3.
NLC Summer Semester Registration Deadline:May 8
The National Labor College’s 2009 Summer Semester begins Monday, June 8. The last day to register for the semester is May 8. For more information, call the NLC Admissions Office at 301-431-5421 or e-mailjosborn@nlc.edu. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!
ALREADY many OBAMA FEDERAL STIMULUS funds for adultS disabled are being diverted to other programs - huge cuts including to psychologists are planned !
PLEASE VOTE NO ON 1E BECAUSE THAT BILL IS THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY !
DON'T ALLOW MH SPECIFIC $ TO "DISAPPEAR" IN THE CA GENERAL FUND.!!!!!!!!!!
WARning: CA CUTTING CARE TO DISABLED ADULTS on ssi/ssp THROUGHOUT all PROGRAMS increasing disability and inability among Adults with mh and multiple disability!
Act Now To Defeat Proposition 1E
California's Special Election is less than two months away. We must act quickly and take the necessary steps to defeat Proposition 1E.
From NAMI California by Grace McAndrews, Executive Director, March 26, 2009
It's up to us to act now to defeat this harmful act.
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO:
FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN
Attached for your convenience is a Fact Sheet & Contribution Form and Endorsement Forms for Individuals and Organizations. Please be as generous as you can. We ask that you share this information with all of your contacts, including members of your affiliate, neighbors, co-workers and friends listed in your address book. Post information on your web site and in your newsletter. Write letters to your local newspaper. Hold parties to support the campaign. Do whatever else is necessary to get the word out.
GET OUT THE VOTE
Voters who are registered to vote must vote at their polling place or vote-by-mail. This is critical. People who are not registered to vote must register by the deadline and vote either at their polling place or use the vote-by-mail ballot. This is critical as well. Historically, voting is light in special elections. We believe there is a good chance that t hose who opt for the vote-by-mail ballot may very well dictate the results of the May 19th election.
Those who wish to vote-by-mail can use the application printed on their Sample Ballot which will be sent prior to the elections, or one can apply in writing to their county elections official. If choosing the latter, you will need to submit a completed application or letter to your county elections official between 29 days and 7 days before the election. You can find the telephone number and address of your county elections official by looking in the front of your telephone directory in the White Pages Government Listing section under County Offices. Look for “Elections”, Registrar of Voters”, “County Clerks”, or “Voting.” For complete “how to” information of Registering to Vote and vote-by-mail, visit the following web site: www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections Go to Voter Reigstration, click on Vote by Mail.
Critical Downloads:
Click Here to download the Fact Sheet and Contribution Form
Click Here to download the Endorsement Forms for Individuals and Organizations
NOTE: 501©3 affiliates can participate in this process as well as donate money to the campaign. Your affiliate's non-profit status will not be affected.
Thanks for helping to defeat Proposition 1E!!
Source: NAMI California
Link: http://namialifornia.org
*please note rules for hud housing occupants medical and disability deductions are different than tax/irs rules
www.hud.gov/.../both.cfm
Tax Deductions for People with Disabilities
Read Estate Planning for People with Disabilities to find out what you need to know before planning your estate.
digg user macdoodle would like to share this story with you:
http://digg.com/political_opinion/http_www_cbn_com_CBNnews_572147_aspx
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"http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/572147.aspx"
FAR RIGHT worries Serve America volunteers will breakup their monopoly on govt funding for social services. Misunderstands that they are volunteers and fears health care benefits and unionization. Claims America can't afford to help the kids have access to education.
TRY TO BE MORE ABLE WHEN YOUR LEFT BLIND AND IN PAIN...
FROM CDCAN REPORT #0103-2009:
Pulling “Trigger” Would Have Stopped Permanent Cuts To IHSS Worker Wages, Elimination of Several Medi-Cal Optional Benefits, Cuts to SSI/SSP & CalWORKS Grant Levels From Taking Place – Those Cuts Will Now Happen Barring A Change of Mind By Governor and Legislature To Restore Funding
"Dr. Kamran Mofid is a visionary activist committed to the evolutionary transformation of social, ecological and spiritual values. His is a vision of a healing world, in which justice and peace are increased – rather than diminished – by the process of globalisation." -- Common Ground
http://www.cg.org/news_list.aspx
Alma and Clifford Pearson Distinguished Speakers Series
Location: Samuelson Chapel - California Lutheran University
"Kamran Mofid is founder of the Globalization for the Common Good Initiative and co-founder/editor of the Journal of Globalization for the Common Good. Born in Tehran, Iran, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Windsor, Ontario, and his doctorate in economics from the University of Birmingham, U.K. In 2001 he received a Certificate in Education in Pastoral Studies at Plater College, Oxford..." http://www.callutheran.edu/calendar/event/1787
To listen to the lecture please click here: http://www.callutheran.edu/CLV/
"Outside ideas of right doing And wrong doing, There is a field I’ll meet you there." -- Rumi
http://digg.com/health/FACTBOX_Groups_agree_and_disagree_on_U_S_health_overhaul
In the old days in my s.plainfield and middlesex, nj schools Children's health was often first addressed at the schools. It was most of my neighborhoods front line medical care and it was preventative and effective.
WHY NOT add in every EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL HAVE ( adjusted by student size) A NURSE PRACTICiONER AND An AIDE. MOST BASiC KIDS HEALTH CAN BE HANDLED HERE AND FAR CHEAPER THAN WAITING FOR ER CARE.MANY CHILDREN with disabilities CARE CAN BE DEALT WITH ON THE FRONT LINES BY THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR AND NP, When they have been properly trained.KEEPING THESE CHILDREN IN MAIN STREAM SCHOOLS whenever possible EVEN IF some of THE CLASSES ARE SEPaRATE to address special needs GIVES THEM BETTER SOCIaL EXPERIENCE and future successes too....And there are many more ways to keep America it's healthiest without breaking the bank.
FIRST STAGE HEALTH CARE FOR PUBLIC PRESCHOOL -HS in response to:
Date: Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:35:07 -0500
From: Spoon <bspoons@consolidated.net>
Subject: [SiCKOUniversalHealthCare-HR676] Groups agree and disagree on U.S. health overhaul Politics First 100
Message-ID: <000901c99c1e$c50152c0$8f01a8c0@spoon01>
Reuters apparently does not know (or refuses to recognize) that we exist.
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BarackObama/idUSTRE52169Y20090302
CDCAN NEWS REPORT
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
ADVOCACY WITHOUT BORDERS: ONE COMMUNITY
REPORT #078-2009 FEBRUARY 27, 2009 – FRIDAY
California Disability Community Action Network Disability Rights News goes out to over 45,000 people with disabilities, mental health needs, seniors, veterans with disabilities and mental health needs, their families, workers, community organizations, including those in Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, African American communities, policy makers and others across California.
To reply to this report write: MARTY OMOTO at martyomoto@rcip.com Website: www.cdcan.us
BREAKING NEWS
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS NEW MEDI-CAL PROVIDER CUTS
CUTS WOULD HAVE TAKEN EFFECT MARCH 1, 2009
SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 02/27/09 2:40 PM (Pacific Time) ] - A federal district court judge in Los Angeles today issued an order that will block the new Medi-Cal rate reductions that was scheduled to take effect March 1, 2009.
The cuts were passed last September as part of the three month delayed 2008-2009 State Budget. It cut Medi-Cal provider rates for doctors and others by 1% and for pharmacies, adult day health and other providers by 5%. Those reductions rolled back previously approved cuts to provider rates that went into effect July 1, 2008. Those cuts however were stopped by the same federal district court judge in August 2008 for most Medi-Cal providers, and in November for other Medi-Cal providers. The State has appealed that decision but the injunction that blocked those cuts, remains in effect.
See later CDCAN Report today for more details on this case.
URGENT!!!!
PLEASE HELP CDCAN CONTINUE ITS WORK!!!
CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings, reports and alerts and other activities cannot continue without your help!
CDCAN Disability Rights News Reports, Telemeetings & other Events
Advocacy Without Borders - ONE Community:
To respond to this report reply to: Marty Omoto at martyomoto@rcip.com CDCAN website: www.cdcan.us
To continue the CDCAN website, the CDCAN News Reports. sent out and read by over 45,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across California and to continue the CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings which since December 2003 have connected thousands of people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs, people with MS and other disorders, people with traumatic brain and other injuries to public policy makers, legislators, and issues.
Please send your contribution/donation (make payable to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network):
CDCAN
1225 8th Street Suite 480
Sacramento, CA 95814
You can also donate via credit card – paypal on the CDCAN site working again!
The CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings are partially funded by a small grant from the USC UCEDD, Grant #90DD0540 from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. (note: the opinions expressed or content in these reports do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the USC UCEDD.
MANY, MANY THANKS to FEAT of Sacramento (Families for Early Autism Treatment), RESCoalition, Easter Seals of Southern California, Tri-Counties Regional Center, Westside Regional Center, Regional Center of the East Bay, Friends of Children with Special Needs, UCP of Orange County, UCP of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Alta California Regional Center, Life Steps, Parents Helping Parents, Work Training, Foothill Autism Alliance, Arc Contra Costa, Pause4Kids, Manteca CAPS, Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, , Strategies To Empower People (STEP), Harbor Regional Center, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, adoption assistance program families and children, and others across California
I sent this letter to my representatives today.
I hope you can find time to send your own letters too!
Dear Senators and Congressman,Please know you are doing the right thing --and the fiscally smart thing -- by average Americans and Business in supporting President Obama's Universal Health Care Plan. Keep in mind that if I don't have to spend the entire --over $700. per month that I spend as a single woman, no children, on monthly health insurance (HMO) I would gladly put the difference of the money back into the American economy. I would gladly support growth in the American GDP immediately through using any savings in a "stimulating way."
Run these numbers! For example, an additional $500 - $700. per month pumped back into the economy by an average person like me, multiply me by millions... that's a lot of money! It's nearly 10x any annual tax rebate/stimulus check and it's *every month.* Hundreds of dollars per citizen put back into the American economy -- widespread across all goods and services categories. It's the difference between being able to purchase a much needed new car, making the mortgage, purchasing goods and services in our communities, paying for some college --or going back to college, donating to our local food pantries, etc. etc.Congress please run these numbers and tell your Republican associates and anyone opposed to an affordable Universal Health Care Plan that they need to rethink! They need to see the big picture effects of how affordable health care in itself can boost the American economy immediately and dramatically. This one example is only the tip of the iceberg in measureable positive economic effects an affordable Universal Healthcare Plan will have on the United States economy.Barbara BenedictEscondido, California
So the die hard Obama supporters are at it again. We're trying to stimulate the populous to stimulate the economy. Is anybody listening is the real question.
American citizens wanted a change. We voted to continue to create a more perfect union and it is becoming difficult to articulate what exactly is standing in the way.
It has occurred to me that people don't read history. Maybe most American Republican Senators aren't aware of Herbert Hoover's ineffective, "too little too late" attempts at balancing the budget in the first years of the Great Depression. Does Hawley Smoot Tarriff ring any bells? Well, Hoover was certain that protective tariffs and "buy American" legislation, could stave off a decline in domestic production and sales. This can't be our wrong doing causing a world depression. It must be the Europeans, he seemed to believe. WRONG.
Hoover also didn't believe in government aid to relieve human suffering. If you don't have a job, call a volunteer organization. I guess it didn't occurr to him that many volunteers and do gooders had lost their jobs and couldn't keep working the evening soup kitchen when their own families didn't have dinner on the table. Maybe he wasn't aware that the super rich philanthropists stopped handing money out after their personal assets had been relatively crushed with the stock market crash. When he finally got around to realizing, "golly" the masses need a little help, he wanted to use trickle down economics. This was in the form of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1932. It was a loan authority for railroads, banks and municipalities to keep them from collapsing. He did adhere to the belief, to the bitter end that the richest would spend enough to get the economy moving enough to let the lowly middle class and the poor have enough to eat to keep them from revolting.
Well, I think that mindset is revolting. I just can't figure out why it's happening all over again and the only people that seem to be angry we are not passing the stimulus plan before all hell breaks lose are the workers. Everybody loses if we have a depression.
It seems to me, not that it matters, that President Obama doesn't realize how many millions he could mobilize if we had a clear direction. We can get him elected but now we need to overturn the Washington media establishment that makes light of the idealists that elected him. We should all be deeply offended. John McCain should not be trying to block him. Arizona needs this bill as much as Connecticut. We need a campain of bright articulate people that can converge on Washington and have a rally that the media will not discredit.
Middle class people will become poor. The poor willl be desperate. But the rich, the rich will be just fine.
Reading Recommendations -- Dr. Kamran Mofid, Economist:
Economists are the forgotten guilty men
Organizing For America
Sign up to host an Economic Recovery House Meeting the weekend of Friday, February 6th.
As many Americans plan to host or attend an Economic Recovery House Meeting and while we continue to struggle with the economic crisis please consider additional opportunities to expand the dialogue, examples are provided below.
California Lutheran University
Admission is free. Visit the CLU web site for more information:
http://www.callutheran.edu/calendar/event/1787
Dr. Mofid will be visiting Common Ground on Tuesday, March 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Dr. Mofid will give the third in the 2008-2009 Common Ground Chair Lecture Series.
Dr. Mofid will also be giving a public lecture at Lake Forest College on Monday, March 2. (Details will be available on the CG site.) The LFC presentation is sponsored by the Department of Religions and the Islamic World Studies Program.
Common Ground is a center for inquiry, study, and dialogue. The primary concern of which is the human quest for understanding and the human pursuit of significance.
"Dr. Kamran Mofid is a visionary activist committed to the evolutionary transformation of social, ecological and spiritual values. His is a vision of a healing world, in which justice and peace are increased – rather than diminished – by the process of globalisation."
-- Common Ground
Common Ground, 815 Rosemary Terrace, Deerfield, IL 60015.
http://www.cg.org/News_View.aspx?Articleid=48
Globalisation For the Common Good Initiative
"Globalization:
The Challenge to America"
May 31 – June 4, 2009
Loyola University • Chicago, Illinois, USA
http://www.gcgchicago2009.info/
.........................................Kamran Mofid PhD (ECON)Founder, Globalisation for the Common Good Initiativewww.globalisationforthecommongood.infoCo-editor, Journal of Globalisation for the Common Goodwww.commongoodjournal.comGlobalisation for the Common Good, Chicago 2009http://www.gcgchicago2009.info/
I hope my story will help others and may give some ideas as how individuals and families can overcome poverty with help from their communities. I am not speaking of financial help, as most people know financial problems are not solved with money. I know what I have been through over the past few months has helped me, and can help others just as much. I am still receiving help and support. This program I will tell you about does work, that much has been tested and confirmed. Let me start by filling you in on some background about myself and the issues I have had to face and explain how I have started my way to overcoming poverty. I do not know how this program could be fit to a national level, however I hope that is where the President could step in and come up with some ideas.
My name is Angelic; I am a 36 year old, single mother, I have two children, both boys ages thirteen and nine. I was raised in middle to upper middle class family; my mother was divorced from my father when I was approximately 18 months old. She always worked full time, usually third shift, so I stayed with my grandparents most of the time growing up. After graduating high school, I started to go to a local business college; I ended up deciding getting married was more important to me (how wrong I was). I married young and five years later divorced. All of my life I had always worked, usually full time. I worked part time while going to high school.
In 2002, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia; after working for my last full time job for 6 years, I was abruptly terminated, this occurred in August, 2007. I drew my unemployment while looking for a new job, which never happened at that time. With having Fibromyalgia I started working with the local vocational rehabilitation counselor at the employment office. This is where my story starts to go downhill.
The first counselor I had, told me the first time she met me that “you do not look employable.” You can imagine how that would have affected me emotionally and mentally, after working all of my adult life. It was after this point in my life that I started to lose hope. The only income I had was the child support that was coming in for my boys. My home was almost in foreclosure, my vehicle had been repossessed, the only utility I had on in the home was my water, no electricity and no gas services. Everywhere I went for help I was turned away for one reason or another. I had finally had all that I could take; I did not know where to turn. The next thing I did to me was drastic, but the only option I knew I could take. I finally sat down and wrote a letter to every government official I could think of; explaining to them my situation, so I could receive some kind of advice on what I could do besides becoming homeless and losing my children. When I say every government official, I mean from the local mayor, state representatives, state senators, the Indiana governor, US congressmen and senators up to the President at the time. As I am sure you can imagine I received very few replies to my letter and my call out for help. The few people that did respond; the mayor’s office in Muncie, Indiana, State Representative Dennis Tyler, Senator Sue Errington, Evan Bayh, and Mike Pence were the only ones that contacted me. Because of the correspondence with Mr. Bayh, I was placed with a different vocational rehabilitation counselor and I am now employed, working from home for a company that only hires employees with disabilities. It is only part time, but I am working. Mr. Tyler is the one that worked with me the most; however, the best thing that happened out of that letter was the response from the mayor’s office. They referred me to a local organization called Teamwork for Quality Living. It is through this organization that I am finally finding my way back to where I need to be, I do have a long way to go yet, but this is the program I wanted to bring to your attention.
Without this program, I honestly do not know where I would be right now. The first thing that happened was I was invited to a community dinner. They occur twice a month, the first and third Thursdays; the dinners are called Overcoming Poverty Together or OPT dinners. They are open to the public and the basic motive of the dinner is to bridge people together, without the thought of financial class. You form friendships and receive support, always feel welcomed and everyone involved truly cares about each and every person that does attend. This is just the first part of this group.
The next step I took was to take a class called Getting Ahead. This class is sponsored by Teamwork for Quality Living. Each participant learns about the traps and barriers they are personally facing that are keeping them in poverty. The class is fifteen weeks long, meeting once a week for approximately 2 to 2 and a half hours each week. Some of the other things which are taught are the hidden rules of financial class, different resources that are available in the community, self assessment, and you create an action plan to better yourself and your situation. After graduation from the class you are placed in a small circle of people which include yourself or your family as the captain/leader, and allies (which are members of the community that are in a higher financial class than you are) that become your friends, to give support and advice to help you in whatever situation you need help with. Just imagine this circle can become as big as you want it to be, reaching out to the whole community and farther if you let it. The resources that can become available to you are limitless. If you have an issue where you are looking for a job and you do not know how to write a resume, one of your allies can help you, if you need help with interviewing skills; maybe one of your allies is an employer and they can coach you. Not only are these allies there to help you better yourself financially, they help emotionally and mentally. When I first started going to these dinners and starting in the classes; I was very much depressed and lonely, my self confidence was lower than ever. Now, it is much different and I am just starting with my circle! I can not imagine what benefits lay in the future for me. I do know that one of my allies has seen some of my poetry and writings and is encouraging me to take writing classes and to do something with what he calls “the gift” I possess. The other part of the circles program is the smaller dinners that are held. These are not open to everyone in the public, but are open to the captains and allies. It is a more intimate dinner, focused even more on relationships. This is the group that comes up with ideas for discussions in the larger OPT dinners. We call these Big View meetings, similar to town hall meetings.
This program brings hope when you think all hope is lost, self esteem when you have been beaten down by everyone else and friendships that will last a lifetime. Before becoming involved I honestly did not think people out there cared about other people anymore. I was at a point of losing hope in humanity. I now have more hope and determination as ever and I owe that all to this community of people that reach out to help others in their time of need. I want other people in situations similar to the one I have experienced and I am going through to know the power of a community coming together like the one I am in. I know from the bottom of my heart that this is part of the answer to eliminating poverty in our country. I also know it works, I am proof of that. I have never believed in a program so much to want to tell the world about it, until now.
I would like to personally invite anyone and their families who are in East Central Indiana (even if you are just visiting) to join us to see how this program works and how much good we are doing in Muncie, Indiana.
For more information about this program please visit the following websites:
http://www.teamworkql.org/Teamwork/index.php
http://www.movethemountain.org/
http://www.ahaprocess.com/
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."
President Barack Obama
CHANGE AT LAST!
Native American Prayer Oh, Great SpiritWhose voice I hear in the winds,And whose breath gives life to all the world,hear me, I am small and weak,I need your strength and wisdom.Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever beholdthe red and purple sunset.Make my hands respect the things you havemade and my ears sharp to hear your voice.Make me wise so that I may understand the thingsyou have taught my people.Let me learn the lessons you havehidden in every leaf and rock.I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.Make me always ready to come to youwith clean hands and straight eyes.So when life fades, as the fading sunset,my Spirit may come to you without shame.
AL JAZEERA.NET, January 15, 2009/excerpt:
Children 'paying price of Gaza war'
Children are bearing the brunt of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has said.More than 300 children have been killed and hundreds more wounded in Israel's aerial and ground assault, Ann Veneman, Unicef's executive director, said in a statement released on Wedneday.
She said: "Each day more children are being hurt, their small bodies wounded, their young lives shattered. This is tragic. This is unacceptable.
"They are bearing the brunt of a conflict which is not theirs.
"As fighting reaches the heart of heavily populated urban areas, the impact of lethal weapons will carry an even heavier toll on children."
Anyone with an internet connection can Google "Gaza humanitarian catastrophe" and find the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Territories and read the thousands of pages of evidence documenting the reality of the current fighting, and the long term siege on Gaza that preceded it.
Viewer Alert: Video is Graphic & Heartbreaking
Video: Children suffer Video: Born into war Naming the deceased
Read the full story from the source
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/20091157268591938.html
By Mark LeVine, January 13, 2009/excerpt:
"One by one the justifications given by Israel for its latest war in Gaza are unravelling."
"The claim that Hamas will never accept the existence of Israel has proved equally misinformed, as Hamas leaders explicitly announce their intention to do just that in the pages of the Los Angeles Times or to any international leader or journalist who will meet with them."
"Anyone with an internet connection can Google "Gaza humanitarian catastrophe" and find the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Territories and read the thousands of pages of evidence documenting the reality of the current fighting, and the long term siege on Gaza that preceded it."
Read the full story from the source:
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/war_on_gaza/2009/01/2009110112723260741.html
Hi! My name is Gerry a New York filmmaker. I recently shot a narrative film called THE MOUNTAIN THIEF in Payatas, a dumpsite community and possibly the poorest place in the world.
Please take 2 minutes of your time to view the trailer, this will give you an idea:
http://www.mountainthief.com/Site_/Trailer.html
A place where people live on top of mountains of trash. I held an acting workshop in the town for the scavenger residents and the graduates acted out the parts in the film. I hope to get a discussion on how to build an audience for the film, inspire change and touch the lives of the scavengers who acted in the film.
Our website above gives more info about the film and please add our page to your facebook account:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mountain-Thief/25443474407
Treat poor and middle income families. It is a disgrace. If I had just ten minutes to sit down with you one on one, I would include in my list the following...
I had a job for 15yrs. I had another job for 9 years, then all heck broke loose.
I paid and am still paying student loan/s for truck driving school. I can not begin to tell you how I was treated. It is difficult enough to go on the road, especially as a female. I was placed with two different men and one woman. The men were too busy calling me blondi (which I am not). I may be older and my mind may not be as sharp as it used to be. That certainly does not give them the right to talk so down to you. When I brought it up to management, they turned it on me. When with the female, although we never became friends, she at least treated me fairly. I was not new to the road. I had driven commercial transit for nine years. They were very fair to me their. I was burnt out, but the only thing I figured I could do was truck driving. After I told management, I was completely and utterly blackballed by the company and management. I was far away from home, had my luggage, and spent over $3000.00 on the road just surviving. They claim they are going to pay for things and then do not. I never asked for a dime, not even a pay advance. Although they encourage you to request pay advances in order to own you as much as possible. Everyone you speak with is completely mistreated. I was called upstairs of Company_Dallas to speak to a woman in charge. When I went upstairs, I new it was about my complaint of requesting another truck. I new that it would not be good, because this trainer had told me point blank, he had the power, he was the tester before and his word was what they would listen to. I had told him I wanted off the truck when we passed through my state the night before cause he would drink and drive, and gamble and drink and drive. When I was paged, I was on the phone in a private place talking about going to another company because of my gut feeling. When called up, sure enough, she blamed me, called and lied to the guy I had spoken with to get in their. When I tryed to tell him the truth, she started screaming at me, she grabbed the phone and I left the office concerned for my safety. When I went downstairs, I went outside. The others saw me in tears and asked what happened. I told them I was fired. They said they can't do that to you. Just then the phone rang. It was the other company lady. Just as I answered, one of the hooligans came down and screamed at me to get off the phone, as he poked me very hard on my back. He was much bigger then me. In the same breathe of saying this over and over, he then says we want you off the property right now. As I am getting my things as fast as I can move, he continues to scream at me, and gets two younger guys to keep getting in front of me so I could not move forward or to the sides as they harass me and scream. This did not happen in the 1950s. This happened to a grandmother of seven in 2005. Then I come back home. I decide I am going to make a fresh start. I worked two jobs at the same time most of my life. In 2008, while working two jobs, I had received a phone call at my first job. I did not answer being respectful of policies. I had given the pet store a three month notice. In between the two jobs, which was an hour, I listened to message. I had just had a close family member die, my husband had a second stroke, now my very best friend whom was truly like a brother dropped dead at 57 years old in Walgreens. I was so upset. I was overwhelmed to say the least. I should not even have been driving, but I wanted to make sure they were covered at my second job. When I arrived, I did not see any management around, but found a co worker to cover me and explained the situation asking her to let management know. I took one evening off. I received a call the next night scheduled at my other job that I was not only terminated, but they were noting in my file I was terminated due to unprofessional conduct. I had, had several young folks approach me some time prior to this and tell me there was a young lady worker come in and forget her belt. They made her wear a leash. This was a pet store. Then once, they kept pushing for me to cover at another store. I told them I would only do it under certain conditions. The manager at that time agreed. They had gone through a lot of managers in the time I worked their. I went to the other store and worked. They were supposed to pay me 295.00 and never did pay. They told me all they had to do was pay for gas. I never received my pay for that. At my other company I worked for 17 months. Doing my job and doing it very well, I had gone in to my boss's office to ask her a question about work. She turned, and just kept talking while looking at me. I happened to look down and saw a tablet that had my name all over it. I tried not to read anything, but I could not get over one little sentence that was very personal and had nothing to do with work. When I confronted her, she blamed me saying I should have not read anything and just left. And wrote me up. I was refused copies. Found a job a few days later. The whole time, they are telling me that professionalism, firm, fair, consistant, respect. The second day, the trainer tells me to get up and stretch. I choose to read and learn their literature instead. Male power ego type. I guess he felt that I was smarter at some point then he was although I never think of myself as better or worse then anyone else. He tells me that this classmate is going to go farther then me. This classmate's husband works their so I say, of coarse, her husband works here. She already knows the ropes. I am learning. He sicks the boss on me. he tells me that others are allowed things that I am not. Tells me the deal of me working their is not sealed for at least two weeks and I am timid and have reservation. I thought of coarse. I am getting ready to maybe work in an environment with inmates. Who would not? But what really got to me was how they were preaching respect, and professionalism. Then why, unless to play games would they bring up this about a classmate. This was none of my business. But too many things were said in the two days that should have been privacy issues and never stated. So again, I left. Now out of work, I have no idea what I am going to do. I know if this is happening to me, it MUST be happening to others.
I have worked hard my entire life. I like to work at a company that treats me with respect. I can not seem to find any of companies that treat their workers fairly any more. I am not afraid of hard work. Even with a bad back, and other problems, I still just want a fair and decent job. Where Production is more important then games. I try to remember that if I believe in GOD, there is nothing to fear. I have eight grandchildren. Two of these baby girls are very specially challenged. When did it become wrong to just want to be treated decent??? That is all I ask for. I want for my grandchildren to get a fair shake in life. Men in my family did not go to war, for this to be happening. I tried to contact womens rights group, and other groups just so they stop this horrible treatment. With NO success what so ever. I was given every excuse in the book. It just has to stop. IT MUST STOP. Bring Back Our Morals. I thought long and hard about posting these things. It may come back and haunt me. But these kinds of practices just have to stop. If your voice can change the millions. Then I do believeanyway that even one voice speaking and one other listening and maybe realizing we don't have to stand for this any more, it will be all worth it. I pray you can help us while your in office with this kind of treatment from companies. RESPECTFULLY SIR
Defining Economic Justice
"Economic justice, which touches the individual person as well as the social order, encompasses the moral principles which guide us in designing our economic institutions. These institutions determine how each person earns a living, enters into contracts, exchanges goods and services with others and otherwise produces an independent material foundation for his or her economic sustenance. The ultimate purpose of economic justice is to free each person to engage creatively in the unlimited work beyond economics, that of the mind and the spirit."
-- Center For Economic and Social Justice
http://www.cesj.org/thirdway/economicjustice-defined.htm
Films from the multiple Media That Matters Film Festival collections explore the issue of economic justice from an international perspective. Here's one example:
6:34 minDocumentaryDirected & Produced by Brent Joseph Winner of the Legacy Award
"This film follows Louis Harding as he rebuilds the community center he opened just one month before Hurricane Katrina hit and destroyed his work. Despite the setback, 72-year-old Harding refuses to give up on his mission to combat poverty in New Orleans. He discusses the importance of history, heroes and self-esteem in the black community and explains why making his dream a reality is more important now than ever before."
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/8/a_loud_color/
For even more films on this issue, visit MediaRights.org.
Media That Matters and Arts Engine
"The Media That Matters Film Festival is the premier showcase for short films on the most important topics of the day. Local and global, online and in communities around the world, Media That Matters engages diverse audiences and inspires them to take action."
"From gay rights to global warming, the jury-selected collection represents the work of a diverse group of independent filmmakers, many of whom are under 21. The films are equally diverse in style and content, with documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental work and everything else in between. What all the films have in common is that they spark debate and action in 12 minutes or less."
Media That Matters FOCUS
"Media That Matters FOCUS is a new series of curated collections that center on particular issues. Our first FOCUS release (October 2006) is Media That Matters: Good Food, a collection of shorts on food and sustainability. Following the model of our annual festival, the films stream online, screen around the country and are distributed on DVD. Stay tuned for new FOCUS collections on LGBT Rights, Criminal Justice and more in years to come."
Arts Engine
Arts Engine supports, produces and distributes independent media of consequence and promotes the use of independent media by advocates, educators and the general public. By fostering the production and use of independent film, video and new media, Arts Engine connects media makers and active audiences in order to spur critical consideration of pressing social issues. Learn more at www.artsengine.net.
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/about/
