This is a great video on the work of Congressman John Lewis and the Faith and Politics Institute, They are beginning their trip this week to visit many of the scenes of civil rights history in this country. Their trip, a bipartisan trip by members of Congress and other guests, will culminate in a re-enactment of the demonstration and bridge crossing that occurred 48 years ago in Selma, Alabama. That event became know as "Bloody Sunday" and will always be remembered that way. Basically, a police riot against peaceful protesters. I had the privilege of being a foot soldier for justice, marching and demonstrating in Selma for many days after that police action.
Faith and Politics Video Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Who Can People With Developmental Disabilities In NYS Count On?
This post and the issues it deals with are very specific to the field I worked for many years, providing support to people with developmental disabilities. Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his Commissioner of the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Courtney Burke, announced what amounts to a $240 million cut to private, non profit providers of supports, to one of the most vulnerable populations in NYS. That figure amounts to a 6% across the board cut to organizations who have sustained major cuts over the past 3 years.
All of this is due to a controversy that the state has been having with the federal government over a rate structure that allowed the state to receive $5000 per day for people residing in state institutions. Initially, the rate sounds deplorable and because few people have explained it, the figure stands out there looking awful. What isn't stated is that the rate was approved by the federal government many years ago. In addition, it was a known fact that NYS was using that rate, meant for institutional care, to help pay for the development of community and more individualized supports - the goal of the federal government. There has been tremendous scrutiny by Congress over this issue, especially in the highly charged environment of federal spending criticisms by various House Committees.
All of this is due to a controversy that the state has been having with the federal government over a rate structure that allowed the state to receive $5000 per day for people residing in state institutions. Initially, the rate sounds deplorable and because few people have explained it, the figure stands out there looking awful. What isn't stated is that the rate was approved by the federal government many years ago. In addition, it was a known fact that NYS was using that rate, meant for institutional care, to help pay for the development of community and more individualized supports - the goal of the federal government. There has been tremendous scrutiny by Congress over this issue, especially in the highly charged environment of federal spending criticisms by various House Committees.
NYS's Office for People with Developmental Disabilities share of the cuts totals $120 million but when you add the federal share it totals $240 million. The entire amount of these cuts will be to the non profit providers even though the state provides similar services. That's the 6% cut and it needs to go into effect by April 1, 2013. This is not only devastating, it's stupid and irresponsible. As Eriskine Bowles has pointed out relative to federal Sequester across the board cuts - no private business does across the board cuts. You don't take a meat cleaver approach to serious fiscal problems. Your cuts and adjustments need to be precise and effective. These cuts by the way, are coming at the same time that states may be faced with additional cuts forced by the Sequester mentioned above.
At the same time, providers are being asked to do much more relative to government expectations. Organizations are burdened and overwhelmed by regulations that in most cases have been put into place as over reactions to the state's own incompetence in operating supports for people with developmental disabilities. These cuts will have an impact on quality of supports, an economic impact relative to job reductions and much more.
The state then has the gall to ask private providers to stand with them in a partnership to develop more homes in the community while institutions are closed and to come to conferences on visioning and planning. Hopefully the field will be smart enough to boycott these requests and to let the state know that it has shown its true colors in not supporting people with developmental disabilities. Its a shameful action by NYS. Families, providers and people supported legitimately need to ask - who can we count on?Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Use of Drones Requires Debate/Discussion
The debate and discussion on the use of drones as well as their use to go after individuals, US citizens or not, needs to occur. There also needs to be discussion about the existence and use of kill lists, with decisions to target people being made by a few people in authority. There are many people who see no problem with any of this and who believe this is war and the way it works - kind of an anything goes view of war. But there are others, myself included, who have serious questions about the new weapons and their use.
This is part of a changing technological world that we all live in. Every day people struggle to figure out new ethical standards ranging from individual privacy, organizational privacy, our use of social media, employment law and the use of information we all have access to or that we may receive. The difference with drones is the extinction of life with both brutal accuracy and the potential for horrible mistakes.
The debate has not been robust and the media has not necessarily done its job in helping to force or focus the discussion. The confirmation hearings on both John Brennan and Chuck Hagel have brought the issue a bit more into the light. It looks like possibly more people will be following up.
The process for determining how decisions are made, including the maintenance of kill lists should be troubling to people who really think about the issue for any length of time. We're looking at a different type of weaponry as well as a different type of war. The genie is out of this box relative to drones. Others will use the technology and at some point we'll be dealing with drones over our country, controlled by our government or others. So, lets make sure the debate takes place and that people really think through and publicly discuss all of the issues related to drones and their use.
This is part of a changing technological world that we all live in. Every day people struggle to figure out new ethical standards ranging from individual privacy, organizational privacy, our use of social media, employment law and the use of information we all have access to or that we may receive. The difference with drones is the extinction of life with both brutal accuracy and the potential for horrible mistakes.
The debate has not been robust and the media has not necessarily done its job in helping to force or focus the discussion. The confirmation hearings on both John Brennan and Chuck Hagel have brought the issue a bit more into the light. It looks like possibly more people will be following up.
The process for determining how decisions are made, including the maintenance of kill lists should be troubling to people who really think about the issue for any length of time. We're looking at a different type of weaponry as well as a different type of war. The genie is out of this box relative to drones. Others will use the technology and at some point we'll be dealing with drones over our country, controlled by our government or others. So, lets make sure the debate takes place and that people really think through and publicly discuss all of the issues related to drones and their use.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Consolidations, Collaborations and Mergers
There are many discussions going on about consolidations, collaborations and mergers. School districts, towns and villages and and non profits are all looking at these issues. As I've pointed out before, these are difficult discussions. There are lots of agendas from different audiences who sometimes know very little about the organizations, finances or operational issues. Then you have the protectors of the status quo. Those who blindly state that it can't and shouldn't be done, usually because of some personal interest.
All of this requires minimally two things and I've written about some of it before. First, leadership. There have to be leaders who really are leaders and who are willing to talk to their own organizations, their constituents and their potential partners. Collaborative communication is the second item that has to take place. As the saying goes, "it takes two to tango" and this tango requires partners who are willing to talk openly and honestly, sometimes privately and sometimes in public. There also need to be shared values aimed at some greater good. All of these things are difficult and hard to come by in a competitive environment.
Recently I've seen talks begin to take place in a number of local school districts. It always seems to begin with discussions about too many superintendents and quickly deteriorates into discussions about the critical importance of local sports teams and athletic fields. The reality is that in most cases, real dollars aren't saved by reducing a superintendent's position. That usually comes out early and some people use that as an excuse to put the discussion to bed. The athletics piece is also potentially a red herring that has more to do with team/community loyalty. This is where leadership and communication really need to kick in. If savings are not really there (reducing an administrator), where. How do we get to real savings or perhaps more importantly, better services. It's a huge discussion that has to take place with information and above all else, honesty and trust.
Shared services are possible. BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services in NY) figured it out a long time ago. Things like payroll, accounting, purchasing, transportation, Information Technology and staff training really built the BOCES model. Like everything else there was an over reach and problems with accountability and transparency, but the basic model and concept worked and does work. The state of NY has recently finalized a report on government efficiencies and no surprise, back office functions are pretty clearly identified.
All of this falls apart though when the people in charge of their particular back office don't want to play or keep saying it won't work. From what I've seen and experienced, a break down occurs quickly when people want to defend their particular infrastructure, be it software, hardware or equipment and processes of some type. Real and strong leaders need to get involved in those discussions early and let people know that those arguments and discussions aren't helpful. It's hard but necessary and it separates real leaders from the rest.
All of this requires minimally two things and I've written about some of it before. First, leadership. There have to be leaders who really are leaders and who are willing to talk to their own organizations, their constituents and their potential partners. Collaborative communication is the second item that has to take place. As the saying goes, "it takes two to tango" and this tango requires partners who are willing to talk openly and honestly, sometimes privately and sometimes in public. There also need to be shared values aimed at some greater good. All of these things are difficult and hard to come by in a competitive environment.
Recently I've seen talks begin to take place in a number of local school districts. It always seems to begin with discussions about too many superintendents and quickly deteriorates into discussions about the critical importance of local sports teams and athletic fields. The reality is that in most cases, real dollars aren't saved by reducing a superintendent's position. That usually comes out early and some people use that as an excuse to put the discussion to bed. The athletics piece is also potentially a red herring that has more to do with team/community loyalty. This is where leadership and communication really need to kick in. If savings are not really there (reducing an administrator), where. How do we get to real savings or perhaps more importantly, better services. It's a huge discussion that has to take place with information and above all else, honesty and trust.
Shared services are possible. BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services in NY) figured it out a long time ago. Things like payroll, accounting, purchasing, transportation, Information Technology and staff training really built the BOCES model. Like everything else there was an over reach and problems with accountability and transparency, but the basic model and concept worked and does work. The state of NY has recently finalized a report on government efficiencies and no surprise, back office functions are pretty clearly identified.
All of this falls apart though when the people in charge of their particular back office don't want to play or keep saying it won't work. From what I've seen and experienced, a break down occurs quickly when people want to defend their particular infrastructure, be it software, hardware or equipment and processes of some type. Real and strong leaders need to get involved in those discussions early and let people know that those arguments and discussions aren't helpful. It's hard but necessary and it separates real leaders from the rest.
Monday, February 4, 2013
From NYC to Hicks
For those who don't know, Hicks is a small community in upstate NY, a bit east of Elmira and southwest of Ithaca. I mention this just so we can all get our bearings. Hicks isn't a town or a village. It's really a community or a hamlet that's part of the town of Baldwin in Chemung County in upstate NY.
Many times people ask me how I ended up where I am today, philosophically, politically and geographically. Well it certainly has been a journey. This is an attempt at a chapter in that journey. Something to share relative to where I came from and where I went, how I got there but hopefully not yet where I ended up. Again, this is just one section of the trip. Like others, I wish a map or GPS had been at my side along the way.
In 1967, my wife, my young son and I were living on First Ave. in NYC. Close to the nexus of the universe actually - 1st Street and First Ave. We were renting a railroad flat between 1st St. and 2nd St. Basically three rooms and a bathroom. A walk-up apartment as they were called, because that's what you did when there was no elevator in the building - walk-up. So we were in a fifth floor walk-up on the Lower, and I mean lower Eastside. First St. actually ended and became Houston St. right around First Ave. Katz's Delicatessen was in shouting distance. There was also a neighborhood, Ukrainian bar on the corner of First and 1st. A heavy set, fellow by the name of Mike was the owner/barkeep. A great place to grab a beer, a pickled egg and maybe a tool or two that had been taken off a truck someplace.
My wife and I were both involved in and with the Catholic Worker House of Hospitality, St. Joseph's. But things had changed. I had recently returned from a long involuntary absence that requires a chapter or two of its own. The city, at least in my mind, was rougher and more violent then I remembered. Groceries, a pack of cigarettes, or just a visit to see someone required that up and down trip of five flights of stairs and it was getting old. I was noticing and being impacted by more violence in the street.
I had become very close friends with a couple in Harrison, NY, Judy and Irving Lerner. Their politics were similar, certainly progressives in every sense of the word and Judy was an activist in the Women's and Peace Movements. She was a contemporary and close friend of Bella Abzug. The Lerners had a few years earlier introduced me to Bill Kuntsler and many others involved in the causes of that time period. I talked to Judy and Irving about what was going on and our desire to leave the city. Like many young people, my conversations tended to be about hopes and dreams rather then any reality based plan. But Judy and Irv were dreamers and supporters of dreamers. One day Irv proposed that if we could find a place outside of the city, he'd consider helping us figure out how to make it happen.
In the meantime other things were happening at home. The apartment house that we lived in was becoming a target of burglaries. As I said we were on the fifth floor. The stairs to the roof were right outside our door. Roof top burglars are or were the norm at that time. Go to the roof, climb down a fire escape or shimmy your way down to an access window on the floor closest to the roof, make your entry, steal the loot, back to the roof and bam your gone down the stairs. We had a fire escape on our back window, the baby's room. It wasn't barred or screened since it didn't have access to the roof - just down. There was also a large roof unit that blocked access from the roof to the fire escape. To get to that window as an entry you would have to hang from the roof, six floors up and actually swing yourself over to the fire escape. Exiting by that route would require the same gymnastics but probably a bit more difficult then on the way up depending on your haul.
One night, my wife and I were awakened by unfamiliar noises in the apartment. I got out of bed and almost immediately saw someone running toward the baby's room from the kitchen and out the window. The baby woke and I ran to the front door. As I opened the door all I saw was the flash of someone scurrying down the stairs and there in front of me, on the floor, was my wife's handbag with items scattered on the tile floor. That was it. In that moment I knew we needed to leave that place.
At that time there was a big national real estate firm that everyone with a dream to pursue got to know. The Strout Real Estate Catalogue had listings all over the country. Lots of acreage for sale to all of those back to the land folks who were looking for alternative life styles. We had joined the ranks. I remember getting an atlas road map, flipping to New York State and placing a compass on the page to draw a circle that would take us 150 or 200 miles from the city. That's where we would begin looking for that dream property. Someplace where we could live in peace, grow a garden and live off of the land.
There were reconnaissance trips that took us to Liberty, NY, Saugerties, and a few places in Pa. Then we found it. There it was, plain as day, page 58 under NYS - 42 acres, house, shed. House needs work. $7000, Baldwin, NY. Where in the hell was Baldwin? We poured over the atlas, looking and looking. There it is, east of Elmira outside the neatly drawn circle. Damn! But it's not that far out of the circle so let's take a look. Can't hurt. So a ride north and west on Route 17 took our small family toward Elmira, NY best known, right or wrong for its walled penitentiary. We followed a map past Waverly, NY and found the road we needed to take north. Wynkoop Creek Rd led us around curves and through forests
to the hamlet of Hicks and to a right turn on a dirt road that led to the property we were seeking. There she was. A small house, handy man special for sure, a shed sitting along the creek that ran through the property from the mountain a short distance behind the house. Was this Wynkoop Creek? The house was close to the road and the house across the street was right on the edge of the road. So much for privacy and peace and quiet in the country. In addition, the occupants across the street were very interested in the young couple with the baby who were meeting with the Strout Realtor.
Potential and lots of it. I never heard about so much potential as I did that day. And I saw it. I saw all that potential. I even began believing that I was the consummate handyman. All I really needed, I convinced myself, were some good tools. The property, the 42 acres, were in a horseshoe shape. The middle of the horseshoe was owned by the neighbor across the street. It was a pasture of sorts and home to about 40 dairy cows. On the upper side of the horseshoe was a junkyard filled with cars, trucks, tractors and every type of vehicle you could imagine. Dream on, dream on. Paradise had been found. Nearest store was 10 miles. Not bad. Schools were just over the hill, around the bend and through the woods. What more did we need to know?
Back to the city with constant talk about how nice the country was and how much potential we saw. There was much more thought about this move. There were plenty of barriers. But eventually a decision was made and with the help of our good friend Irving, a purchase offer was made and accepted.
There were lots of goodbyes to NYC and to all of the friends we were leaving. We didn't have much, but what we did have was hauled down those five flights of stairs and put in a rented truck that followed the car in a small caravan out of NYC to Hicks. The Wilson's were off and running. Now where could I get those tools and I wonder if they come with instructions.
Many times people ask me how I ended up where I am today, philosophically, politically and geographically. Well it certainly has been a journey. This is an attempt at a chapter in that journey. Something to share relative to where I came from and where I went, how I got there but hopefully not yet where I ended up. Again, this is just one section of the trip. Like others, I wish a map or GPS had been at my side along the way.
In 1967, my wife, my young son and I were living on First Ave. in NYC. Close to the nexus of the universe actually - 1st Street and First Ave. We were renting a railroad flat between 1st St. and 2nd St. Basically three rooms and a bathroom. A walk-up apartment as they were called, because that's what you did when there was no elevator in the building - walk-up. So we were in a fifth floor walk-up on the Lower, and I mean lower Eastside. First St. actually ended and became Houston St. right around First Ave. Katz's Delicatessen was in shouting distance. There was also a neighborhood, Ukrainian bar on the corner of First and 1st. A heavy set, fellow by the name of Mike was the owner/barkeep. A great place to grab a beer, a pickled egg and maybe a tool or two that had been taken off a truck someplace.
My wife and I were both involved in and with the Catholic Worker House of Hospitality, St. Joseph's. But things had changed. I had recently returned from a long involuntary absence that requires a chapter or two of its own. The city, at least in my mind, was rougher and more violent then I remembered. Groceries, a pack of cigarettes, or just a visit to see someone required that up and down trip of five flights of stairs and it was getting old. I was noticing and being impacted by more violence in the street.
I had become very close friends with a couple in Harrison, NY, Judy and Irving Lerner. Their politics were similar, certainly progressives in every sense of the word and Judy was an activist in the Women's and Peace Movements. She was a contemporary and close friend of Bella Abzug. The Lerners had a few years earlier introduced me to Bill Kuntsler and many others involved in the causes of that time period. I talked to Judy and Irving about what was going on and our desire to leave the city. Like many young people, my conversations tended to be about hopes and dreams rather then any reality based plan. But Judy and Irv were dreamers and supporters of dreamers. One day Irv proposed that if we could find a place outside of the city, he'd consider helping us figure out how to make it happen.
In the meantime other things were happening at home. The apartment house that we lived in was becoming a target of burglaries. As I said we were on the fifth floor. The stairs to the roof were right outside our door. Roof top burglars are or were the norm at that time. Go to the roof, climb down a fire escape or shimmy your way down to an access window on the floor closest to the roof, make your entry, steal the loot, back to the roof and bam your gone down the stairs. We had a fire escape on our back window, the baby's room. It wasn't barred or screened since it didn't have access to the roof - just down. There was also a large roof unit that blocked access from the roof to the fire escape. To get to that window as an entry you would have to hang from the roof, six floors up and actually swing yourself over to the fire escape. Exiting by that route would require the same gymnastics but probably a bit more difficult then on the way up depending on your haul.
One night, my wife and I were awakened by unfamiliar noises in the apartment. I got out of bed and almost immediately saw someone running toward the baby's room from the kitchen and out the window. The baby woke and I ran to the front door. As I opened the door all I saw was the flash of someone scurrying down the stairs and there in front of me, on the floor, was my wife's handbag with items scattered on the tile floor. That was it. In that moment I knew we needed to leave that place.
At that time there was a big national real estate firm that everyone with a dream to pursue got to know. The Strout Real Estate Catalogue had listings all over the country. Lots of acreage for sale to all of those back to the land folks who were looking for alternative life styles. We had joined the ranks. I remember getting an atlas road map, flipping to New York State and placing a compass on the page to draw a circle that would take us 150 or 200 miles from the city. That's where we would begin looking for that dream property. Someplace where we could live in peace, grow a garden and live off of the land.
There were reconnaissance trips that took us to Liberty, NY, Saugerties, and a few places in Pa. Then we found it. There it was, plain as day, page 58 under NYS - 42 acres, house, shed. House needs work. $7000, Baldwin, NY. Where in the hell was Baldwin? We poured over the atlas, looking and looking. There it is, east of Elmira outside the neatly drawn circle. Damn! But it's not that far out of the circle so let's take a look. Can't hurt. So a ride north and west on Route 17 took our small family toward Elmira, NY best known, right or wrong for its walled penitentiary. We followed a map past Waverly, NY and found the road we needed to take north. Wynkoop Creek Rd led us around curves and through forests
to the hamlet of Hicks and to a right turn on a dirt road that led to the property we were seeking. There she was. A small house, handy man special for sure, a shed sitting along the creek that ran through the property from the mountain a short distance behind the house. Was this Wynkoop Creek? The house was close to the road and the house across the street was right on the edge of the road. So much for privacy and peace and quiet in the country. In addition, the occupants across the street were very interested in the young couple with the baby who were meeting with the Strout Realtor.
Potential and lots of it. I never heard about so much potential as I did that day. And I saw it. I saw all that potential. I even began believing that I was the consummate handyman. All I really needed, I convinced myself, were some good tools. The property, the 42 acres, were in a horseshoe shape. The middle of the horseshoe was owned by the neighbor across the street. It was a pasture of sorts and home to about 40 dairy cows. On the upper side of the horseshoe was a junkyard filled with cars, trucks, tractors and every type of vehicle you could imagine. Dream on, dream on. Paradise had been found. Nearest store was 10 miles. Not bad. Schools were just over the hill, around the bend and through the woods. What more did we need to know?
Back to the city with constant talk about how nice the country was and how much potential we saw. There was much more thought about this move. There were plenty of barriers. But eventually a decision was made and with the help of our good friend Irving, a purchase offer was made and accepted.
There were lots of goodbyes to NYC and to all of the friends we were leaving. We didn't have much, but what we did have was hauled down those five flights of stairs and put in a rented truck that followed the car in a small caravan out of NYC to Hicks. The Wilson's were off and running. Now where could I get those tools and I wonder if they come with instructions.
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