Drastic cuts to funding for the Disabled in Minnesota

On July 1st, funding for disabled people's heath was slashed yet again by Statute 256B.0659 subdivision 11, signed into law by Governor Dayton. In the last year, after PCA hours had been limited, assessments by agencies like AXIS health care had been done, and hours had been cut, PCA services were again attacked, partly because the common assumption is that PCAs are petty and the field is full of fraud.
On September 1st, the state of Minnesota was set to save money by cutting pay rates for PCAs across the board by 1.5%. Some PCA agencies, like Custom Care and People Enhancing People, have not cut wages but have absorbed the loss of reimbursement from the state. All agencies have to deal with additional funding cuts, making it especially hard for nonprofits like PEP.
On October 1st, the reduced pay rate for PCAs related to their clients went into effect. An additional 20% pay cut, which some agencies have not been able to absorb into their budgets because they lack the reimbursement from the state & from matching Medicaid funds to stay afloat.

According to the Minnesota Disability Law Center,
"persons who live in rural areas, immigrant/refugee families whose first language
is not English, other minority communities will be particularly hurt by this harsh
cut. The 20% cut will reduce the modest earnings of many family members,
including many women in their 50’s and 60’s who care for their adult sons and
daughters with significant disabilities for many hours beyond those authorized to
be paid as PCA services. Families who have cared for a loved one with total and
permanent disabilities have all slid down the economic ladder, sacrificed
personally and economically, and provided reliable, loving care at a much lower
rate and higher quality than would otherwise be available. This cut saves the state
about $23 million and results in a PCA service cut of $46 million due to the loss
of federal Medicaid matching funds."
There has been no word as to WHY the people who likely work the most, beyond billable hours, and care the most about their clients are the hardest hit. The dollar amount is significant to the state, but what about families that will struggle to work other jobs, raise their income, and bring in new staff who might not care as much?
PEP's role in selecting and training PCAs becomes ever more important.
The 1.5% provider rate cut will change in 2 years, when the state expects to have the money to pay PCAs only
1% less than usual. It's still less than they deserve for hard work that is now more rushed than ever. Many disabled people were reassessed & found to have only one ADL that they need help with, alotted only half an hour per day to get help, and forced to ask their staff to work very, very part-time for low pay. That does not attract or motivate high-quality staff.
"Another cut of 1.67% is slated to begin July 1, 2012 if
DHS is not allowed to implement tightened criteria for nursing facility eligibility,"
states the Minnesota Disability Law Center.
The public comment period on these changes continues and it's not too late to call your state legislator and demand better funding! A bill regarding these same topics was introduced but not voted on this year, meaning that next year these issues will come up again for vote & consideration. The state must get its priorities straight, or more costs and poorer health overall will result.

Earthdance for Peace

Come one, come all, to Earthdance in Powderhorn Park, (near 35th St & Bloomington Ave)

Minneapolis,

on Saturday Sept. 24, 2011! It's time to give peace a dance-- to sing & dance & pray with strangers for world peace, from 2- 7 pm!

Please see the short video about last year's event here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhcjfHt5U8o&feature=channel_video_title

It is all about unifying: internationally, interfaith, with our neighbors in the park, & with all others focusing on peace at the same time in the whole world! We'll see you there!

(Directly follows American Indian Day in Minneapolis,

an event for all on Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 am - 2pm,

at the Midtown Farmer's Market Parking lot right next to Anishinaabe Academy & the Lake St. Light Rail station)

Wherever you are, you can partake in this international event for world peace! Find a location near you through

earthdance.org

Community Speaks Out about Retail Cleaners' Struggle as hunger strike ends

On June 1, 2011, the 12-day hunger strike ended and Cub Foods stores in Minneapolis, Minnesota knows the seriousness of the workers united. CTUL eagerly anticipates the management's reaction to the continuing letters and questions that have been coming in from the public. When will the stores have a meeting with the workers?

CTUL asks that the public call CEO Keith Wyche to tell him of continued support for the boycott of Cub Foods:

651-439-7200

Please see
www.ctul.net

for more updates.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxZSY2uj5Yc

People with Disabilities Volunteer!

Have you ever offered, “I can help,” only to hear the dismissive reply “No, why don’t you just take it easy.” If this sounds familiar,
you have the heart of a willing volunteer -- you know you have a lot to contribute, but it’s hard to find a volunteer opportunity that’s for you. Campus Kitchens, Meals on Wheels, and Sisters Camelot travel around the Twin Cities feeding the hungry, but they want quick, able-bodied volunteers. Some nonprofits, like the Traces Museum of history in St Paul, are still not accessible to people in walkers, crutches or wheelchairs.
Fortunately, several charities and churches in the Twin Cities do value the contributions of disabled volunteers, reaching out and accommodating their skill sets. You can greet and direct guests at Abbot Northwestern Hospital, serve hot meals to the public at Open Arms, coordinate book drives or clothing drives for Goodwill sales, lead a small group or confirmation class at your place of worship, or tutor a child looking for mentoring.

Open Arms of Minnesota, on Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis, prepares and delivers free meals tailored for those facing critical illness and their families. They are looking for enthusiastic greeters; you can call Lyla at 612-872-1152 to ask about volunteer orientation!

Anyone with a big heart can mentor a child, and the Kinship Project is seeking diverse adults of all abilities, from all backgrounds to either befriend and mentor a local kid, or help in the office once each week. Visit www.kinship.org to apply to be a mentor. Kinship also will provide training for a new volunteer office assistant! Call Penny Kallas at (612)588-4655

If you’ve ever been taken by the volume & diversity of STUFF at Goodwill, you know they need volunteers --behind the scenes and in the adult & youth tutoring programs, you can help Goodwill continue its thrift store sales that benefit the Easter Seals. Call Rebecca Bedner
at 651-379-5937, to ask when you can sort or appraise items, or get involved as a tutor! GoodWill has very accessible facilities at 553 Fairview Ave. N., St. Paul.

Voluntourism is a growing trend today, partly because volunteering is a no-cost vacation activity, a chance to understand and connect with, rather than just tour, a new location, and because it reduces your impact on a place and its culture overall. Contact these organizations to arrange to both travel and volunteer:

Camphill Association of North America
There is one Camphill Village in Sauk Centre, MN, where people of all ages and abilities can stay for a month or a season or a year, if they live with others in the community and volunteer.
Camphill is an international movement of intentional communities designed to meet the needs of children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities through a combination of community life, the arts and work on the land. The experience offered in Camphill is varied and includes: supporting individuals with disabilities in the home, at work on the farm, garden or in one of the various craft workshops, such as weaving, pottery, stained glass, woodworking, candle-making, bookbinding or bakery; cooking food for your household with a small group of people.
You can also call Camphill Village to ask about their sites in other states, if you want to travel & stay in a different Camphill. (320) 732-6365
Global Deaf Connection,
Based in South Minneapolis, they organize deaf education teachers and community members to go on short-term summer programs to volunteer at the schools for deaf children in Kenya, Jamaica, or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sign language interpreters are always welcome. You can call
612- 724-8565 or see www.deafconnection.org

Wilderness Inquiry

They organize a wide variety of canoe, sea kayak, dogsled, rafting, horse pack, and hiking trips in Africa, North America, Oceania, and other regions of the world. All trips include people with and without disabilities working together to make the outdoor adventures open to everyone.
Their Minneapolis office is seeking ASL interpreters, office assistance, design and outreach volunteers. If you want to volunteer your skills, like helping others with disabilities, on one of their wilderness trips in Minnesota, the price will be discounted.
www.wildernessinquiry.org

Rally in Support of THE LARAMIE PROJECT scares away Westboro Baptist Church

The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas had planned to picket Hastings High School on Sunday, Feb. 13.

It's one stop on their unending tour of performances of The Laramie Project, Matthew Shephard memorials, and soldiers' funerals, where they proudly arrive with their "God Hates Fags" signs. The Hastings High School performance of The Laramie Project, a play about the reaction to the homophobic murder of student Matthew Shephard in Laramie, Wyoming, brings attention to hate crimes and the lack of hate crimes legislation that is often a lack of protection of the rights of minorities. This sobering, liberal play sold out; it was a first for the mildly conservative large town of Hastings, which rarely sees a public rally such as that which turned out to support the issue at the high school & counter the Westboro Baptist Church protest.

Organized through Facebook, the high school gay/straight alliance, and public concern, a rally of support for GLBT rights and hate crimes legislation lined the sidewalks outside Hastings High School.

See attached pictures or online album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2042977&id=72700664&saved#!/album.php?aid=2042977&id=72700664

Seeing this large and loud peaceful gathering for Love, Not Hate, the WBC protesters cancelled their picket & are now taking their message of religious hate elsewhere.

Minnesotans to Defend Julian Assange

Many thanks to Sonja Johnson & Tackling Torture at the Top, for getting this message to the Star Tribune & the UK Consulate in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Just one of many ways you too can help defend WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange:
On Monday, February 7, we are taking a letter to the United Kingdom Consulate in Minneapolis. Our group, while doing some reading and research, found a very interesting story, and a friend, Will Shapira, suggested you may be interested in it.

The Honorary Consul of the United Kingdom Consulate is William McGrann. The McGrann law firm was established as a result of a political response to the killing of six priests, their housekeeper and her daughter by Salvadoran military officers. William McGrann and three of his current partners left the O'Connor & Hannan law firm shortly afterwards because the firm represented the government of El Salvador.

In 2009, a Spanish judge opened an investigation into those 1989 killings (http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45399).

The Obama administration pressured Spanish officials to block a similar investigation of U.S. actions (http://www.democraticunderground.com/dicuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x550231).

WikiLeaks' release of diplomatic cables reveal this Obama administration pressure on Spanish officials.

Which leads to Mr. Julian Assange ............and Mr. McGrann.

Mr. Julian Assange has an extradition hearing on February 7-8 in London. His lawyer believes that if Assange is extradited to Sweden, Sweden will extradite him to the United States. We will be bringing a letter to Mr. McGrann on Monday, February 7, at 4:30, urging England not to extradite Assange to Sweden. WikiLeaks disclosed war crimes that the administration prefers not to be made public. The government is more interested in hiding secrets than exposing war crimes.

It is most appropriate that the Honorary Consul be Mr. William McGrann when such a letter is being given to him in support of a person who exposed war crimes. The Honorary Consul is indeed an honorable man.

Opposing Genocide in the Ogaden Region of Ethiopia

MINNEAPOLIS, JANUARY 23 --

Outside the Radisson City Center hotel, hundreds of Somali people protested and drew attention to a visit by Abdi Mohamud Omar, president of the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. They demanded that human rights abuses under Omar's growing military end, while raising awareness of the US' unquestioning military aid to Ethiopia.

The Ogaden region is a place of decades-long conflict, home to nomadic Somali people and occupied by the Ethiopian military. Both the Ogaden National Liberation Front and the military are accused of human rights abuses against civilians in the region by Human Rights Watch(1) -- hangings, setting makeshift villages on fire, systemic rape as a tool of warfare, hording the food aid from the UN and NGO's in the middle of droughts, demanding that men become soldiers in order to access food and water.

The government shuts down basic aid operations as soon as they're suspected of providing material aid to the rebels.(2) Always the threat of invisible rebels lurks in the countryside patrolled by soldiers, who use any excuse to collectively punish civilians and refugees.

According to the Ogaden National Liberation Front, "In 1981 the Organisation of African Unity committee mediating between Somalia and Ethiopia regarding the conflict in the Ogaden declared that the Ogaden is part of Ethiopia. That decision was based on the 1964 resolution of the OAU promulgated in Cairo regarding the sanctity of the African borders left by colonialism. That unjust resolution in no way took into account the aspirations of the people of Ogaden and wrongly portrayed the Ogaden conflict as a border dispute between two States when it is infact a conflict borne from the desire of the Ogaden people for self-determination." (5)

The pattern of violence is very similar to that of the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. But if there is a genocidal crisis in Ogaden, why is it not the subject of US Presidential addresses, as Darfur was even in the Bush administration? Why is it not in the news? Where are the divestment campaigns for Ethiopia? Why does the Genocide Intervention Network not list Ogaden among its areas for concern?(3) Why do we learn of actions to take regarding Darfur, but not Ogaden, when we call the Genocide Intervention Network's youth-driven hotline, 1-800-GENOCIDE?

According to the 2007 Human Rights Watch testimony on Ethiopia and the state of democracy, "the crisis in Ogaden is linked to a US-supported military intervention by Ethiopia in Somalia that has been justified in terms of counter terrorism. Because the United States has until now supported Ethiopia so closely, there is a widespread and growing sentiment in the region that the United States also shares some of the blame for the Ethiopian military's abusive conduct."

Their testimony to the US' House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health called

Ethiopian security forces "among the most abusive on the continent." Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. Is this not enough magnitude of violence to merit our action?

The US government has investigated and listened to some of the protesters, here among the highest concentration of Somali people outside Somalia, in Minnesota. But our representatives seem unsure of what to actually do. One of the organizers, Sadiq, said that they're grateful for Senators Klobuchar & Franken & their attempts to keep President Omar out of the country and away from Minnesota. Regardless, Omar arrived at the hotel and kept his purposes from the press.

But his presence, and his regime's guilt, were all too evident amid the chanting crowds downtown on Sunday.

Is it time to divest from Ethiopia? Is this the year to reduce their military aid, this year that began with the surprising announcement that the Obama administration would cut the defense budget for the first time since the Cold War? (4)

1) http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2007/10/01/ethiopia-and-state-democracy-effects-human-rights-and-humanitarian-conditions-ogaden

2) http://www.ogadennet.com/news.php?readmore=1556

3)http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis

4)http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/06/AR2011010603628.html

5) http://www.onlf.org/news.php

A new year of new knowledge

Happy New Year! As we rest this winter and build up momentum for 2011, it's a great time to learn.

In January a new semester of free college-level classes begins here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota:

check out the ever-changing Experimental College's website:

www.excotc.org

for a long list of all the diverse community-based offerings coming up in spring. I'm planning further discussion groups in the Ex.Co. format, and an educational retreat to Wisconsin concerning sustainable design! More info. soon!

In summer, students of life and facilitators of free knowledge gathered for an Ex.Co. party in Powderhorn Park. It was a great time had by all, full of music and cross-cultural meetings, and now we finally have a video to show you what it was like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqKNcXQMW7s

Please see the above hip, fun video to get an overview of Ex.Co. enthusiasm and class summary presentations-- among them was my skit about requesting files from the FBI through the Freedom of Information Act, exemplifying the class content of last spring's IndyMedia classes which I co-taught.

For a more in-depth explanation of Ex.Co, take a listen to co-founder David Boehnke's talk here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLRZRfNfSZg&feature=related

Reminiscent of the TED Talks, this brief presentation shares the revolutionary dynamic tenet of Ex.Co. with the Solutions Conference Volume 3:

"Anyone can take or teach a class, & all classes are free."

Still more Ex.Co. class videos are online at www.excotc.blip.tv