Indiana SILC (ICOIL): Important July 4th Letter

Below is an e-mail I sent to the council and the Feds, reminding them for
the 8th time that my official request to have concerns addressed by the
council not be ignored as it has been for the past two months, but rather
addressed by the Indiana SILC Council.  This request was sent July 4th 2007

Note:  I am aware the P.S. was long, but I wanted to make sure that I made
it clear I wanted my concern addressed.  This is not to say that what I
wrote as a P.S. is not important, because it is, and I hope the council
members and you take the time to read it. 

Thank you.

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Dear Council,

It is a week before the ICOIL meeting I want to make sure that you have
access to my official written request now submitted for the eighth time. 
The request is to have specific concerns added to the agenda and then
addressed.  Download it at
http://www.onecandream.com/ICOIL/documents/officialrequestHB1001.doc.  I
am also requesting again, that you not ignore the public and leave after
only minutes but instead actually talk with the people you are supposed to
be serving and address their concerns. 

Thank you,
Ramona Harvey
Former Secretary of the Council and Resident of Indiana with a Disability


P.S.  Today I went to a fireworks show and sung patriotic songs. While I
was singing 'and I'm proud to be an American, because at least I know I'm
free, and I won't forget the men who died to give that right to me', I
could not help but think about my experiences with this council.... 

How I was slandered without due process, and how my first amendment
constitutional rights have been violated repeatedly by those who are
supposed to be my advocates, and my joy of being part of this great nation
was demenished because to quote one of my poems written long before I even
knew what ICOIL was: 'I am an American Citizen, and yet I am not free,
nevermind the freedoms the constitution gives to me...'

I would like, and I am asking for the council to stop playing games with
people's lives for their own personal gain.  Last year VR had an overage
of about 4 million dollars, this was reported to the council and as
Secretary my minutes accurately depicted that.  At that time I didn't know
that I was not supposed to keep accurate minutes and I very quickly
recieved slaps on the wrist from council members intending to hopefully
gain access to those funds. 

Everyone questioned whether the minutes needed to contain details not why
was it that VR could have so much excess money when people like me with
disabilities were going without services that would help them become
gainfully employed. 

Consider my 3 hour non-reimbursed trek to the next ICOIL meeting and act
of faith, and hope.  Because despite rumors to the contrary, I have talked
with people with disabilities from across the state of Indiana, and I have
listened to what they have had to say.  I believe that they are important,
and that they matter... I lend my voice to them, and I hope that you will
respect us enough to address our concerns, and acknowledge our existance. 

I don't know that any of you will read this letter, and even if you read
it, I am not sure that you will care.  I get that is the way empowerment
works in Indiana.  But as a person with a disability in Indiana, speaking
for people with disabilities in Indiana... I ask that you no longer
empower us on paper while you suppress us in action. 

Because even though we may just be numbers on your 704 reports to you, we
are more then that... we are people, and we matter... and you know what?
the sad thing is.... if you the people who are supposed to be advocating
for me understood that, then I would not only be allowed to introduce
myself without you voting to call the police, but my official requests
would have been honored, the first time I made it two months ago, and I
would have no need for this e-mail. 

I don't know how many request a person must make before it is not ignored
by this council, but I am hoping that eight written request and numerious
oral request is enough. 

Again, thank you in advance for adding my request to the agenda,

Ramona