Marty

Marty

This is my buddy Marty. I learned two things about Marty today: 1.Marty is a registered Republican and that he is not a ED or PHD. I have know Marty for more then a decade and I thought he had his letters. Wow! However, Marty is the closest person I know who is a Washington Insider and a lobbyist. He is a professor type at a local university but he loves playing the mover and schmoozer to Washington Big Shots. He does a good job too. But Marty spent all morning with me and Cecilia at our office. He came down from his Ivory Tower to give an in-service on the Americans with Disabilities Act( ADA). The training was laid back—as summer training should be. I said earlier that Marty is a lobbyist, this is not exactly true. He acts like a lobbyist and does a darn fine job but I do not think he is a card carrying lobbyist. Marty and I went to Washing DC a couple of years ago. I cannot remember for sure but seems like I was sort of in between wheelchairs. I had not yet started using a power chair. I was the chair for the local Assistive Technology council and Marty wanted to be ready to present testimony at an Oversite committee if so needed. It was a free to D.C. I was all over it. I was a true bumpkin a true Mr Smith goes to Washington. Marty’s big deal was to try to hit as many Senators and Reps and he could between sessions. Since Marty represents a lot of other national agendas then just A.T. he is all over the Hill when he is there and this is the way it was the day I was there except I WAS there and he was having to push me in this rapidly disintegrating wheelchair. I remember it was either very lat February or early March. I was way to early to see the cherry blossoms and there was a cold wind blowing and I had not really dressed for the out side and since we really could not take cabs (readily) Marty was pushing me all over town. The Towers had come down the November before so not only was there no cabs but we could not use the tunnels which run all over the Capitol this would have at least kept us out of the elements. Not only, could we not use the tunnels but the police had barricades everywhere! Poor Marty, but he did not swear or glare. He was happy the entire time we were there and I can be a strain on people even in the best of times.

We spoke today of going to D.C. again where ever the chance arose. I would not mind another a trip with Marty at all. Marty is genuine—another believer in all things good ( there seems to be a lot of those types in my life). Marty is also a teacher—if Marty could not be a true lobbyist then I think he would be a teacher who would nag elected official just for fun and because it’s the right thing to do.