Blunt disses the disabled (again!!)

[proud2BlibKansan]

During Governor Blunt's speech to the Governor's Council on Disability, security staff under orders from Blunt's staff banned ten Missouri citizens and disability advocates, including some wheelchair users, from entering the meeting room. A security guard told the advocates that the meeting room was full, even though witnesses who had been in the room later stated that there was almost an “entire row of empty chairs” on one side of the room and 10-15 feet of empty space on 3 sides of the tables where the GCD members were sitting, leaving plenty of room for more onlookers. When the advocates told the guard (Officer Cregger, badge number 614) who denied access that his action was a possible violation of Missouri’s Sunshine Law, he responded “I was told to keep people out by a member of the governor’s staff.”  One witness saw a short, stocky, African –American bald male wearing a blue shirt and pants with a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt (and whom we would like to identify), speak to the guard and tell him the room was full.  In addition, a witness saw the security guard opening the door and looking into the room at least three times. There were also two other white males wearing blue suits and earpieces who stood in the conference room near the door on the opposite side of those who were denied access. The men in the blue suits later left with the governor. The people who were denied entrance were not allowed into the room until the governor had left and the meeting had been adjourned.

In addition to violating the open meetings requirements of the Sunshine Law, the Governor's henchmen denied the wheelchair users a reasonable accommodation (e.g., move a chair or two so I can get in the damn door) under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The advocates were not protestors; they had no banners or signs and were behaving as peaceful, law-abiding citizens who simply wanted to know what Blunt would say about the ADA, given the fact that his own Medicaid policies constitute a substantial violation of that law under the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision (holding that forcing people into institutions to receive Medicaid services is unlawful discrimination).  The parties involved plan to aggressively pursue this matter down all possible avenues for legal redress.

http://www.firedupmissouri.com/node/2122

[Fovea]

1. Baby Blunt

as the embodiment of compassionate conservatism.

This looks like a job for.... Jay Nixon.

[cornermouse]

2. Unfortunately, its a fact that there are some people who don't like being

around disabled people. I'm not one of them, but its possible Blunt is. It could also explain why he finds it so easy to pursue policies that hurt them.

I'm so tired of neo-cons.

[catmandu57]

3. It seems to me that babyface

doesn't want to be around anyone who isn't white, able bodied, have a net worth of at least a million dollars, live in a suburb, attend mega church, and hold the same mindset as this son of a bitch.

If ever I had the opportunity I'd shove my stick so far up that bastards ass he'd never ever forget it.

[Terran]

4. You've got it.

Blunt is a coward who is afraid to be around anyone except people who will be his yes-men. He's remarkably like Bush in that area.

[DemBones DemBones]

5. If you re-post this is the Disability Forum,

some people might want to write letters to Blunt. This is outrageous -- and this rot of thing happens to disabled people all the time.


Edit: Hmm. . . I meant "this sort of thing" but "this rot of thing" may describe such rotten behavior better.