Americans with Disabilities are at a pivotal point in our history. Medicaid, which pays for the assistance many in our community need to have life and liberty, is under attack. Republicans have decided that, to fund a tax cut for the wealthy, they will devastate the services that disabled and elderly Americans rely on. These services include the medications and medical care we need to survive, the assistive devices – like wheelchairs and ventilators – we need to live our lives, and the funds to pay attendants to help us with our daily needs.
The attack on Medicaid is an attack on Disabled Americans and our very lives because, if these cuts go through, there is no question that Disabled Americans will die.
Although Republicans claim that they are addressing problems with Obamacare, this attack on Medicaid has literally nothing to do with Obamacare, President Obama, or his legacy. To be clear, Medicaid was established in 1965 – when Barrack Obama was just three years old.
This legislation doesn’t reform Medicaid. If Republicans truly wanted to reform Medicaid, they would have worked with the Disability Community to implement the reforms we’ve been suggesting for decades. Instead of expanding consumer control and demedicalizing services, they chose to cap, cut, and gut the program.
Despite every effort to reason with the Republicans who control our government, they are intent on pushing this legislation forward with as little public review as possible. They simply want to avoid having to explain their actions to the American people. They know that they were not voted into office to devastate the lives of Americans with disabilities. They know that if the public understood what was happening – America would tell them to stop.
With our lives and liberty on the line, it has become clear that others will not win this fight for us. They have tried. If Disabled Americans are going to live and have liberty, it is up to us to fight for it ourselves.
We have begun the fight. ADAPT staged a die-in our nation’s capital. Americans watched in shock as disabled protesters were dragged away and silenced. These ADAPTers sent a powerful message, but Senate Republicans continue to press forward with their attack. Senate Republicans have made it clear that they intend to steal the independence of Disabled Americans before they leave Washington to celebrate the Fourth of July and their own freedom and independence.
It is time for the entire Disability Community to TAKE ACTION across our nation and demand that Senate Republicans stop their war on the Disability Community. ADAPT, NCIL and others in the Disability Community are coordinating this effort.
JOIN THE FIGHT! This week GO to the offices of Senate Republicans and CONFRONT THEM.
BE LOUD! Polite and thoughtful hasn’t worked.
BE ANGRY! This is about our LIVES and our FREEDOM as Disabled Americans.
MAKE HISTORY! We are not just fighting for ourselves. We are fighting for our children, and we are fighting for the generations of disabled Americans who will follow us. Their lives and liberty are depending on us.
Be RELENTLESS!
Actions are being planned in the following locations. To connect with an action, contact the individuals listed for that site. If you would like to coordinate an action, contact Bruce Darling at BDarling@CDRNYS.org or 585-370-6690.
LIST IN PROGRESS…
Week of June 25th to July 1st
ARIZONA
Phoenix
Wednesday, July 5
Vicki Cuscino, 215-266-1150, vickic@directilc.org
Anastasia Bacigalupo, 805-448-4941, anastasia@wcil.org
ARKANSAS
Little Rock
Tuesday, June 27
Amy Tweedle, 501-538-5894, amy.tweedle@ar-sails.org
Brenda Stinebuck, 501-282-1498, bstinebuck@ar-sails.org
COLORADO
Denver
Tuesday, June 27
Dawn Russell, 303-884-1471, cdawnrussell1965@gmail.com
Josh Winkler, 720-280-1803, jkwinkler@gmail.com
FLORIDA
Orlando
Wednesday, June 28
Ericka Jones, 585-261-1594, ejones@cdrnys.org
Eddie Hall, 863-255-6422, Eddieamorkatty@yahoo.com
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Monday, June 26
Ken, 404-687-8890, KMitchell@disabilitylink.org
Stacey, 470-222-6088, SRamirez@TheArc.org
Dawn Johnson, 404-377-3836 ext.120, d.johnson@thefrazercenter.org
Macon
Tuesday, June 27
Lynn Snyder, lynsnyds@gmail.com
INDIANA
Indianapolis
Monday, June 26
Teresa Torres, 219-688-9957, teresatorres@everybodycounts.org
Ryan McGraw, 313-414-3336, rmcgraw1983@gmail.com
Scott Nance, 773-793-6969
Peter, 773-272-2776, peter@roustaboutmedia.com
KANSAS
Pittsburg
Tuesday, June 27
Mike Oxford, 785-224-3865, tilrc@tilrc.org
MAINE
Portland
Wednesday, June 28
Kings Floyd, 617-997-7519, Kings@ncil.org
Sarah Launderville, 802-249-4939, slaunderville@vcil.org
Bill Henning, bhenning@bostoncil.org
NEVADA
Reno
Tuesday, June 27
Katie Savin, 415-322-8750, Katie.savin@gmail.com
NEW YORK
Rochester
Wednesday, June 28
Bruce Darling, (585) 370-6690, bdarling@cdrnys.org
NORTH CAROLINA
Winston-Salem
Thursday, June 29
Dave Wickstrom, 919-210-0908, dave@adanc.org
OHIO
Cleveland
Tuesday, June 27
Dominick Evans, 937-776-6330, dominickmevans@gmail.com
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City
Wednesday, June 28
Jeff Hughs, 405-227-2705, jlhughes@progind.org
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia
Monday, June 26
Nancy Salandra, 215-779-1014, NancySalandra@LibertyResources.org
German Parodi, 215-971-0660, GermanParodi@msn.com
TENNESSEE
Memphis
Wednesday, June 28
Tim Wheat & Allison Donald, 901-726-6404, tim@mcil.org
TEXAS
El Paso
Monday, June 26, 2017
Josue Rodriguez, 915-449-3834, josue.adapt@yahoo.com
Raul Zamarripa, 915-790-7988, raulzamarripa1955@yahoo.com
Austin
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Jennifer McPhail, 512.627.5869, jennifer.adapt@sbcglobal.net
David Wittie, 512.577.8982, davidwittie@yahoo.com
Houston
Wednesday, June 28
Maria R. Palacios , 832-342-8752, palaciosmaria66@gmail.com
UTAH
Salt Lake City
Tuesday, June 27
Barbara Toomer, 801-598-7907, barb4onflr@gmail.com
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee
Wednesday, June 28
Marilee Adamski-Smith, 715-204-4152, marilee@adamski-smith.com
Week of July 2nd to 8th
ARIZONA
Phoenix
Wednesday, July 5
Vicki Cuscino, vickic@directilc.org, 215-266-1150
Anastasia Bacigalupo, anastasia@wcil.org, 805-448-4941
IOWA
Thursday, July 6
Don Dew, director@drcsiouxland.org
ALASKA
Fairbanks
Thursday, July 6
Doug Toelle, dtoelle@accessalaska.org, 907-460-4720
COLORADO
Denver
Thursday, July 6
Dawn Howard, dhoward@ccdconline.org, 303-839-1775
Julie Reiskin, jreiskin@ccdconline.org , 303-839-1775
Denver
Sunday, July 9
Protect our Care Colorado Coalition’s Rally for Health Care
Delaware
Newark
Thursday, July 6
Daniese McMullin-Powell, imbest222@aol.com, 302-507-7546
Wisconsin
Thursday, July 6
Beth Alleman, ealleman24@gmail.com, 773-961-9644
Working out details
Kansas
Louisiana
Saturday, July 8
Ohio
Columbus
Washington