|
|
Our
Mission is to nurture the transformational leadership capacities of
individuals and organizations committed to creating productive,
sustainable, ecologically responsible, and just communities. Through
local, national and international networks of activists, artists and
intellectuals, we foster new ways of living, thinking and being to face
the challenges of the 21st century.
|
|
|
Thinking for Ourselves
Council Resolves on Water
Shea Howell
The
Detroit City Council has finally acknowledged the importance of a Water
Affordability Plan. In a strong show of unanimous support last week the
Council passed a resolution to take the first steps toward reassessing
the water rate structure. The Council also resolved that the Mayor’s
massive water shut offs be put on hold.
This is the first
official recognition that the Mayor’s plan of using charity to offset
water bills is unsustainable. It is recognition that we need a new
approach.
That new approach was embraced by the City Council
more than a decade ago, when the Council passed the Water Affordability
Plan in 2005. This was a proactive plan, designed to keep the water
flowing to all residents while providing the money needed to maintain
and improve the system. At the core of the Water Affordability Plan is
the idea that rates should be set by percentage of income, not use. The
recommended government guideline is between 2% and 3% of household
income. Many Detroiters are now paying more than 20% of their incomes
for water.
This burden led to massive water shut offs and a
plan cobbled together by the Mayor last summer. Its failure is evident
as we are again facing up to 34,000 shut offs starting this month.
The Council’s action is critical in bring sanity to this inhuman
situation. It is asking the Mayor to stop being reactive and to
acknowledge that he needs to reassess his approach. We can provide water
and fulfill our obligations as stewards of this precious necessity of
life. That is the heart of a Water Affordability Plan.
This new
thinking is especially needed as the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)
is currently being shaped by the Mayors reactive view of water
assistance. Under the leadership of the Mayor and his representative,
Gary Brown, the Great Lakes Water Authority has been resisting every
effort to discuss true affordability.
In the classic case of
the fox in the hen house, the GLWA is depending on agencies like the
United Way to develop “assistance plans.” In fact the newly emerging
agency is heavily loaded with organizations that will benefit by being
awarded hefty contracts to administer dollars to turn on those who are
shut off.
As the city council resolution states the formation
of this regional authority “presents a unique, virtually
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to quantify and evaluate the value
(particularly in terms of quality of life in southeastern Michigan) of
furnishing essential water services based upon a sustainable, proactive,
affordability model.”
This opportunity will be squandered if the Mayor does not reevaluate his foolish attachment to “assistance.”
To help him begin new thinking, he should read the entire City Council
resolution. He should get rid of Gary Brown as his representative to the
GLWA. He should replace him with Deputy Mayor Carol O’Cleireacain.
While at the Brookings Institute she wrote a report on the water system
of the District of Columbia and said, “Clean water is non-negotiable and
expensive. … the region needs a better financing system beyond [that
city’s] narrow rate base.” This is the kind of regional, creative
thinking we need to move forward.
This Monday community members
and concerned citizens are will gather at the Spirit of Detroit at 9am
to demand an end to water shut offs and a water affordability plan. Join
us.
|
Cap & Gown
Emma Fialka-Feldman
On
Thursday, May 7, 2015, Micah wore a cap and gown, he crossed a stage
when his name was called, received a pin and certification for his work
toward earning a noncredit certificate in Disability Studies, his name
was listed in the Syracuse University College Graduation program, his
classmates, friends, trainer, college professors, and family cheered
when he walked. In the official remarks opening this commencement, Dean
of University College, Bea Gonzalez, confidently and enthusiastically
acknowledged the significance of Syracuse's InclusiveU program (the program Micah completed) and the students' participation in this commencement.
 |
| Micah returning to his seat with his friends and family. |
I
have spent a lot of time this school year trying to unpack the social
and academic elements of inclusion -- in a classroom where what I want,
what I can do, and what may be "possible" conflict and meld together. It
has been exhausting and rewarding. I have worked hard to figure out and
think through what it takes to ensure that "all means all" -- from
recess, friendships, counting, story problems, reading, telling stories,
making mistakes, having consequences, and celebrating successes.
As I sat at Micah's graduation, I couldn't help but wonder about some
of my own students. How do all families know what is possible for their
child? How do peers know what their classmates are capable of? How do my
individual students learn to dream, build determination, and constantly
advocate for what they need to show what they are capable of?
 |
| Micah with me (his sister!). |
After
Micah's graduation, I went to a house party where dozens and dozens of
people flooded the home. I knew maybe a handful of people. This was
Micah's world. This was Micah's community -- his friends, his
professors, his students he had when he co-taught courses in the School
of Education. These were people he cooked with, people he went to bars
with, people who he had mock dates with, people he stayed with when he
was worried about his heart surgery last winter, people who felt loved,
supported, and respected by Micah. No pity. No "buddy." No charity.
Simply friends and community.
Micah reminds me over and
over again that this work -- this work of creating the beloved community
-- must involve intentional and authentic inclusion. Micah is who he is
because inclusion (and Micah!) is working at its very best.
 |
| Micah at his graduation party, looking at his phone. |
His inclusion has authentic age-appropriate experiences
like wearing a cap and gown (he wasn't allow to wear when he attend
Oakland University), like walking across the stage (some students with
intellectual disabilities aren't allowed to walk across the stage for
their high school graduations because they can't get the diploma until
they age out of the system), like drinking alcohol to celebrate his
accomplishment. These moments are not necessarily about an IEP Goal or
about growing academic or job-related skills. These are moments that
allow Micah to see himself as a valued and respected member of his
community. These are moments that allow his community to see his full
participation.
His inclusion has intentional experiences
like attending an inclusive university program that facilitates
academic and social interactions on campus, like creating circles of
support since he was in elementary school so that when Micah moved from
Michigan to New York he knew what he needed to feel supported without
his parents nearby, like having parents that constantly, lovingly, and
fiercely keep expectations and possibilities high so that phrases like
"he's not capable of that" or "that's not within his IQ" doesn't limit
him, like using technology so that he is learning what he wants to learn
about both possibilities and injustices in the world. These are moments
that allow Micah to travel interdependently in his community. These are
moments that allow Micah to see that learning is truly a life long
process.
 |
Micah with his parents who are smiling and laughing.
They both just received "Syracuse Dad" and "Syracuse Mom" shirts. |
So
as I continue to work at better understanding inclusion, now as a
teacher and not just as a sibling to Micah, I hold Micah's story.
I hold on to the moments where my students need opportunities to grow
academically as mathematicians, readers, scientists, writers, and
artists. They need intentional academically rich experiences.
And equally, they need opportunities for authentic experiences. They
need opportunities to wear their caps and gowns and cross the graduation
stage. They need opportunities to "get in trouble," to learn how to
annoy and not annoy their classmates, they need to learn how to stand on
stage with their classmates and perform at the music concert, they need
to ride a bike (however they do and whatever their "bike" looks like),
they need to go to nurse when they fall and go to the nurse when they're
bored in class, they need to eat school lunch and sneak in the lunch
line to grab a second slice of pizza, they need to share their writing
in front of the class, and they need to have friends and community
members who constantly help them and their family know what
possibilities exists (and have yet to be imagined).
What
happens if we don't make inclusion of people with intellectual
disabilities intentional and authentic? We limit possibilities and
potential for people and deny their (and our) humanness. That's a lot of
power.
I don't know what the world will look like for my 1st
& 2nd graders in 10 years when they are leaving high school. My
hope, like my hope has always been for Micah, is for them to surround
themselves with people who challenge them -- people who believe that a
sense of safety, confidence, and growth comes from taking risks -- people who see that inclusion must both be intentional, authentic, and always, always on-going.
|
|
Comments