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- ADAPT (940)
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[Headline] Disabled protesters take over Republican Lansing headquarters BY JUAN ELIZONDO Associated Press LANSING -- About 200 people in wheelchairs or using crutches and canes took over the headquarters of the Michigan Republican Party for more than two hours Monday to demand more money for in-home services. A party spokeswoman said the group arrived shortly after 3 p.m. and began crowding into the office where about eight to 10 GOP staffers were working. Protesters left the building around 5:30 p.m. They said protests would continue through most of the week in Lansing. "They just came in and started blocking the exit. They wouldn't let you out at all. They wouldn't explain what they were doing there," said Lori Tomek, Republican Party spokesperson. About 100 handicapped people appeared to be inside the building during the protest, Its- with about 100 more milling around near the entrances in a noisy standoff with police. They carried signs that read "Free our people now" and "Up with personal assistance services." Organizers claimed handicapped people had come from 32 states to participate in the building takeover. Lansing Township Police Chief Jeff Ashley said one person was arrested for assaulting a police officer. "We are not contemplating mass arrests. That will not accomplish any-thing. . . . We're going to wait them out," he said. A telephone call to the building during the protest was answered by Bob Liston of Ypsilanti, statewide coordinator of a group called ADAPT, or American Disabled for Attendant Pro-grams Today. The group's aim is to direct 25 percent of Medicaid's $65 billion a year in nursing home payouts to cover personal help in homes of the handicapped. The measure, the Community Attendant Services Act, has yet to be introduced in Congress. Liston said GOP headquarters were chosen as the target for the civil disobedience because of Michigan Gov. John Engler's prominence in the welfare revamping effort. "The Republican Party is working with John Engler on welfare reform. . . . He is a voice that has power and we want to have a discussion with him," Liston said. "We are tired of Republican rhetoric." But Engler spokesman John Truscott said the governor supports more home care and the group is directing its protests in the wrong direction. "We will not react to these kinds of tactics," Truscott said. Group members did succeed in getting through to House Speaker Newt Gingrich's office by telephone, where they repeated their demand that Gingrich give them a date by which he will introduce the legislation setting aside more funds for home services. "People are dying in nursing homes and other institutions. We are tired." ADAPT officials had been threaten-ing some type of civil disobedience since last week, but would not specify their target in advance. Bob Kafka of Austin, Texas, a national organizer for ADAPT, said the group plans more activities this week to try to get Engler's attention. A state GOP official who asked not to be identified said the handicappers indicated they may attempt to occupy the governor's office in the Capitol. Susy Heintz, state Republican Party chairwoman, said Monday was the first day of work for several of her staff and she hoped they would be back to work today. Staff writer Dawson Bell contribute ed to this report. Detroit Free Press 10/24/95 - ADAPT (942)
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Wednesday October 25, 1995 [Headline] Group protests beside governor's mansion [Subheading] Demonstrators oppose Engler's support of changes in Medicaid By Heather Morgan and Chris Andrews Lansing State Journal More than 200 people with disabilities surrounded Gov. John Engler's home Tuesday in a demonstration that led to five arrests. At one point, a group of 75 protesters — members of Denver-based American Disabled for Attendant Programs — crossed through Engler's gate and planted themselves at his door for 4 1/2 hours. Neither Engler nor his wife, Michelle, was at the southwest Lansing home. Their triplet daughters were inside with a baby sitter when the protest started. John Truscott, Engler's spokesman, said the 11-month-old children were not disturbed by the protests. The protesters were angry with Engler's backing of Republican-planned changes to Medicaid, the government program that helps pay for health care for low-income families with children and people with disabilities. Passing the funding power from the federal government to states may force more people with disabilities into nursing homes and out of community living situations, they said. They drove home their point with chants such as, "I'd rather go to jail than die in a nursing home." Many of the demonstrators came in wheelchairs. Three locked their wheelchairs to the governor's gate with bicycle locks. One man attempting to run a pizza to those inside the gate was marched away by police. He joined two people using wheel-chairs who were arrested when fellow protesters tried to pass them over the gate. Another two protesters were arrested when they refused to leave when the main group departed at 4 p.m. Those arrested were ticketed but not taken into custody, state police Inspector Gary Post said. "We made a show, we drew some attention. I just hope the public starts to understand that nursing homes are no place to live," said Alan Haynes, 47, of Pueblo, Colo. Haynes was one of those pro-testing inside the gate. The demonstrators gained entrance to the grounds about 11:30 a.m. when the gates opened for a delivery vehicle. They filed out more than four hours later without having achieved their demand an audience with Engler. [Image] [Image caption] Medicaid protest: George Wolf of Topeka, Kan., uses a bull horn to lead a chant Tuesday at the governor's Lansing mansion during a protest by members of American Disabled for Attendant Programs. CHRIS HOLMES/Lansing State Journal. It marked the first time that pro-testers have gotten as far as a Michigan governor's porch. The 70 demonstrators slipped inside the security wall surrounding the house at about noon, when a gate was left open for a delivery truck. They reportedly banged on the front door, but no one answered. Another 125 people, most of whom also were in wheelchairs, demonstrated outside the gates for several hours in cold and drizzle as dozens of police officers watched. A half-dozen protesters were arrested on misdemeanor charges and released for a later court appearances. The group said it would converge on the governor's Capitol office at lunchtime today. The demonstrators are members of American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT), a nation-al organization which is demanding that disabled people receive money to live in community settings rather than be forced into nursing homes. ADAPT co-founder Mike Auberger of Denver said the estimated 200 demonstrators, most from outside Michigan, never threatened the first family with harm. Ironically, Engler supports private home care, because "it offers better care and is less expensive. So they came to the wrong place," said press secretary John Truscott. Auberger said the governor was nonetheless targeted for protest because he hasn't used his growing national prestige to urge Congress to spend more on residential treat-ment for: the disabled. "Sure, this type of action will turn some people off, particularly Republicans," said protester Terrance Turner, 38. Turner, a former Detroiter who now lives in Denver, was shot by strangers outside Detroit's Jef-fries public housing project in 1986 and is confined to a wheelchair. [Image] [Image caption] The entrance to the governor's mansion is clogged with wheelchairs after protesters stormed a gate and tried to occupy the residence. Dale G. Young / The Detroit News "But most people haven't heard of our group, so this will help." Added Judy Savage of Chicago: "We've tried nice and what happens is that people pat you on the head and then ignore you. We're trying to say that people are suffering because of federal cutbacks." Dean Patterson, 58, who owns four Lansing apartment buildings, was among the curious who watched the standoff before its peaceful conclusion. "I sympathize with what they're protesting about," said Patterson. "But I don't agree with scaring the kids. They should keep that protest downtown. "If someone came to my house while I was away and scared my wife, I'd probably want to blow them away." Truscott, the governor's press secretary, said security has been beefed up at the governor's home and office. Asked if Tuesday's invasion will force the administration to rethink security at the home; in a quiet and upscale Lansing neighborhood, Truscott said: "Yep." Detroit News Staff Writer Kenneth Cole contributed to this report. - ADAPT (944)
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[Headline] Lansing protests aimed at Engler, day honoring United Nations BY CHRIS CHRISTOFF AND DAWSON BELL Free Press Lansing Staff Detroit Free Press 10/25/95 LANSING --Winds of discontent blustered through the capital city Tuesday, and put city hall and the governor's home under siege. About 75 disabled people surprised security officers by storming through an open gate and gather ing on the porch of Gov. John Engler's residence at noon to demand better nursing care. About 150 more, many in wheel-chairs, lined the street outside. Neither Engler nor his wife, Michelle, were home. Their 11-month-old triplets were kept in the back of the house, according to a spokesman. About six demonstrators were arrested for trespassing and later released. Three locked their wheelchairs to a gate using bicycle locks. An Engler aide called the protesters "terrorists." The demonstration broke up peacefully at about 4 p.m. Earlier on Tuesday, about 500 pro-testers led by the Michigan Militia rallied at the state Capitol and then hoped to stop the raising of the UN flag at Lansing City Hall. [Image] [Image caption] Sandi Weber of Pittsburgh, Pa., yells at the governor's mansion in Lansing. JULIAN GONZALEZ/Detroit Free Press. The crowd denounced the United Nations as a world government plot to usurp U.S. sovereignty. It was the second year protesters gathered for the United Nations Day flag-raising, which Lansing officials have done for 15 years. To avoid a confrontation, UN Day organizers moved their program into city hall. The program had been outdoors, where a strong wind kept protest flags at attention. Several dozen police in not gear and on horseback guarded the city hall grounds. Amid loud boos, Mayor David Hollister strode to the flagpole, raised the UN flag and walked back into the building, giving a thumbs-up sign to shouts of "traitor!" "We don't want new world government," said protest organizer Tom Wayne of Galesburg. "People say look at all the great things the UN has done. Excuse me, it's the sacrifice of the American people that put the UN where it's at. Besides that, I'm tired of guys dying for the UN." The two unrelated incidents kept Lansing police busy. At the governor's residence, members of American Disabled for Attendant Disabled Programs Today (ADAPT) wanted to talk to Engler about proposed federal legislation that they said would force more disabled people into nursing homes. They want Congress to ear-mark 25 percent of Medicaid nursing home money for home care services. Leaders of the group, a national advocacy organization for home health care, had demanded a meeting with Engler. They declined an offer by Engler's office to arrange a Wednesday session with several cabinet officials. They chanted, "We'd rather go to jail than die in a nursing home," and, "We're ADAPT. You're trapped. Get used to it." ADAPT member Stephanie Thomas of Austin, Texas, said the group, which claims members from more than 30 states at Lansing protests this week, targeted Engler because he has a high national profile on welfare issues. The Denver-based organization has staged other protests in recent years, usually aimed at Congress or the nursing home industry. On Monday, ADAPT demonstrators blocked a Lansing bookstore in protest of its selling a book by U.S. house Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and then staged a "wheel-in" at the state Republican Party headquarters. One more day of demonstrations, possibly including a visit to Engler's Capitol office, are planned for today, group leaders said. Engler spokesman John Truscott told the ADAPT crowd and leaders Monday they were misdirecting their protest. He said Engler supports community and home care. But Engler's staff fumed over the incident at the governor's home. "The idea of trying to frighten the first family and first children is pathetic and despicable," said spokesman Rusty Hills. Hills, who described the demonstrators as terrorists, said Engler wouldn't meet with them. "We're not going to meet with people who illegally trespass, who chain themselves to the residence and who chant and scream," he said. At the Capitol, anti-UN demonstrators spit on, trampled, cursed and tried to burn a UN flag on the sidewalk. Organizers ordered them to snuff out the flames. Overhead an airplane flew with a sign that read, "Say No to the UN." "The United Nations global empire wants to tyrannize and oppress the entire world,' said Norm Olson, a founder of the Michigan Militia. "Leaders are out of sync with their leaders, and today is a fine example of that. [Image] [Image caption] Michigan Militia members set fire to a UN flag Tuesday in Lansing. "We have a mayor who walked back into the building giving his thumbs up, his own private little war. He's out of touch with America." Hollister said the anti-UN Day pro-test was smaller than last year's, when he and a few police were caught off guard. "I find it worrisome," he said. "The rhetoric is so angry, so exclusive. It's ideology that doesn't look at the reality of the growing international economy. Hollister said he planned to raise the UN flag himself, regardless of the protest. "I did make one concession," he said. "I wore a bulletproof vest:" - ADAPT (946)
The Nation's Newspaper USA TODAY No.1 in the USA...First in Daily Readers Wednesday, October 25, 1995 [Headline] Michigan Lansing--A crowd of about 500 militia members and United Nations foes rallied at the Capitol against a ceremony marking the world body's 50th anniversary. Opponents fear the U.N. stands for one world government... [text cuts off here] [Subheading] Lansing-- At least four people were arrested and ticketed when about 200 disabled people protested at Gov. Engler's residence. Protesters demanded to talk to the governor about home and community care for the disabled. [Subheading] Tuesday, October 24, 1995 [Subheading] Michigan [Subheading] Lansing About 200 handicapped people crowded the Michigan Republican Party's headquarters, blocking exits for two hours to demand more money for in-home services. - ADAPT (947)
The Detroit News The Final Word 20c daily for home delivery; 50c outside 6-county metro area 35c Tuesday, Oct. 24, 1995 [Headline] Disabled seize state GOP offices [Subheading] Lansing protesters want more funds for home care By Mark Hornbeck Detroit News Lansing Bureau LANSING — Some 200 handicapped protesters seized the state Republican Party headquarters Monday for more than two hours and demanded to talk with Gov. John Engler and U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich about spending more federal money for home care. Members of the militant American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT), many in wheel-chairs, arrived in vans at the GOP offices on Lansing's east side about 3 p.m. and crowded into the small building. Eight staffers fled through the back door, and two others were trapped inside for more than an hour until Lansing Township police arrived to escort them out. ADAPT leaders talked with aides to Engler and Gingrich. They cleared out of the building by 5:30 p.m. Lansing Township Police Chief Jeff Ashley said one woman was arrested for kicking a police officer in the thigh. She was given a personal appearance notice and was released. She was identified as Leslie Cronk of Lansing. "We weren't going to make mass arrests," Ashley said "We just waited them out." No serious injuries were reported. "They blocked the exits and made a few rude comments, but that was about it," said Lori Tomek, communications director for the state GOP, who was one of the two GOP employees trapped in the building. Bob Liston of Ypsilanti, state organizer for ADAPT, said the aim of the protest was to draw attention to the plight of the handicapped in nursing homes. ADAPT wants 20 percent of the $65 billion in Medicaid flInds redirected from nursing homes to home or community care. "Engler is helping Gingrich and (U.S. Senate Majority Leader) Bob Dole write the federal block grant legislation, so this seemed like the place to be to have impact," Liston said. Engler, a national leader on welfare reform, was in Cincinnati Monday at a National Governors Association conference. ADAPT leaders wrote him a letter requesting a meeting two weeks ago, Liston said. Engler spokesman John Truscott met with them at GOP headquarters and told them the governor would be unavailable for a meeting. "We're not going to react to these kinds of threats," Truscott said. "The irony of this is the governor supports private home care because it offers better care and is less expensive. So they came to the wrong place." Mark Johnson, a national leader of ADAPT, said he talked with Gingrich aides on the telephone from the party offices. He said the speaker's aides promised there would be a bill calling for more money for home care, but they refused to say when it would be introduced. "We'll stay in town until we get a chance to talk with Gov. Engler," said Johnson, who lives in Gingrich's U.S. House district in Georgia. Johnson said the protesters, who carried signs that said "Nursing homes kill" and "Newt Gingrich doesn't get it," were from 20 states. They reportedly were registered in nearly 140 rooms at the Radisson Hotel near the state Capitol. Earlier this year, ADAPT conducted protests in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. State GOP Chairwoman Susy Heintz, who watched the protest from her car in the parking lot, said she was concerned about files and computer equipment in the building. But a check after the protesters left turned up no apparent damage. "I don't think there was anything we could have done to satisfy them," she said. "This is an in-your-face kind of group." Earlier Monday, the protesters temporarily closed down Walden book stores at two Lansing area malls and knocked Gingrich's books off shelves. [Image] [Image caption] Protesters jam the GOP offices in Lansing on Monday. Dale G. Young /The Detroit News - ADAPT (948)
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The Oakland Press Tuesday October 24, 1995 [Image] [Image caption] The Associated Press. Protesters demand funding for services [Headline] Disabled people protest GOP center More than 200 people in wheelchairs or using crutches and canes take over the headquarters of the Michigan Republican Party for more than two hours to demand funding for in-home services. [Headline] Protesters demand service for disabled The Associated Press Lansing--More than 200 people in wheelchairs or using crutches and canes took over the headquarters of the Michigan Republican Party for more than two hours Monday to demand funding for in-home services. A party spokeswoman said the group arrived shortly after 3 p.m. EDT and began crowding into the office where about eight to 10 GOP staffers were working. Protesters left the building around 5:30 p.m. EDT. They said protests would continue through most of the week in Lansing. "They just came in and started blocked the exit. They wouldn't explain what they were doing there." said Lori Tomek. At least 100 handicapped people were inside the building during the protest. More milled around near the entrances in a noisy standoff with police. They carried signs that read "Free our people now" and "Up with personal assistance services." Organizers claimed handicapped people had come from 32 states to participate in the building take-over. Bob Kafka, an Austin, Texas, organizer of the group American Disabled for Attendant Services Programs Today, said disabled people want better care and better services now. "People who are disabled are tired of being warehoused in nursing homes," he said. - ADAPT (95)
Rocky Mountain News, Fri., Sept. 2, 1977, Denver, Colo p.6 [Headline] Handicapped seek ruling on RTD service By CLAIRE COOPER News Staff Wheelchair-bound witnesses Thursday urged a federal judge to order the Regional Transportation District to equip new buses with devices to facilitate transportation of the disabled. RTD has 231 buses on order. Only 18 of them will be outfitted for passengers in wheelchairs. Handicapped and elderly plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit in Denver U.S. District Court claiming RTD will discriminate against them if it fails to provide them with suitable bus transportation. The plaintiffs have asked that the buses be equipped with boarding ramps or hydraulic lifts and with interior devices to hold wheelchairs in place. During the hearing before Judge Richard P. Matsch, an arthritic youth complained that he faces “social isolation“ because of lack of transportation. ROBERT CONRAD SAID. “lf l don‘t get out, l’ll go crazy. I don't like looking at four walls." Conrad said it’s often impossible for him to board regular buses because oi‘ the pain in his legs. When he can do it, he said, he suffers embarrassment because it takes him three minutes to negotiate the steps. Other witnesses also complained about the social and psychological consequences of being unable to use the public transportation system. Glenn Kopp said he feels like “a second-class citizen.” Kopp is co-director of Atlantis Community Inc., an organization of disabled persons. His job is to help the handicapped become self-sufficient. But for Kopp to go to work, he said, "I have to depend on somebody to pick me up.” Carolyn Finnell said, “I just don't like using people as tools" for transportation. Marilyn Weaver said the lack of transportation isolates her from" her friends and her parents. "They do come to see me, but it would be nice sometime to go home," she said. Ms. Weaver and others testified that economic burdens are forced on them by the necessity of hiring private transportation. Ms. Weaver said she spends about $120 a month, one-fifth of her income, for “ambocabs," a private taxi service for passengers in wheelchairs. Ambocab charges $18 for a round trip, Kopp said. Ms. Weaver claimed the high cost deters all but essential use. “I should be getting therapy more than I do,“ said the 38-year-old polio victim, adding that her financial situation determines whether she can afford transportation to her therapist. SEVERAL WITNESSES said confinement to their neighborhoods means they have to pay more for groceries and other necessities. Kopp said he doesn’t like to ask friends to take him shopping because it takes along time him to go through the stores. The witnesses said RTD’s HandiRide service for the disabled isn't a good solution to their transportation problems because it makes only scheduled stops at medical facilities, schools and places of employment. Ms. Weaver, who works at Atlantis, said she takes the HandiRide to work because she starts at a set time. But she has no set quitting time, so she can't take it home. According to the complaint, HandiRide serves fewer than 150 persons. The complaint says about 17,600 persons in the Denver-Boulder area are being denied public transportation because of "unnecessary physical and structural barriers in the design of transit buses." Lawyers representing RTD have not presented defense testimony. The hearing continues Friday. - ADAPT (950)
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Lansing State Journal Tuesday October 24, 1995 [Image] [Image caption] Handicapper group vents its rage. Voicing anger: Bob Liston of Ypsilanti, a member of American Disabled for Attendant Programs holds a copy of the Declaration of Independence, calling it "the real contract with America." Listo and other ADAPT members protested House Speaker Newt Gingrich's book, "To Renew America Monday at a Lansing Mall bookstore. Photo by CHRIS HOLMES/Lansing State Journal [Headline] Handicappers protest Gingrich book at malls [Subheading] Local Waldenbooks targeted; ADAPT also takes swings at Engler By David Wahlberg Lansing State Journal Scores of handicappers took over Waldenbooks stores in Lan-sing Mall and Meridian Mall Monday morning, pulling copies of Newt Gingrich's new book and demanding more federal money for in-home services. "No more nursing homes!" [text cuts off] of Denver-based American Dis-abled for Attendant Programs, or ADAPT, at the Lansing Mall store. They Jammed the aisles and stripped two dozen of Gingrich's "To Renew America" books off the shelves. "I was in prison in a nursing home for more than a year," said Dusty Hogue, 45, of Davison. "They get you up when they want to, they feed you when they want to, they turn on the TV when they want to. We have a right to more than that." ADAPT targeted Waldenbooks because the national bookstore [text cuts off] ADAPT's Michigan contingent is large, said Bob Liston of Ypsilanti. In addition, Gov. John Engler, like Gingrich, is a Republican leader of welfare reform, he said. ADAPT also protested Monday afternoon at state Republican Party headquarters on East Grand River Avenue. The group plans more events today and Wednesday before heading to other parts of the country. "Newt's message Is 'community first ' Engler's message is 'family first' We'd like to be a part of the community and the family instead of being institutionalized," said the 41-year-old Liston, ADAPT coordinator for Michigan. Dawn Lane, district manager for Waldenbooks at the Meridian Mall store, said the company faxed an ADAPT statement to House Speaker Gingrich's office Monday. But the company will continue to stock his books, she said. "Waldenbooks does not and cannot act as a censor. That would present an encroachment on the First Amendment." The Lansing Mall store has sold more than 20 copies of Gingrich's book. Protesters said Gingrich promised to funnel more Medicaid money to in-home services for handicappers, then went back on his word. "He seems more interested in profits than people," said 40-year-old Michael Auberger, ADAPT national organizer in Denver. "I have to use attendants every day," said Kelly Watson, 35, of Lansing. "They are not paid enough. They are very important." The group drew a crowd of mall observers when 9-year-old Kyle Glozier of Wisconsin played the 1972 Hillside Singers hit "I'd like to Teach the World to Sing" on his mechanical voice keyboard. All the handicappers clapped and sang along. In January 1994, ADAPT criticized downtown Lansing restaurants for not being accessible. In March 1994, it also protested the state Commission on Death and Dying because group members said the commission was not listening to handicappers. - ADAPT (952)
The Detroit News The Final Word Wednesday Oct. 25, 1995 [Headline] Disabled group demonstrates outside governor's mansion [Image] [Image caption] Protester Sandi Weber chants after chaining her wheelchair to the fence outside governor's residence in Lansing on Tuesday. Gov. John Engler was not at home at the time. [Subheading] Protesters get past security, several arrested By Charlie Cain Detroit News Lansing Bureau Chief Lansing--Nearly 70 protesters in wheelchairs stormed past the iron gates of the governor's state-owned mansion Tuesday and literally camped on his doorstep. Gov. John Engler and his wife, Michelle, were not at the sprawling ranch home during the four-hour protest by activists who want better home nursing care. But the couple's 11-month-old triplets and nanny were inside when protesters surprised security guards at the mansion. The baby girls, according to the Governor's Office, were in the rear of the house and undisturbed. The Governor's Office was outraged by the tactic. No one was hurt, but some shrubs and flowers were crushed. "It is pathetic and despicable to try and frighten the first family, and particularly the little girls, with these type of activities," said Enger spokesman Rusty Hills. Hills called the act "terrorism." "There were three little babies inside and these people should not be scaring them," said state GOP Chairwoman Susy Heintz, whose offices were taken over by the same group for several hours Monday. "I don't care what they think their right to expression is. Terrorist tactics are not the way to resolve things in America." [Pulled quote] "It is pathetic and despicable to try and frighten the first family, and particularly the little girls, with these type of activities." Rusty Hills Spokesman for Gov. John Engler [Subheading] Michelle Engler livid about protest Handicapped people at governor's mansion went over the line The demonstrators were assembled by a Denver-based group, ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Services Today), that is protesting Republican-proposed changes in the federal Medicaid program. Those changes might force people with disabilities into nursing homes and out of attendant-care situations at home. ADAPT members demonstrated on Monday by occupying state Republican headquarters for several hours, on Tuesday for about four hours by gathering on the front porch at the governor's residence and on Wednesday by blocking entrances to the state Capitol for about an hour. ADAPT spokespeople said that, even though Medicaid changes are 'before Congress, Lansing was target-led for the demonstrations because Gov, Engler, a Republican, has been a key player In advising congressional Republicans on welfare and Medicaid changes. Michelle Engler said she was advised by phone in Detroit of the disturbance soon after demonstrators pushed through the gate about noon. "It was very scary," she said Thursday. "My instinct had been to rush back to Lansing, but they said there was nothing I could do . . . They were using police talk, 'situation stabilized' and that sort of thing, but it was extremely scary to me." After the luncheon, Engler hurried --back to Lansing, and, in her words, had to sneak in the back way" in order to avoid demonstrators, who, at last, were preparing to leave under watchful eyes of plainclothes State Police and uniformed Lansing poke officers, six were issued citations for trespassing. Engler said the triplets were in the back of the house and spared direct involvement. "But they were extremely fuzzy that night, which was out of character for them," she said. "Children can sense tension and anxiety." National ADAPT officials in Denver were reported en route home from Michigan and could not be reached for comment Thursday. Michigan ADAPT' organizer Bob Liston of Ypsilanti said, "This is a nonviolent organization. We have not tart anyone and do not intend to hurt anyone. But if Gov. Engler is going to get into national politics, he has to answer to folks nationally. We were doing what we felt was necessary to call attention to this critical issue." Commenting on such claims, Michelle Engler said Thursday: "Even assuming the governor, this governor, had that much influence over members of Congress, how often do you think 11-month-old babies talk to them?" She also noted the Irony that her husband is on record supporting ABATE's position in the nursing home versus home-care debate. - ADAPT (953)
State of Michigan Office of the governor Lansing October 13, 1995 John Engler Governor [Addressed to] Mr. Bob Liston ADAPT 1711 Gregory Ypsilanti, MI 48917 Dear Mr. Liston: I would like to thank you for requesting that Governor Engler meet with members of ADAPT/Michigan on Wednesday, October 25, 1995. Although Governor Engler greatly appreciates your invitation and consideration, he will be unable to attend. Please feel free to write again, should you be hosting other events to which you would like to invite the Governor. Thank you for understanding. Sincerely, [signed] Jennifer Bertram [typed] Jennifer Bertram Assistant Administrative Services Director of Scheduling