attendant jobs, ' -
Audio Described ~erfomahces Dec. 14, Thurs,. 2:00 pm: "Amah1 and the Night Visitors" Theater in the Round Players, Minneapolis
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a vehicle that displays a disability-pTI'%&ng certificate or a institutions at an average annual cost of $27,500 per person. lisability license plate may park without time restrictions 28 x $27,500 equals $770,000 in increasedcosts of institutionalunless time restrictions are posted. ization, plus $240,000 in lost federal tax revenues mentionld ill be ldaking more thoroughly into above plus $1 56,550 in lost state tax revenues, plus increased -hour parking for people unemployment and welfare costs, equals over $1,166,500 in increased costs in one year as a result of each $1,000,000 cut, in Medicaid funds. .ation or to report abuse of disability parkiig call the City of Saint Paul Citizen Service Office at 266-8989.
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I METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
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Public Hearing on 1996 ADA Paratransit Plan for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area 'jl
The Metropolitan Counc.il will hold a public hearing on its updated draft of the "Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paratransit Plan."
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The hearing will k at 5 p.m., Monday, January 8,1996 in the Metropolitan Council Chambers, Mears Park Centre, 230 East 5th Street, downtown St. Paul. Interested persons are encouraged to attend the hearing and offer comments. People may register in advanceto speak at the public hearingby calling 229-2758 or 29 1-0904 (TIT).Upon request, the Council will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilided at the hearing.
representativesof groups or organizationswill be asked to limit their comments to 10 minutes. 4) The chair of the hearing may limit the testimony of any person.
Please patronize your Access Press Advertisers and tell then, where you hearc about them. They bring you vdur DaDer.
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Dec. 14, Thm., 7:30 pm: "~hristmas.carol". Guthrie Theater, M i n n e m
Jan. 7, Sun., 7:00 pm: "Hunchback of Notre D Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Mimeepsiis Info 333-6200
ASL Interpreted ferformances
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Dec. 14, Thurs., 7 3 0 pm: "Christmas C & T ~ % J ~ Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
Sun., 7:00 6: "Hunchback ofNotre Damen I Jan. 14,Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Minneapolis ,
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For hrther information on accessibility at performance lac&+ tions throughout the state as well as information on programming accommodations, contact Cra2g Dunn at Very Special M s Minnesota, 332-3888 (Voicg or TTY) or 1-800-801-3883 outstate (Voice or TIT).
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OSTOMY URINARY MANAGEMENT . NURSING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS
Written comments, which must be received by 5 p.m., Thursday, January 18, 1996, should be sent to Barb Quade, Metropolitan Council, Mears Park Centre, 230 E. 5th Street, St. Paul, MN 55 101. Comments may also be faxed to Ms. Quade at 291-6550. Copies of the plan will be availableto review in the Council's Data Center, Third Floor of Mears Park Center or call 291-8140. $e Plan will also be available to review on
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Info: 333-6200 (no 'ITY)
Sf PAUL 641-1917 HOURSt=OO k4-f *ms~AvL)(OCI(IWI
Access Press
BookReview
December lo, 1995
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IN BRIEF. . . .
I DISABILITY RIGHTS Consumer lssue Hotline
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IN THE NEWS: How What, And Why by Jeff Nygaard 7
ve been battered for monhs with warnings, threats, and close calls in regard to one or another issue of concern to the community ofpeople with disabilities. Cuts in Medicare, cuts in Medicaid, attacks on the ADA, public'transit being questioned - you name it. It seems like every time you turn on the TV or look at the moming paper there's more bad news. Have you ever wondered why it's so rare to see someone who is actually involved in the disability rights movement get in the news?
esting statistics). I got somuch out of it that I was genuinely surprised when I looked and found out that the whole book is only 160 pages long!
The authors, Tari Susan Hartman and Mary Johnson, begin by pointing out that the familiar "human interest" stories which so often portray people with disabilities as ' L ~ ~ e r c ~ mor e r"victims" s" do nothing to advance public understanding of issues facing people with disabilities as a group. They explaiqwhy it is important for the news media Well, wonder no more. The to start to cover issues around answer to this question and disability as rights issues that others,aswell as concreteideas have significance in regard to on how to change the situa- public policy, rather than as tion, can be found in a 1993 storiesof individualneeds that book from The Advocado are best solved through chariPress: MAKIIUGNEWS: How tv
The former Metro Mobility take to impact its progress. In community. The MCIL ConIssues Line is now the MCIL addition, you will be able to sumer Issue Hotline number is Consumer Issue Hotline. The leave comments for us about 603-2039. purpose of the hotline is to systems advocacy issues you I , keep you informed on our ad- are encountering. Systems Use this number to find but vocacy and consumer orga- advocacy includes policies, about the upcoming Disability nizingeffortsandalsoincludes practices, laws, regulations or Rally at the State Capitol Roinformation on pertinent leg- benefits which affect many tunda on Tuesday, January islation and actions you can people within the disability 23rd. [See adv. on page 7.1
I ~ e Housing w Guidebook
The authors observe that there is often a problem not only with the way that disability Persons with disabilities can hasjust been published by Arc on the options available-to issues appear in the news, but learn about new and innova- Minnesota and the University those who want to create livalso with how larger issues are tive living options available to of Miiesota's Research and ing arrangementswith theconso often covered without any them by reading A Guidebook Training Center on Residen- surner in mind. It is available <, . discussion of the implications on Consumer Controlled tial Services and Community through local bookstores or they have for disability rights. Housingfor Minnesotans with Living. This book provides an through Arc Minnesota. For example, it tookmonthsof Disabilitiej.. This guidebook overviewofcurrentknowledge work to finally get the media to sometimesfocuson the longterm care implications of the % : ". Medicaid cuts. (Even though You can help m e a differ- sitions occur as frequently as 4 list of Stateagency boards and this is where the majority of ence in public decision-mak- or 5 a month. And, each Jam councils from: Leonor B. Medicaid money goes!) When ingbyvolunteeringyourskills ary the number of vacancies Urbain, Department of Ema high-ranking Minnesotastate - and talents on state agency increases up to about 300 due ployee Relations, (6 12) 297official recently stated that the boardsandcouncils.There are to the end ofthe four yearterm 3496. Applications are kept cuts might result in terminatover 200 boards and councils forvariousmembers.Youmay on file for a one year p e r i d ing some "optional" benefits in the State of Minnesota. Po- obtain application forms or a like personal care services, where were the howls of outrage? Maybe in your living room, but they didn't get in the TheNew~orkPost~olio S u p about the 'Late Effects of Po- l 82, Howard Beach, NY papea. port Group is interested in lio' thatthey may notbeaware 11414, tel(718) 835-5536 or duals who had of. Contact: New Ybrk Post fax 7 (1&% )to alert them Polio Support Group, PO Box .*
Volunteer For The State Of Minnesota
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Post Polio Support Group
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Issues
Working Membm
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. M.-+L t i n & ~ to~covb;&&da Media ~ t r a t e e ~ u i l d iand n ~ the "right-to-die" issues ity rights @w"aoqping Relationshipsw ~ ~ ~ S M areal! e looked at. Actual media The Sustainable Resources learn new ski& and mak news stories of importance to dia"; "Getting Coverage for cu* is analyzed, and the Center (SRC) has a new this nation." And in the pro- an Action"; and "Changing authors point out how the ef- AmeriCorps grant to do work surrounding lead issues in the of ehhg the aaivist Hollywood hsges". The 'fo- forts of diubility rights Twin Cities area. SRC is cur- lowance and an educational Cheri Bernd of Sustainable is on mding disabiliv ists affected the reader, the b o k M ~ ~ I ~ interesting in this rently recruiting members to award upon successful com- ResourcesCenterat872-3298 correctsmanypopularmiscon- r@&~ O-- t l ~ o r t h yPMcularly . are the seceeptions about people with disabilitiesand the issues that Many ofthe chapt thedebaten. a set of exercises for the reader c~a~crh~*em. to do, either individually or or example, in the c h a p g e ~ ~ . ,of pression in & ;1e with dn tion, call the Duluth RU The nice thing about this book with their group. Whether it's the right to die the authm the abilities and promote public AOc&ssQffice,(218)727-8958 is that it can be read in a num- questionsfor discussion, clip- point outthat,"your success in . ' Access Comat Central berofways. It'ssoclearly laid ping and analyzing current fiaming the issue in disability WY1996. This h&s@&@ mu-. awareness. mein thecommunity It is openwho to anyhas omunityS r d & h out that the activist reader can news items, or rnsmbling a ri&b taw will depend on r d&e to work onstage or Duluth, 800 Eas=ntmnc4 look up specific tactics and mock press kit, each set is your skill h providing evi- to present works of high &t%h'fN 5581 1. b F m m o i~forma~ plans to help in the c u m ( aimed at helping the r e a h dence to d i s p m m e aswnp tic quality, fosta creative ex-
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MN Access Theatre In Duluth
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