Disability theme emerges anew at Republican convention
September 4th, 2008
From Youtube:
Critics of Sarah Palin have raised questions about whether it’s appropriate for a mother of a young child with Down syndrome to hold high office.
Rosario Marin, former U.S. treasurer and currently the secretary of California’s State and Consumer Services Agency, attacked those critics in a Thursday evening speech to the Republican convention She hammered home an appeal focused on disability issues, citing her own experience as the mother of son Eric, a 23-year-old with Down syndrome. (Earlier post here.) An excerpt:
My desire to impact government and make a positive difference in my community started almost immediately after Eric was born. When I was running for office, I was criticized, as Sarah Palin has been. And while painful, I knew that was the price I had to pay to leave this country a better place for Eric and others like him.
I know I speak for the millions of families that have a child with a disability.
Who, who would be better than Sarah Palin to understand the daily challenges of raising a family while holding a job, working on a career, or managing your own business? Who better than her to understand our fears, our hopes and our dreams for all of our children, but especially those with developmental disabilities?
Sarah Palin will serve alongside John McCain as a passionate advocate for Americans with special needs, breaking down both physical obstacles and false perceptions of people with disabilities, and ensuring that all our children have access to the jobs, education and privilege that all Americans enjoy.
See also: A cynic’s view of Palin family fanfare — Newsweek
(Photo: screen shot of Marin’s speech)
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September 5th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Actually she has INCREASED funding for special education and the original source of this 62% slash lie has now retracted the story. This charge is based on looking at the budget for Alaska’s Special Education Service Agency for 2007-2009. In fact, the December 2006 budget document that they cite would have been prepared by the outgoing administration — that of Republican Frank Murkowski, whom Palin defeated.
What’s gone unmentioned is that the Palin signed into law a dramatic reform of the state’s education financing system that equalizes aid to rural and urban districts, while significantly increasing funding for special needs students. From the publication Education Week:
Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers have gone ahead with an overhaul of Alaska’s school funding system that supporters predict will provide much-needed financial help to rural schools and those serving students with disabilities.
The plan, enacted in the recently concluded session of the legislature, is based on recommendations issued by a legislative task force last year. It will phase in a greater flow of money to districts outside of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, over the next five years.
Advocates for rural and remote schools have lobbied for years for more funding, in particular noting the higher fuel, transportation, and other costs associated with providing education in communities scattered across the vast state.
A second part of the measure RAISES spending for students with special needs to $73,840 in fiscal 2011, from the current $26,900 per student in fiscal 2008, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
So it was alleged that Palin cut special needs funding by 62 percent, by crediting her with the budget proposed by a political opponent. And the truth is that rather than a 62 percent cut, she’s actually increasing special needs funding by 175 percent.
The amount per student will nearly TRIPLE in the next 3 years thanks to Sarah Palin!
September 4th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
The question is, is it appropriate for a politician to promise that parents of special children will have a voice in the White House when she has a history of slashing funds for special education? Does she plan to slash federal funds to special ed by 62% as she did in Alaska? Does she plan on doing anything to help parents with ill children? Or does she plan on leading the fight to slash budgets and let families worry about their own problems without any help from the government?