Saturday Lost

It's6:50 a.m. I';m dressed and just waiting to get going.. It's day two of the Family Links Conference. Yesterdays duty was not too bad. I learned a great deal from the two who worked the table. I was pretty much just decoration yesterday afternoon and evening. For the Five Year Plan hearing meeting in the evening. I was however, able to sense the wave of opposition and possible stress which is going to rise up as my bosses position comes up for Interview.

Family Links just as the name implied is an organization made to help parents of kinds with developmental disabilities, advocate and support their kids in life. It also happens that advocacy, legislative awareness training for consumers with disabilities and their families is the goal our organization—except we put the emphasis on consumer. This has not always been the case. For many years my organization just supplied money to organizations like this group and similar others many times, being steered by government agencies to meet the agencies agenda, this is how I saw and see the history. We are talking big money for this small economy 100,000.00 or more. But the consumers were only being served indirectly if at all. Well, my boss came into town and really shook things up giving a lot of responsibility and power to consumers with developmental disabilities. Now the boss is leaving I am beginning to see the old players begin to stir as the new “PLUM” is being readied for the tablee.

Last night at the hearing there was a rumbling in the crowd of parents and their comments centered round the question would the Legislative Coalition be considered for funding. The Coalition was a large movement of parents of kids with disabilities and and some consumers with disabilities. The have been around for more then 20 vears in this area. I have watched parents come in, angry and and rough. The coalition channeled the anger and smoothed their edges, taught them how to talk, walk and present themselves as mini-influencer's of legislation=lobbyists. Soon the leaders were wearing slick suits, fancy hats and living by their blackberry's and cell phones. They became part of the institution. They lost their edge as they politicked and compromised and took direction from the very MEN they began their battles with. Their good people but they had been compromised. We stopped their main funding and now these good farmers and farmerettes want payback. And one might end up being my new boss.

Another long day of sitting and talking. Mostly uneventful—the lunch provided conference participants as well as as the exhibitors was a catered BBQ which was not bad except one serving area which meant a monstrously slow line, in the sun with out block but very tasty once you snaked to the end and cold you burger and dog. If one steps back far enough the event was pathetic more vendors then consumers or parents of consumer with disabilities. But you have to be there where ever “there” is. If you are there you are or your organization is not noticed per se but if you do not show up you have committed a major organizational insult. You really cannot win.