ADAPT Confronts Kerry!

[Guest guest]

From: " " <stephanieadapt@...>"micassa list" <micasa-list@...>Subject: ADAPT Confronts Kerry!Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:42:46 -0500Here is a report from Denver. This is something MiCASSA Supporters can doanywhere in the nation. Both Candidates need visits of this kind! Right onto the Denver folks. Let's follow their lead!----- Original Message -----From: adaptbabs Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 4:29 AMSubject: ADAPT magicFriday September 17, 2004: ADAPT magic happened again at the Town HallMeeting in Aurora, Co with presidential candidate Kerry.The local ADAPT group had spent the week trying to get tickets to attend therally for Mr. Kerry on Friday and had been unsuccessful. On Friday at 2PM adecision was made and eight of us loaded up in a van to attempt to get intothe meeting without tickets. The magic started immediately. The parking lotswere full so we asked one of the police officers if we could unload the vanbefore parking. "You have two minutes to unload," he said, "and don't gopast the cones." As we pulled into the parking lot another officer said,"You need to pull around right in front." "But we were told not to go pastthe cones." "And I'm telling you to go past the cones and unload." Past thecones we went.As we got to the doors we asked several people to find a specificindividual, as she was to have the tickets for us. Of course, she couldn'tbe located, but a group of us sitting to the side were offered tickets by aman and coincidentally he had exactly eight tickets. Inside we went.We were able to pass security without too much hassle, and were directed tothe side of the gym with a good view of the podium where Mr. Kerry would bespeaking. The group in the wheelchairs moved up the aisle, where they werestopped by one of the union women sitting on the aisle who explained theycould move no closer. As soon as she had lost interest in them and moved herfoot Dawn took them to the very front of the row.In his speech Mr. Kerry was very up front about the problems he saw with thepresent administration and the changes he was prepared to initiate. The mainfocus of his speech was health care and his healthcare plan for the nation,and we were clear we had come to the right place at the right time.After his speech Mr. Kerry took and responded to questions from theaudience. He handed the microphone to a woman sitting next to Dawn and herquestion was about what would happen to her Medicaid with all of the budgetcuts that were going on. As Mr. Kerry stepped back to begin his answer"quiet" Dawn said, "I have an answer to the Medicaid problems,Senator Kerry." And the Senator kneeled down and held the microphone forher. ADAPT magic at work. "Senator Kerry, there are over 1 million peoplein nursing homes across the United States. It would cost one-third less tosupport them in the community. Colorado is one of the best in the country atcommunity supports, but across the country people are having to leave theirhome states to come to places like Colorado to live in our own homes in thecommunity and receive services," said Dawn.Senator Kerry responded, " This is Dawn from ADAPT, and she isright. No one should be forced to live in a nursing home." Mr. Kerry went onto remark on ADAPTs 14 year battle to pass legislation that would assistindividuals including the elderly and the coming "Baby Boomers" to continueto live in their own homes. He stated that children should not have to workextra to take care of or pay for their parents. Services in the home "withattendant care" will not only save money, but increase jobs and pay a livingwage for attendants. People should have the choice of where they live andshould all be able to live independently and with dignity.ADAPT magic, Senator Kerry. Thank You-- ----------------------------------------------------------------Housing & Disability Issues (formerly NHOYO) is a moderatedinformational list. It consists of disability issues concerning,but not limited to: Individuals, Home ownership, and Affordablehousing. If you would like to be on our mailing list, send anemail message to: HOUSING.DISABILITY.ISSUES-request@...stating your wishes.Since this is not a discussion list, you will not be able to sendquestions directly to the list. However, if you have anyinformation that you feel is relevant to this list, please feelfree to send this information to: <drv@...> If we feelthis information is appropriate, we will post it to the list.If you wish to be removed from this list please send an emailmessage to: HOUSING.DISABILITY.ISSUES-request@...stating your wishes.Visit http://chance.unh.edufor information on home ownership for people with disabilities.----------------------------------------------------------------