Though it was a bit nippy outside, Tuesday dawned bright and sunny. ADAPT headed over to the National Governors’ Association (NGA) to hold a press conference of the best and worst states for community-based services. We went to the NGA because the governors have the power to really push for the passing of the Community Choice Act. Randy Alexander, from Memphis, TN, spoke about the MCIL Underground Railroad, a program that has been in place for over a decade, that helps people from Tenessee move to other states (mainly Colorado) so that they can live in the community. They have to do this because home helth care is almost unheard ofthere. We also heard from Latonya Reeves, the first Underground Railroader, who moved from Memphis, TN, to Denver, CO, seventeen years ago. She spoke of what it was like to move, and leave her family behind, but she also spoke of the freedom that she now has in Colorado. She stated that Colorado is not perfect, but she is better off there than in a nursing facility back home. Nadina LaSpina, from NYC also spoke about a woman whom she helped to move from Alabama to New York. Nadia, the woman who Nadina helped, also spoke. Another woman from Arkansas spoke on her long incarceration in a psychiatric institution, and her fight to finally be free.

Here is the list of the best and the worst states:

The states are listed alphabetically, not ranked numerically;

TEN BEST STATES
Alaska
Colorado
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Hampshire
Oregon
Rhode Island
Vermont

HONORABLE MENTION
Kansas
New York
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

TEN WORST STATES
Arkansas
Georgia
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Mississippi
North Dakota
Tennessee
Texas

DISHONORABLE MENTION
Alabama
District of Columbia
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania

We then went across the street to dine on ADAPT steak in the park. For those who don’t know what ADAPT steak is, its McDonald’s hamburgers, usually cold by the time we get them, but they fuel us for long days of actions, so I’m not complaining.

We then broke up into two groups and did a double hit on the headquarters of the RNC and the office of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the presumptive Republican candidate for President. McCain has not signed on to the Community Choice Act. ADAPTers who were in the hallway just outside McCain’s office were arrested fairly quickly. There was a group inside McCain’s office than hung in there until after 7:00 pm, when they, too, were arrested. The rest of the group came over to join us at the RNC.

I was in the group at the RNC. We encircled the entire building, including the parking garage and alleyway, and someof us actually got inside the building. I was outside since I got into the HHS yesterday, I wanted to give my fellow Day Leader to opportunity to go inside, or get arrested if he chose to. As a Day Leader, I was on the negotiation team, and to say that the negotiations went sour isn’t saying it strongly enough. It actually got down to five words, and the substitution of “attempt to set up a meeting with McCain’s campaign rep”, to “attempt to set up a meeting with Senator McCain”. The legal counsel for the RNC claimed that they did not have the power to set up a meeting with McCain. I felt that that was utter you-know-what, and we said so, in so many words. We would not accept that, so the negotiations were off, and we continued chanting and singing loud and strong until about 11:00 at night, when we were forcibly removed from the building and the doors. believe me, the Democrats took full advantage of the RNC’s and McCain’s folly, and plastered it all over their websites and Roll Call magazine, which goes to every senator and member of Congress. While we were out there at the RNC, we got visits from Reps. Janice Schakowsky, Patrick Kennedy, and Gwen Moore, who actually sang and chanted with us for more than an hour before she told us who she was! Incidently, all of these folks are co-sponsors of CCA.

So, although we made no headway with the RNC or McCain, we did expose this conflict with them, and let them show us their true colors. FREE OUR PEOPLE!!!

Monday was rainy and cold, but there was this sense of excitment in the air. I was a Day Leader for the week. One of the things that a Day Leader does is negotiate with the targets and the police. I was attached to the Blue team, and had decided that once we reached our target, I would try to get in. I knew that several ADAPTERS had penetrated the building earlier, but that was no guarantee that we would get in.

I know that we chanted loud and strong as we were marching, but I was deeply focused on getting inside, so I can’t remember what we chanted, or if I even chanted. I was looking to reach a certain point, then, I would make a call as an alert, then hopefully, all would go well. I sent out some words to the Universe that I would not mess up, and that the ADAPT deities would smile on us, as they often did.

The ADAPT deities did not disappoint! We reached the spot, I made the call, and a few seconds later, we were rounding the corner to our target, the department of Health and Human Services (HHS)! I saw a guy in a yellow shirt and tie (it was actually Bruce) open the door. “GO, GO, GO!” I heard myself shouting, and charged the door with such force that I almost flew out of my wheelchair. Without missing a beat, I righted myself, and speed inside, shouting at the top of my lungs, COME ON, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, NOW!!! LET’S GO, as I lead them straight to the back of the building, where there were double doors. The adrenaline was pumping hard! We were in a race with cops and security to see who would get to those doors first. Fortunately, ADAPT made it first. I hit the doors, spun around, and yelled, HIT IT NOW!, SHUT ‘EM DOWN! SHUT ‘EM DOWN NOW!! YEAH!! as 14 ADAPTers closed in on every door on that end. One lone security guard tried to capture the door, but to no avail. He soon gave up. There was a commotion at the door at the other end, where we had come in. Bruce, who’d opened the door for us, was dragged out by the cops, but managed to get back in. He tried jamming the door with his foot, and got his foot jacked up. The cops wrestled him to the ground and tried to drag him out, but a strong young ADAPT woman dragged him back in, and he came to where we were.

Meanwhile, we were chanting and singing, “Aint gonna let nobody turn me around!” Suddenly, there was singing and clapping from above us. I thought at first, that some of us had made it to the second floor, but, to my amazement, it was HHS staff singing and chanting with us! I managed to get some pictures and video, but then, my phone died. It had gotten wet. So much for blogging and uploading pics and videos. Bummer!

We kept up the chanting and singing for quite some time. I noticed that half of our group were new folks on their first action, including two from Rochester! I was SO proud of them! They stood strong, and were even willing to be arrested if it came to that.

As I calmed down, I realized that we’d done it. We got into HHS for the first time in 17 years! 75 ADAPT folks got into that building! Normally, if someone in a wheelchair so much as passed by there, security would get nervous. If more than two people in chairs passed by, they’d literally shut the place down! I’m not kidding. When 10 ADAPT members, including myself were invited to meet with then HHS Secretary Donna Shalala back in the ’90s, we were locked out, even though we had a meeting! It took them forever to call upstairs and confirm the meeting. Oddly, security had been lax recently, and that played a part in us getting in. I guarantee you though, that building was shut down tight the rest ot the time that ADAPT was in DC!

Why was ADAPT hitting HHS, you might ask? Good question. Until recently, we had a good relationship with HHS; there had been many meetings, and good dialogue. However, there had been some devastating new interim final rules involving targeted case management, and spousal impoverishment that had come down the pike. These new rules reinforced the institutional bias in long term care, making it difficult to transition people from nursing facilities and other institutions back into the community. ADAPT had had enough, and we wanted a meeting with HHS Secretary, Mike Leavitt to work things out.

Bruce and I were Day Leaders, so we tried keeping up with what was going on in other parts of the building. Since my phone was dead, we used Bruce’s phone. We learned that Philo Hall, with HHS was meeting with the negotiation team. Since Bruce and I were way in the back, the team had to negotiate with the cops, security, and Philo, to get us up there. After a while, we were able to join the rest of the negotiating team, leaving our group in the very capable hands of Bernard, a Color Leader with the Blue team.

We were escorted to where the rest of the leadership/negotiation team were, and updated on everything. Two of our folks had been arrested, and taken away. In fact, we saw them being led past where we originally were, way in the back. We wanted to know their whereabouts, and to see if they could be ticketed and released with us, but they were already in the system. The cops were really upset, and security, and the Powers That Be were VERY nervous, and really wanted us out of the building, as there were to be talks held with the Chinese delegation about food safety in light of the recent revelations regarding Chinese imports. Needless to say, the officials didn’t want the Chinese seeing the chaos of a protest taking place. Personally, I didn’t give a hoot and a hill of beans, and secretly wished that the Chinese would see the protest.

We then had to work out the gnarly details of getting a meeting with Secretary Leavitt. After a lot of back and forth, and round and round, and tempers flaring, and calming down, we hammered out an agreement. Leavitt would meet with ADAPT leadership within 30 days. We would meet with Philo, and some of the HHS bigwigs and policymakers immediately to discuss what would be spoken of the meeting with Secretary Leavitt, then, have a follow-up meeting later in the week. HHS also committed to having quarterly meetings with ADAPT to work on issues, and to consult with, and keep each other updated on other things that impact the disability community.

All in all, it was a victorious day for ADAPT. HHS felt our strength and power. FREE OUR PEOPLE!!!

The fun Run was cool, even if it was a rainy, dreary day. Fortunately, it was not raining during the Fun Run, but it was damp. We made the most of it, though, and had lots of fun! Lisa and I did 25 laps. Sometimes, I wheeled myself, sometimes, I hung on to Dawn, or Terrie’s power chair, and sometimes, Lisa pushed me. Here are links to a couple of pics I managed to take:

David Runs David Hayes, of Colorado runs with the crowd

Lead On! A Birthday sign and card from Yoshiko

Bobby and Yoshiko Bobby Coward chats with Yoshiko

Rochester ADAPT saddled up yesterday, and headed to Washington, DC for ADAPT’s 25th anniversary celebration. 56 of us piled into 2 buses and took the 8 hour journey to DC. The difference this time was that Anita O, and Mary Anne were not with us, as they are having a baby. Susan N, Hope, and all the gang stepped up to do them proud, and we got to DC with no problem, even if we did take the scenic route.

It was so great to see all of my old friends, and the many new folks! Rochester brought 13 new folks, all of them pumped up about the actions and other great stuff that will be happening this week. I am so busy, but ecstatic to be here! I will do my best to let you know what happened, as long as I can keep my connection…

Bobbi Wallach and Debbie Duminuco were tied at first place for raising the most money among the consumers and volunteers. Debbie couldn’t physically do the deed, and Bobbi couldn’t make it due to Lift Line issues (good old Lift Line–not!), so Chris decided that everyone would get a shot. Little Annika, Chris’s daughter, didn’t want to be the one to cut Daddy’s hair, but she and little brother, Kyle did kiss his hair goodbye before the shearing began.

  Chris before the shaving began

Anita O’Brien started it off, then, Jill, Chris’s wife took a turn. Next was Peggy Gorrow, who is totally blind. Peggy did a great job! Chris Wood got in on the fun, then, Debbie Bonomo gave it a shot. Marco tried his hand at it, then, Christine and Granny gave it a try. Wille, Norita, Chris’s father-in-law, and Mary Anne also shaved Chris. Heck, even I got in on the act!