Note: this was supposed to be posted last night but my computer froze up as I was trying to post so here it is this a.m.)
It's been a long week and its only Tuesday but sine Monday things have been happening fast and furious. The State Legislature is in session which means my boss is extremely busy trying to get the “Klingons” to cease their rape of people with disabilities and low in come. Usually during the legislature O usually keep my head down and direct a lot of calls of folks trying to contact their legislators for one reason or another. However, this year the legislature has be come become very personal. This is the year the legislature actually took dead aim on my program and “pulled the trigger” adding language to the proceeding which essentially made it illegal for my three funders to continue to fund my program and there for me.
I cannot say this move does not surprise me. In fact I am grateful it has taken so long for the boys on the hill to get me in their sights. I have always managed to wiggle away and I still may have a little wiggle room we just have to see. It all started yesterday at lunch when my boss came back to the office from the legislature to announce that she had basically been bushwhacked by the committee. In fact they directly indicated my program, Access Utah network, should not get any more funding from the three agencies that have provided my funding over the years. The good representative felt that each of the individual funding agencies should have their own information referral system inside the program. This is pretty silly we have the whole should match set up here and close us down will be probably more expensive than keeping us going another year. The boss told us that she would probably have to testify this morning at an earlier hearing. The hearing would start at eight o'clock. We all begin working with the boss to develop testimony that she would be able to use in hopes of saving Access Utah. The more we worked on this project the more it seemed essential that I alone operator for access Utah be there in case the boss or the committee members need further information. Then my buddy Frank is in the office next door decided he becomes moral support.
So for me to be up on Capitol Hill at eight o'clock in the morning means I am going to have to catch an earlier bus than usual, to get to the hub then take Route 500 up to the state capital building. Under normal circumstances, this would not be a problem, but part last night was spent at the emergency room which caused no little stress and I'm sure did help my sleep at all. Luckily, we took off before name was called so far things are okay. More on that another time. Dianne drove me to the train so I could catch the 6:30 AM train to the transit hub. Everything went well, I got my train I got the bus and I got to the capital right on time. This morning session started about 20 min. late and they had a boatload of stuff to get done. My boss made some great comments and Frank and I smiled our faces off but we were no challenge for the wicked representative from Utah County. A couple other representatives spark some interest in my program which gives us some hope albeit false hope it feels good. The writings on the wall we know it like having cancer can know you it and you know it is going to get you but you just are not sure when. It's terrifying but when the.finally tells you you've got it cancer, did you things in order to write a check out visits, aside from miracle you're out here.
The boss has been in her office with the door closed, on the phone, talking like the used car sales woman she used to be, she is got the lay of the land now and it's not much different than we thought. I'm pretty much done here but that will not be tell the end of June. So we have some time, if possible I need to stay in state employment for one more year at least to qualify for benefits under state retirement system but the price would be astronomically heavy. Lots to think about.
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