October 2000 Edition - Access Press

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Inside Changes At International Airport — p. 8

Volume 11, Number 10

Directory Of Organizations — Page 13

SOURCES

October 10, 2000

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“The stakes...are too high for government to be a spectator sport.” — Barbara Jordan

RESOURCES

VOTE 2000

October 10, 2000

It Is Important That You Vote In This Election by Charlie Smith, Editor

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n November 7th you will have the opportunity to vote for the next President of the United States, a US senator from Minnesota and a Congress person from the 4th Congressional District. You will also have the opportunity to vote for Minnesota Senate and Representatives. It is very important that you learn about these candidates before casting your vote.

Cliff Poetz, Carol Robinson, Gloria Steinbring and Charlie Larkin (L to R) accept the award for Advocating Change Together.

Arc Minnesota Gives Annual Awards State Convention Held Sept 16th

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dvocating Change Together (ACT) received the Special Board Award at Arc Minnesota’s state convention, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Rochester. ACT was recognized for its “Tools For Change” series, a professionally produced and video- based curriculum that helps people with developmental disabilities build the skills and knowledge they need to better advocate on their own behalf. Representative Linda Wejcman of District 61B in Minneapolis and Senator Leo Foley of District 49 in Anoka and Coon Rapids were also honored on Sept 16 as Arc Minnesota’s Legislators of the Year.

Representative Wejcman was recognized for her work on several health and human services issues concerning people with developmental disabilities as well as the original Patient Protection Act. Senator Foley’s award especially recognized his authorship of the bill to “unlock the waiting list” for people needing home- and communitybased services. Other Twin Cities individuals and organizations who were recognized at the Arc Minnesota convention included: Kay Miller of the Star Tribune of the Twin Cities, Community Media Award; Jonathan Kigner, founder of New Direc-

tions in White Bear Lake, Disabilities Ministry of the Crystal Evangelical Free Church in Crystal, Health Risk Management of Edina, Employer of the Year Award. Award recipients from greater Minnesota included: John Jordan of Houston, Minnesota, and John Gordon of Lake City shared the Betty Hubbard Family Advocacy Award; Pat Willett Fairmont, the Irving Martin Professional of the Year Award; Festival Foods, Mora, Distinguished Community Service Award; Dave Dunn of Rochester, Special Board Award; Arc - cont. on p. 8

It is important that you talk to the candidates from all parties. A party designation does not mean a person cannot be an advocate for your specific issues. You want to be open minded in this process, consider all of the various parties’ candidates. The candidates who are running need to have an understanding of disability issues. Read the literature delivered to your door. Campaign office phone numbers are normally on this literature. If you need alternative format, ask for it. Get a feel for their level of understanding. Do they need to be educated on an issue, are they open to honest discussion? Not everyone who is running for elected office knows or should be expected to know about disability issues. However, the people who want to be elected should be able to listen and learn from you. If your next House Representative or state Senator is not someone who will represent your issues, then you do not want to vote for this person. It is your responsibility to educate them. The way to get this done is to contact candidates, ask them to meet with you either in person or by telephone, tell them about the issues you’re concerned with.

By starting this dialogue with a candidate you are building a relationship. If your candidate is elected they will remember you and your issue. In the future, when the legislature is considering an issue important to you, your legislator will listen to you.

willing to speed up the time-table? 3) Here’s your opportunity to explain why people with disabilities should vote for you. US Senate Candidates

Following a tradition in Access Press, we have asked the US Senate candidates and the 4th Congressional District candidates two specific questions on disability issues. We then allowed the candidates space to tell us why we should vote for them. Starting with the US Senate race and finishing with the Congressional candidates, their answers are printed in the order in which we received them. Here are the questions that we asked to all of the candidates. The numbered responses match the numbers on these questions: 1) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is being threatened by legal challenges and the Congress. Do you support the ADA and, if elected, what would you do to ensure its preservation?

Jim Gibson, Independent candidate 1) I support the ADA in its conceptual form. Attempts, some absurd, have been made to weaken and end it. I believe a balance must be maintained and that the ADA should continue under its originally conceived design. 2) My first concern, one that affects all of us, is paying down our national debt and acknowledging our unfunded liabilities. I would only support faster implementation of TWWIIA if we are able to find offsetting cuts in other programs or increased revenues.

2) In 1999 Congress passed and the President signed the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA). Un- 3) My message of intergenerder this bill, people with ational justice and responsidisabilities will be able to bility is applicable to all, disgo to work and be able to abled or not. I am the only keep their Medicaid ben- candidate that will devote the efits. One of the problems entire budget surpluses tomany advocates have with ward paying down our nathis bill is the long time- tional debt. That position aftable for implementation. fects us all positively. We Do you support this legis- currently pay $300 billion a lation and would you be Candidates-cont. on p. 10


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