You are strongly encouraged to visit this website: http://olympiainsider.org/. Cut and paste this URL or click on the link in the left hand list. You will see a list of pictures representing podcast videos, below which are links that you can click to play or download. You can read instructions at the top.
What you will find is a series of surprisingly well done, very political videos, shot on the Washington State Capitol Campus in Olympia, many featuring public officials such as Victor Moore, Director of the Office of Financial Management, along with Sue Elliott of ARC and Ed Holen of the DDC and others. Each is about 4 minutes long and many promote the closure of residential habilitation centers. They were produced as a joint project by the Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) and ARC of Washington. I do not know if any tax money is used by ARC (of 501c3 status) to fund this project, but, as I understand it, the DDC is a state agency funded by Federal grant which matches State funding, which means tax money is certainly funding their participation.
The use of Federal or State tax money for these purposes is of grave concern to those of us whose loved ones depend on RHCs for their safety and wellbeing. Shouldn't public money, both contributed by the government & retained by virtue of exemption from taxation, be used for the benefit of all of the people with dd instead of just those who fit the bias of the groups receiving it?
I will be interested to hear/see your reactions.
Saskia
Monday, March 8, 2010
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I tried to view these - for some reason, only the first 3 would play. Of those, they were actually helpful in explaining the process. I will keep trying to view the others and see what propaganda is promoted.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Pandiecats,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I started from the most recent videos, and having worked backward, had not viewed the first ones. This evening, when I viewed them from the beginning, I, too, was impressed by their introduction to the legislative and citizen lobbying process.
If one did not realize that ADVOCACY Day, which ARC sponsors every Wednesday, is a completely biased lobbying effort, prepped in the mornings at the church across the street, one could come away from those videos with the idea that all people with dd were being represented to legislators. In fact, quite the opposite is usually the case, as anti-RHC lobbying is quite prevalent and the needs of people who live in RHCs either are not represented or are discounted.
Many may not be aware that in years when RHCs were not under attack by ARC's and the DDC's lobbying efforts, Actiondd has lobbied with them for legislation needed by "{community" residents with dd.
ARC has a slogan which applies to all of us: "Change is made by those who show up!" By showing up along with their paid leadership, their citizen advocates have made significant progress for people who don't need RHC residency. It would be so wonderful to feel that they could lobby, as well, for the supports needed by people in RHCs. The truth is, they often will be found to be the same people as the safety net is extended to those "community" folk who come to need more than the "community" can support, even with increased funding.
Saskia
Saskia
Oh my gosh - I got to video number 4 and see what you mean - the discrimination and propaganda are just overflowing.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering, too, where the funds came from for these - will have to check into that.
#4 is as far as I got - I'll have to view the rest today and tomorrow. If they had just stopped at #3 it would have been a very good series.