[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

Created on

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Posted on

Monday 23 September 2019

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