2010 Advocacy Resolutions for this Advocate Who Is Blind

As we approach 2010, many of us are making New Year's Resolutions. Oh I
know, there are the usual ones like losing weight, quitting smoking,
resolving to spend more time with family, ETC., and I may or may not make
some of those.

Right now, here are my New Year's Resolutions as an advocate who is blind.

Resolution 1: resolve to fight wit every ounce of my being to see H.R.3101
increase in co-sponsors, get passed by Congress and signed into law by
President Obama. This simply has to happen so that as technology advances,
people who are blind and people who are deaf-blind aren't left behind.

Resolution 2: resolve to work to see that H.R.734 and S.841 are passed and
signed into law. This will force action to be taken to resolve the very
real safety concerns posed by quiet cars for pedestrians who are blind.
More and qieter cars are coming on the market. The time for action to help
make them safer is now!

Resolution 3; resolve to work tirelessly so that no state which has a
residential school for the blind has to live in fear that legislators, more
concerned about cutting budgets than the education of all children will
pounce on that school and either target it for closure or suggest that it be
merged with other institutions within the state. Like all children,
children who are blind have varying educational needs. While many can
thrive in mainstream environments, there are those who need the education
that can be offered at a residential school for at least part of their
educational career and that option needs to be available.

Resolution 4: resolve in my home state of Illinois to get the process
moving so that new people with new ideas have a fighting chance to get
appointed to our Bureau of Blind Services' Blind Services Planning Council.
It's kind of like bread. If you keep the same people on the council for
years and years, their ideas get stale. We all need to think out of the box
and that goes for blindness services too. Bringing in new people and ideas
wil help us do that.

Resolution 5: resolve to participate in whatever ways I can to see that the
Department of the Treasury continues moving ahead at a rapid pace to make
United States paper currency independently identifiable by people who are
blind. The courts have spoken, it's time for Treasury to move ahead.

Resolution 6: resolve to work in whatever ways I can for increased access
to the growing libraries of electronic books off the shelf for people who
are blind. Mainstream devices like the Kindle promise an unprecedented
level of access to the written word for people who are blind. We must work
to see that forces which would delay or deny this access are stopped.

Resolution 7: resolve to work for increased access to prescription drug
information and medicare and insurance reimbursement for vision-related
services and equipment. We stand on the brink of passing sweeping changes
in our nation's ealth care system. Regardless how you personally feel about
that, we can't let this opportunity pass us by to make meaningful changes in
health care which benefit people who are blind.

Whew, it's going to be a busy year. I certainly can't and won't be doing
these things alone. I hope many of you will share the resolve out there and
help this advocate and others to keep at least a few of these resolutions.
As the theme of President Obama's election campaign went, "Yes we can."

Happy New Year,

Most Significant Event of the Decade for People Who Are Blind

Everyone is looking back on the first decade of the new Millennium and
talking about things that changed our lives. As a person who is blind, I
thought I'd do some looking back on the thing that most changed the world
for people who are blind.

Maybe others have different thoughts, but I think the 2000 Presidential
Election and the resulting Help America Vote Act is the most significant
thing that changed life for people who are blind. This is because for the
first time, Congress took seriously the fact that we who are blind have a
right to a secret, independently verifiable ballot. The 2000 election
exposed many of the flaws in our nation's election system, and forced us to
think of new ways to record and count votes. This brought new, electronic
technology into the voting booth and with it, increased access for those of
us who are blind.

Certainly, there were other events this decade that changed the lives of
people who are blind in significant ways. From continued advances in
technology to political changes, we've come a long way. But independent
access to exercise one of our most inalienable rights, the right to vote is
to me the most significant event that changed the lives of people who are
blind this decade.

Looking Back on 2009

In many ways, 2009 was a year of change. For the first time in eight years,
we inaugurated a new President of the United States. Regardless of your
political persuasion, everyone has to admit that it was a significant time
in our nation's history, swearing in of the first President who is
African-American. Changes happened in our nation's and world's economies
that will affect all of us for years to come.

How were we as people who are blind affected by what has happened in 2009?
Certainly, we could not escape the realities of the economic downturn in our
nation. Perhaps some of us lost jobs, perhaps those of us who still are
working experienced cutbacks. Perhaps state rehabilitation services had to
cut back on purchases. Whatever your experience, the economy affected our
lives as it did the rest of the nation.

Many of the major things that happened in 2009 centered around politics.
Regardless of how one personally feels about Health Care Reform, there are
significant things we as people who are blind need. Things like better
access to prescription drug information, and Medicare and insurance
reimbursements for vision related services and equipment.

The continuing changes in technology have affected people who are blind.
The growth of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter has helped
more people who are blind become more connected. I also believe this has
been helped by alternatives to the more expensive adaptive programs like
JAWS and Window-Eyes. Programs like System Access, System Access to Go, and
NVDA have put adaptive solutions within reach of more people. We've seen at
least one company come out with a cheaper 40-cell Braille Display. The
proliferation of Netbooks can put the power of the computer, literally, ad
one's fingertips almost anywhere. And, devices like the BookSense and
Plextalk have joined the Victor Stream in making books, music, podcasts and
other things available on the go.

We've managed to bring the discussion of quiet cars and the hazard they pose
to pedestrians who are blind to a little closer to the front burner. Still
work to do there. We also must continue to work in 2010 for passage of
legislation to improve telecommunications and video access for people who
are blind.

As we approach the end of 2009, we who are blind will be affected by much of
what happens in general society in 2010. There will be a mid term election,
and who knows how or if that will change our political landscape.
Certainly, with the latest attempted terrorist attack security and safety in
the skies will be revisited and we who are blind will be affected by that.
We'll just have to see how things go. As we move toward 2010, I wish
everyone a Happy New Year. Enjoy all of those football games tomorrow, and
the Rose Bowl Parade featuring the Ohio State School for the Blind's
Marching Band.

Of Course, Security Failed!

Regardless what Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano may have said
initially, of course, airline security failed. Why in the hell was someone
who is on a terrorist watch list allowed on a plane to fly to the United
States? Especially when his own Father warned U.S. officials about what
this guy was doing?

A lot of questions need to be answered. How did the guy get past airport
security with PETN, an explosive powder and a syringe with a liquid in it
that was to be used to cause a chemical reaction explosion? I have heard if
he had gone through some of the more high tech systems, this stuff may have
been detected?

What the hell is the idea of having a terrorist watch list separate from a
no fly list? Anyone on the terrorist watch list needs to be on the no fly
list.

This attack needs to be a wakeup call to liberals everywhere. These people
are out there, they hate us and they want us dead, got it! We know the
profile of these animals. They are young Islamic males who are doing these
things. Anyone who fits this profile needs to be subjected to additional
screening at airports so they don't threaten the safety of the American
public and I really don't give a fuck what the ACLU or anyone else says
about it. Got any better ideas to keep us safe?

I've heard it said by folks that practice Islam that Islam is a peaceful
religion. Well if that is the case, then why aren't they doing the
equivalent of ex-communication to get these animals out of the religion?
Since they are not doing this the entire religion is complicit.

Finally, why is our Government treating the idiot that tried blowing up
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as a common criminal with constitutional
rights? This fucker needs to be turned over to the military and we need to
use all methods of interrogation to get information out of this ass hole.
We have a national security interest to know how many like this guy are out
there and where they are. Yet, the fucking liberals in charge of this
country won't do that. As a result, we in America are less safe than we
were before 9-11. I truly believe that. This really scares me. I work in
the third largest American city, the home city of our President. I hope not
to die as a result of merely going to work as most Americans do every day.

I truly hope our Government wakes up and realizes these people are out there
and want us all dead. I hope they take strong action to deal with them and
the countries that provide training and sanctuary to them. I am sorry to
say I don't hold out much hope that the kind of action that needs to be
taken will be taken. This is because we have people in charge who are more
worried about offending certain groups of people than keeping Americans
safe. I only pray that it's not their blood that is shed when we are next
attacked.

Book Review: "Going Rogue, An American Life."

I've just finished reading "Going Rogue, An American Life" by Sarah Palen
published by Harper Collins. This book is available on www.bookshare.org.
This is an autobiographical story of Palen's life from growing up in Alaska
to her getting into local politics to her ascention to the Governor's office
in Alaska and her campaign with Republican Presidential Candidate John
McCainfor Vice President.

Palen comes across as one of the most down to earth, honest people one would
ever want to meet. She's a dedicated family woman and strong in her
religious faith. She grew up playing basketball, enduring the pain of a
sprained ankle to play in the state championship game during her Senior
year. That should tell you she's tough.

Very early on, she found her political calling to change things with a
fiscally conservative plan. Her family and husband Todd were hard working,
blue collar people. The book teaches the reader a lot about the Alaskan
lifestyle. To say things are different in Alaska and how the people there
live life is an understatement. People in the lower 48 states don't often
appreciate this. For example, many Alaskans depend on the land and water,
and activities such as hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. Don't
talk to them about banning guns or things like that. You learn how large
Alaska really is, 1/5 of the entire land mass of the United States.

Palen discusses her ascention from city council to Mayor to Governor.
Through it all, her family plays an essential role. She discusses agonizing
over how she would handle caring for her fifth child, Trig, who was born
with Down Syndrome. At no point did she consider abortion.

She takes the reader through the entire campaign for Vice President,
pointing out how mismanaged it was and how, increasingly, campaign staffers
distrusted her and considered her to be "Going Rogue." She discusses the
relentless ethics charges, lawsuits and media attacks that came down on her
after the campaign was over, leading her to resign from office.

Regardless of one's political persuasion, "Going Rogue, An American Life" is
worth reading. It left this reader with a much different and more favorable
impression of Ms. Palen. She's someone that I as an ordinary American who
doesn't walk around thinking I'm better than anyone else can relate too.
Would I vote for her if she ran for President? I don't know. But someone
who's dedicated to family and who did not come from a life of privilege
ought to be able to offer some strong, traditional American values
regardless of where she serves.

What Christmas Means to Me

As we approach Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I'd like to share my
thoughts on what this special time of year means to me and also share my
hopes for things people will take away from this magical season.

Christmas is the time we of the Christian faiths ncelebrate the birth of
Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Jesus was God's only son and we need to
celebrate his birth on this special day of Christmas.

Many feel that Christmas is about getting presents, eating good food and all
of that stuff. I enjoy these things, too, but more importantly, this is a
time to be with family and those you love and care about. This year,
fortunately, we wil be able to see most of both sides of our family which
wil be great. I'd still enjoy this time of year if I didn't have the
presents and good eats, as long as I had family to be with.

Christmas is a time to listen to beautiful, reflective music. I'm sitting
here listening to "What a Wonderful Christmas," by Ann Murray. It's one of
my favorite CDs of the season.

As we approach this special time of year, I think back on the past year,
particularly the stinging political debates we've had over various issues.
As we think of peace and joy during this time of the year, I ask that
everyone: politicians, media types and others, be civil with each other.
It's perfectly OK to have differing views on issues. We can voice our
arguments without being uncivil.

One of the phrases we hear at this time of the year is "Peace on earth, good
will to men." I hope we can move toward more peace and good will. As a
line from "Let it Be Christmas" by Alan Jackson goes, "Let anger and fear
and hate disappear, let there be love that lasts through the year.:" Let's
try to move closer to a world like that.

I hope this magical season finds you with those you love and care about. To
our troops stationed far away, I wish you could be at home with your
families. I thank you for your service and wish you god speed and a return
home as soon as possible. To those who will be working on Christmas: police
and fire personnel, perhaps snow plow drivers, taxi drivers and others,
thank you for your sacrifice to be there for all of us.

Merry Christmas to all. Let's keep the good feelings we have at this time
of the year going throughout the year.

I Predict Democrats Will Pay for This Big Time!

Well, late last night, ignoring the wishes of 57% or 61% of the American
people depending on which poll you believe, the United States Senate voted
to close off debate on the massively expensive and unnecessary health care
deform bill. This clears the bill for passage on Christmas Eve, what a
terrible present to give to America.

There are so many things wrong with what has gone down I don't know where to
begin. President Obama promised us hope and change we can believe in.
Looks to me like his hope and change was to bring Chicago style, corrupt
politics to Washington, DC. I understand that Harry Reed had a private
meeting with Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska and got him to cast the 60th and
deciding vote by promising him increased Medicaid dollars to his state. I
only hope if they try and sneak the public option back into the conference
version of the bill, that Nelson will stand his ground and vote no on final
passage. Or, will he allow himself to get talked into some other sweetheart
deal. You know there will be an attempt to bring back the public option,
liberals are desperate for it because they believe we cannot take care of
ourselves and the Government must make decisions for us, screw that!!!

According to an interview I heard with Linsey Graham, Senator from South
Carolina, there has never been a vote in the Senate as partisan as this one.
When Medicare was passed, only 21 Senators voted no. When the Americans
with Disabilities Act was passed, only eight Senators voted no. On this
debacle, 40 Senators voted no, all Republicans. Even the more liberal or
moderate Republicans like Olympia Snow and Susan Collins from Maine voted
no. Shows you how bad this thing is.

How come at one point, the supposedly non-partison Congressional Budget
office said this bill was going to add almost a Trillion dollars to the
deficit, and now they are saying it will cut $132 billion from the deficit?
As someone said on Fox News, the fix is in here too. This is tampering with
the legislative independence of the CBO in the highest order, if it can be
proven that the Obama administration did this.

This bill will increase all of our insurance premiums. Because insurance
companies will be required to take the sickest patients, they'll have to
raise premiums to cover them as they will have to pay out more in claims.
Obama and others, insurance is a risk based business. Insurance companies
want to minimize risk as much as possible, that's why they place limits on
coverage.

This bill isn't about improving health care. If it were, common sense
changes such as torte reform to reign in malpractice insurance costs and
allowing insurance companies to sell across state lines would be included.
This is nothing more than a wet, sloppy kiss to the liberal fringe of the
Democratic party, and nothing more than a way for Obama to say that he
delivered on his promise to reform health care. Interestingly enough,
according to what I've heard on Fox News, many of the so-called benefits of
this catastrophy don't kick in until 2014, after the next Presidential
election. If this stuff is so good, why wait?

Democrats will, I predict, pay big time for this at the polls in 2010. I
predict the Republicans will regain control of the Senate, and probably the
House. I believe many are having "buyer's remorse" with Obama and his
chronies and will toss out those who voted for things like this health care
deform bill and the so-called stimulus package. I think the Republicans
will take back the Senate by a substantial margin, and if they can do that
and control the house, maybe we can keep Mr. Obama bottled up until 2012
when we can kick his country damaging butt out of office.

Jobs and Money Trump Public Safety in Illinois

The subject pretty much says it all. Our President, Governor, Senior U.S.
Senator and others have chosen jobs and money over public safety. How could
they do such a thing, you ask? By announcing today, December 15, 2009 that
the state prison at Thompson, Illinois, only 150 miles from our nation's
third largest city and a place ripe with terrorist targets will be purchased
by the Federal Government in part to house terrorists from Guantanamo Bay.

I am scared for our state if this goes through, and I hope there are ways
either through Congress, the State Legislature or the Federal Courts to
block this move. This move affects me personally. This is because it will
increase Illinois' probability of becoming a target for the next terrorist
attack. Guess what terrorists have attacked in the past? Public
transportation systems. Guess what I ride every day commuting to and from
Chicago for work? You guessed it, public transportation. Increasingly, I
and thousands of others will ride living in fear of the next terrorist
attack.

This prison purchase is part of the liberals' agenda to close Guantanamo
Bay. The liberals haven't kept very many promises, this is one promise I
really do not want them to keep. There's absolutely nothing wrong with
leaving these animals right where they are. Yes, I said animals. For the
despicable acts these things have committed, they deserve nothing less than
to be taken out and shot in public view. They do not deserve access to the
Federal court system, accommodations in Federal prison where they can have
up to 10 visitors at a time, none of that. Yet, this is what liberals like
Obama, Quinn and Durbin are foisting upon us. In doing so, Illinois will be
less safe.

I pray that something can and will be done to stop this travesty right in
its tracks. If not, and when the next terrorist attack comes, Obama, Quinn,
Durbin and others will have blood on their hands. It better not be my blood
or the blood of anyone I love and care about.

Promises of Change and Transparency Replaced by Arrogance and Partisonship, A.K.A., Chicago Style Politics

In November of 2008, now President Obama promised Americans hope and change.
He promised more transparency in Government. He told us that no longer
would the special interests rule in Washington.

Lies, all lies. You want evidence, I've got evidence. Last Spring,
Congress passed a so-called Federal Stimulus bill that most of those who
voted on it didn't take the time to read. This bill was rammed through
without the promised 48 hours for people to review it. It only got three
Republican votes, and these are Republicans known to be liberal. In fact,
one has switched to the Democratic party, good riddance.

Health Care Reform, or what I call deform is the biggest example to date of
the lies. Last week, President Obama met with lawmakers to discuss health
care reform. Guess what? Only Democrats were invited to this meeting.
Today, December 15, he wil again meet only with the 60 Democrats in the
United States Senate on this issue.

What ever happened to ushering in a new era of bipartisanship. Just because
many Republicans like me don't agree with what is being rammed down
America's collective throats in terms of Health Care Reform doesn't mean we
don't have ideas for health care change, and in fact, that we don't want
change. What ever happened to the principles on which our beloved nation
was founded, Government of the people, by the people, for the people?

The lies of hope, change and transparency have been replaced by arrogance
and partisanship. So what if only 35% of people want health care reform?
We're the big bad Chicago machine, we know what's best for you and we're
hell bent on getting it through no matter if it bankrupts the country. So
what if there is an overwhelming clamor against bringing known terrorists to
Northwest Illinois? We're in charge, we're going to do it anyway and we
don't give a damn about public safety, so long as a few precious jobs get
created. By the way, you know those jobs will have to go to union workers
and follow minority set asides. More on the prison in another entry.

I hope, pray and will advocate for Congress to kill the Democrats'
orchestrated take-over of our nation's health care system. Let's kill it
and then take several steps back and implement common sense ideas, things
not even being considered right now. Things like torte reform to reduce the
cost of Medical malpractice and defensive medicine. Things like allowing
insurance companies to sell across state lines. Things like providing
meaningful access to prescription drug information so that those who are
visually impaired, for example, will knhow how to properly administer their
medications.

We who are Republican, and those represented by Republican Senators have a
right to be heard at the table on an issue that will affect 1/6 of our
nation's Gross Domestic Product. President Obama, Senate Majority Leader
Reed and Senator Durbin, you may not like our ideas, but you can't hide
behind your own special interests and pretend other ideas do not exist.
Stop trying to ram through something that most Americans don't want. Don't
do this kind of damage to our country. If you continue to push forward, you
just may find yourselves out of power after the November, 2010 elections.
Can our country survive that long? May God protect and bless the greatest
nation on earth, the United States of America. And may he bring back a true
spirit of civility and bipartisanship, and send arrogance and partisanship
to hell where they belong.

Nothing Like Good Old fashioned Christmas Music

To me, there's nothing like hearing good old fashioned Christmas music to
get me into the spirit of the season. As we have done for the past 10 years
or so, we went to the <a href=:www.westtownschorus.org:>West Towns
Chorus</a> Christmas Show, "The Gift of Christmas." This is a show where
the first half is singing of Christmas music, some narration, and even a
funny bit or two like the Scrambled Craigs singing Jingle Bells to the tune
of Silver Bells. The second half, though, takes me back to the reason we
celebrate Christmas, the birth of our saviour, Jesus. Much of the second
half of this show is a reading of the Christmas story with music
interspursed. The show ends with a stunning rendition of "Oh Come All Ye
Faithful."

While I do many things at this time of the year, it's this show that really
puts me into the Christmas spirit. Hearing a chorus or quartet sing such
favorites as Jingle Bell Rock, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,
Sleigh Ride and others just makes me feel good all over.

This show is usually on the second weekend of December. They do four shows:
a Friday night show, Saturday matinee, Saturday Night and Sunday Matinee.
The Sunday was just added this year. The venue is the Tivoli Theater, an
old movie house in Downtown Downers Grove, Illinois.

I vow that the good lord willing I won't miss this show. Even if I move out
of the area, I'll always try to come back for it. It's truly a great show
and one that shouldn't be missed. Tickets usually go on sale around October
1 of each year. Keep a watch on <a href="www.westtownschorus.org">West
Towns Chorus'</a> website for further information.