UPDATE Indiana SILC (ICOIL): I am still here

	The February ICOIL meeting was cancelled, due to the weather, I
had no way of knowing that before today because the council did not bother
to keep me informed.  Fortunately I didn't try to go this time, though I
considered it.  I am having a very difficult time getting information that
I officially request.  I thought perhaps it would be easier to get
information in person. 

	I find the whole situation rather frustrating because I know that
everyone on the council knows my e-mail address, and that I have sent
requests to be kept informed and asked repeatedly to be considered an
interested party.  After all, I am directly effected by the decisions they
make, and what they do or don't do.... 

	I guess I should not be surprised that the chair of the council
didn't bother to inform me that the meeting was cancelled....even though
it would have only required a brief e-mail.  She has after all not been
very forthcoming with other information I have requested -- such as the
plan being discussed at the public hearings held in the dead of winter,
and the public hearing schedule itself... 

	I know that as 'chair' Dee Ann Hart has requested that council
members not share information about council meetings and business with
members of the public that are not on the council...but to not even answer
direct questions about public hearings, or share when public hearings are
cancelled is crazy. 

	To be honest, I would have thought that members of the council
would go out of their way to make sure I knew that a meeting was
cancelled.  But then again, maybe Dee Ann was afraid of making a public
announcement of a cancellation, even if it was for good cause.  The last
chair that cancelled a meeting for good cause did not fare very well. 
Visit the Secretary's Chronicles documents page at
http://www.onecandream.com/ICOIL/documents/ if you need further details. 

	But basically the September meeting was legitimately cancelled in
accordance with the bylaws and procedure, but the state DSU and several
council members with fiscal conflicts of interest did not agree...so they
met anyway ignoring the bylaws..and removed officers without due process
replacing them with a very interesting slate of people who had shown a
willingness to maintain the appearance of compliance with the law either
through ignorance, or by willful acts of deceit.  They had to waive the
bylaws to do this, but when you're worried about abuse of power the best
thing to do is to waive the portions of the bylaws designed to make sure
that power is not abused. 

	I do recognize that Dee Ann is in a very difficult situation.  She
was elected chair after only having attended one meeting, and is now being
used to endorse stuff that I am glad I am no longer have to worry about
endorsing without my consent or knowledge.  She is the chair of a council
that does not allow officers to be anything other then token figure heads. 
Appearance is important, while actual empowerment is not.  Of course Dee
Ann did get to go to the SILC congress without the council actually voting
to send her... and traveling is nice, but in my book not worth the
liability of endorsing fraudulent activities. 

	Token authority is just token authority.

	This month, like in September, there was a legitimate reason to
cancel the meeting.  The weather was bad.  It would have been difficult or
impossible for several members of the council and members of the public to
attend safely.  So the chair with the help of a state employee got
feedback from the council. She then sent by e-mail notice to the council
that she was cancelling the meeting.  No notice was sent to the public. 

	Of course chair of the council should have the right to cancel a
meeting... and in case of ICOIL the chair does, as long as the state
agrees.  Fortunately for the this chair, I am sure the state agreed. 
Still, I don't blame her for being cautious and making sure she had the
states support.  As recent history shows, the council does not operate
independent of state control even if it is supposed to or claims to. 

	When it came down to it, much like the previous chair, Dee Ann
made a decision with the information available to her at the time....and
given the weather it was probably the best decision she could have made. 
In fact, if I were the secretary under this regime I would have supported
her in her decision. (Even if the weather forecast had been wrong and
people could have shown up that normally would not have been able to).  I
would have supported her not because we always vote the same way, but
because, like in September, there were legitimate reasons to have a
reasonable belief that it be best to cancel the meeting... 

	I'm not questioning the cancellation of the meeting, but rather
the counsels apparent continued belief that it is okay to ignoring the
repeated request from interested members of the public who wish to be kept
informed and be given access to public information.  Not to say that the
council has not given me any information, to be honest they have.  After
repeated requested that an electronic copy of the recent 704 report be
sent to me VIA e-mail, they sent me a hard copy.  It cost them more and it
wasn't the format I requested, but at least I got something.  Who cares if
electronic documentation is easier for me to read and keep track of. 

	I guess they figure if they continue to make things difficult for
me, that I will just go away or quit trying.  That seemed to be the
strategy when I was on the council, so I don't know why it would change
now.  The problem is, I was never on the council just to be on the
council.  I was on the council to try and make a difference for the people
like myself in Indiana.  If I had been involved for any other reason I
would have walked away a long time ago. 

	The truth is the council is not worth the trouble, the problem is
the people are.  My status with the council may have changed, but that
fact has not.  I am glad I don't have the liability concerns I had when I
was secretary of the council, but that does not mean the problem is
solved.  What happened to me was only a symptom.  I was never the cause of
the situation I found myself in, but I did and still do endeavor to be
part of the solution. 

	Unfortunately not much has changed with the council.  The council
continues to disrespect, disregard, and ignore the people it is supposed
to be representing and empowering.  It does not even matter if the person
requests to be kept informed and wants to be involved.  So far, not much
has changed:  I am still here, the people still matter, and the council
still thinks it does. 

Ramona Harvey

We the people with disabilities can think for ourselves.  We can ask our
own questions and come to our own decisions.  We know what it is like to
be treated differently, and we know what it is like to be excluded because
we cannot get in the door or because people are afraid we will be hurt. 
We are important.  Our lives, needs, and dreams are important and we
deserve respect.  We are just like every other person driving down the
road. We demand our needs be met and that we be included in the decisions
that impact our lives - we do not wish to sit on the sidelines anymore
and watch others play.  We want to be allowed on the playground just like
anybody else. http://www.onecandream.com