INDIANA SILC: A letter to a council member

	As a member of the Indiana SILC (ICOIL), I listened to people with
disabilities and maintained that they were important.  For this I got beat
up.  Standing by the belief that people with disabilities were important
and that the council should follow the law would eventually lead to my
recieving a removal letter from the Governors office. 

	But nobody can say and prove that I did not try to work with the
council and individual council members. Even after the October meeting
when the council refused to have a reasonable discussion and provide
evidence of slanderious accusations...choosing ins tead to leave the room,
call the cops, and then evacuate the room to keep me from reading a
statement of truth... 

	And after the November meeting when the same people who disrupted
the october meeting did not show up prohibited us from getting anything
done Videos at http://everybodycounts.org/icoil.htm I still tried to work
with the council. I expressed to the council my concerns about not having
a quorum in November and not being able to address important items on the
agenda like becoming compliant with federal law, and money follows the
person. 

In response I got a blank e-mail from a fellow council member. On November
11th I replied with the following e-mail: subject heading 'for your own
benefit as an ICOIL member'. 

___________________________________

(Council Member)

I do not know why you have sent my e-mail back to me, but I do hope that
before you did for your own benefit you read the contents with an open
mind. 

I know that you haven't been given very much incentive to listen to me,
because I am just a person with a disability from Evansville IN.  I know I
don't have a lot of money, and I know that people on the council with
nicer titles have probably actively di scouraged you from listening to me. 
I know there have been rumors about me that just are not true, and very
likely people have said stuff about me (perhaps even to you) that I don't
even know about that are likely to be not only untrue, but designed to d
iscourage you from listening. 
 
Truth is, I am a very reasonable person who tries hard to be ethical and
moral.  Honor is very important to me.  I know this ICOIL thing is
difficult - for everyone, myself included.  Please keep an open mind, and
understand that like yourself, I am a very reasonable person, stuck in an
unreasonable situation. 
 
My problem is, that I cannot knowingly endorse false information sent to
the federal government, in my name, and minutes which have not just been
modified, but changed to contain lies. 
 
It is true that Jodi James and I have been slandered, and defamed without
the opportunity to defend ourselves.  (Something that is very hard to do
when nobody will present evidence of any wrong doing), but there is a
bigger picture here and greater liabil ity concerns that not only I, but
you as a responsible council member needs to consider. 
 
I know there is not much incentive to listen to me.  I have little money
and all I have to offer is the truth, and a sure promise that if you
looked at the laws and try to get the council to do what the federal
government says we need to be doing, that pe ople will try and stop you,
by whatever means they can....even if that means discrediting you behind
your back, actively withholding funds and resources, or resorting to
intimidation, bribing, or bullying. On this council, questions, even those
regarding unproven allegations against yourself will likely go unanswered. 
 
With those kinds of incentives, I do not blame you or anyone else for
wanting to lay low.  But there are some real liability concerns here, and
I hope you take the time to look at the whole picture... 
 
The people in Indiana who are not being empowered by this council. Our
disability community has consistantly suffered because their 'leaders' are
afraid to take a stand and do what they have been told they are required
to do by law.  We really need us to stop worrying about hiding our own
dirty laundry and start worrying about them. 
 
Ramona Harvey

Interesting and all I did was say that people with disabilities mattered
and ask the council and state to follow the law....oh yeah and tell the
truth.... videos online at: http://everybodycounts.org/icoil.htm