era@ncar.ucar.edu (Ed Arnold) (05/01/91)
Index Number: 15274 Only in Colorado ... do our lilly-white middle-class bigot legislators pass bill after bill discriminating against one minority after another. Here's their latest effort ... it's ok to have schools-of-choice, so long as you are part of the majority without disabilities ... ---------- SCHOOLS-OF-CHOICE LIMITS FOR DISABLED OK'D Denver Post 24 Apr 91 The Senate yesterday gave the nod to a controversial bill that could limit the schools-of-choice option for disabled students. HB 1326, by Sen. Mike Bird, R-Colorado Springs, had been the target of a protest last week by the Atlantis Community, a group of activists for the disabled. They urged Gov. Roy Romer to veto the bill. Yesterday, the bill was sharply criticized on the Senate floor. "This is discriminatory - any way you cut it," charged Sen. Regis Groff, D-Denver. "This bill says that schools do not have to make changes to accommodate students who are not, quote, normal students ... This bill says that choice should not be made to provide assistance to all kids. That's wrong." But supporters of the bill said it wasn't realistic to provide access to every "special needs" student in every school. "You can't have elevators in every building," argued Sen. Al Meiklejohn, R-Arvada. Noting Colorado's critical school-funding problems, Iliff Republican Sen. Don Ament added: "The limit of our good intentions is ... our ability to spend." The bill attempts to clarify last year's schools-of-choice bill, which allows students to transfer within their local school district to take advantage of special programs. The bill passed with the support of 19 senators. -- era@ncar.ucar.edu
34AEJ7D@CMUVM.BITNET (Bill Gorman) (05/10/91)
Index Number: 15472 >Only in Colorado ... do our lilly-white middle-class bigot legislators >pass bill after bill discriminating against one minority after another. >Here's their latest effort ... it's ok to have schools-of-choice, so >long as you are part of the majority without disabilities ... Random thoughts: This is just another manifestation of the thinly-veiled hatred for the disABLED that permeates the TAB community. The recent threads on airport security and euthanasia are good examples of the outward effects/manifestations of this TAB attitude. Such a law is probably illegal under the ADA. If they can't afford elevators, let 'em cut back a bit on tax-funded toys for the TABs; football, for instance. If the disABLED are forced to select their school-of-choice from a subset consisting of, say, 40% of all TAB-accessible public schools, then the disABLED taxpayer(s) should be entitled, IMHO, to a refund of their school taxes equal to 60% of the full tax bill. The whole thing sounds like a class-action suit begging to be filed. Sez me, W. K. (Bill) Gorman
Nadine.Thomas@p1.f7.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Nadine Thomas) (05/14/91)
Index Number: 15631 In a message of <May 02 09:53>, Ed Arnold (1:141/420) writes: >But supporters of the bill said it wasn't realistic to provide access to >every "special needs" student in every school. >"You can't have elevators in every building," argued Sen. Al Meiklejohn, >R-Arvada. Here in Tucson, at the University of Arizona, they do NOT have elevators in all the buildings - When I spoke with a representative I was told that if/when I attend, I am to choose my classes and have the room assignments checked out - IF the class is in a NON-accessible building they will change the class to an accessible building for me. So, no, elevators are NOT needed in ALL buildings as long as there are options available. Nadine -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!7.1!Nadine.Thomas Internet: Nadine.Thomas@p1.f7.n300.z1.fidonet.org
Jim.Vorheis@p0.f60.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Jim Vorheis) (05/17/91)
Index Number: 15723
Do you really think that it is "thinly veiled hatred" of disABLED
persons? It is probably more actions of the money grubbing special
interest groups or the STUPID legislators just plain NOT doing their job.
Hey, remember Colorado had a legislator that was trying to pass a "Veggies
Bill." In case you haven't heard about it, it would make it unlawful to
say "bad things" about vegetables. Does this tell you something about
some of our elected officials? (The bill was defeated).
Colorado is probably no better or no worse than many of the other
States when it comes to the disABLED. Yes, the legislation affects the
entire state but it is usually enacted FOR the city of Denver ... which is
a STRANGE city with strange politics.
jdv
--
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