Hi! Come on in and pull up a chair, or sit on the floor. It's time for another of my Dread Rants, and once again, it's directed at our President, G. W. Bush. You might say, "Gee Dread, you seem to sock it to the President quite a bit here, don't you?" Well, yes, I do! But, get this: there ARE some things that Bush has done that I wholeheartedly agree with. Take his New Freedom Initiative. Starting in F. Y. 2004, he will give the states $1.75 billion to create programs to help people with disabilities who are institutionalized in nursing homes and other institutions to move out into the community. There were even parts of his tax bill that I approved of, namely, the child tax credit for working families, and the tax credit to small businesses. But, I've just found out that low income working (yes, working, NOT on welfare) families will not get the child tax credit. What kind of shenanigans is Bush pulling? You can't look someone in the face, and say that you care, then, stab them in the back. Our President has shown once more, what his true colors are, and to whom he gives his allegiance.

    I was so upset upon receiving this information that I called the White House Comment Line, and told them my feelings about the matter. Then, I e-mailed President Bush. I got an autoresponder back saying how the President appreciates my concerns, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, right.

    Here is the text of the letter that I sent to President Bush:
 

Dear Mr. President,
 
 

My name is Anita Teresa Cameron. I live in Denver, Colorado. I own a small computer business in Denver called The Family Geek. I just received some information that deeply concerns me. It has come to my attention that low-income working families will not be able to take advantage of the child tax credit that other families will benefit from as a result of your tax plan that you’ve just signed into law. I was apprehensive about this bill to begin with, because I felt that it benefited only the people in the highest tax bracket. What did make me feel better about this tax bill was that working families would receive a child tax credit. It appears now that that information was untrue, and that leaves me disturbed and angry.

Make no mistake, Mr. President. I have nothing against the rich. I understand that people in the highest tax bracket pay the most in taxes. However, those of us who are low-income, and who work, deserve some kind of recognition for our efforts. It seems that we are constantly overlooked in the scheme of things. Working-class Americans also helped to forge this country, and to make it the greatest nation on Earth. It is ordinary people such as myself who help to keep this nation afloat. We are not the inconsequential rabble that people make us out to be. We build that cars that you drive, prepare the food that you eat, keep the streets of our nation clean, and educate the vast majority of American children. It is ordinary people like us who go to distant places to defend our nation when we are at war, or in conflict. Working-class people also create jobs for others when they become business owners. As I stated earlier, I am a small business owner. Let me tell you how I started my business. Maybe then, you’ll understand the value of low-income and working-class folks, such as myself.

I was born with multiple disabilities. However, I never let that stop me from doing the things that I want to do. I was mainstreamed with non-disabled children in regular school settings from preschool through high school. I then entered college, and got a degree in Biology. However, when I tried to enter the workforce, I encountered discrimination at every turn. To be honest, it usually was because I was disabled, a woman, or because I am African American. I didn’t let this stop me. Since I was a small child, I’ve always wanted to work to make the world a better place for all. Perhaps, this is due to my Catholic upbringing. I have excellent written and communication skills, and I used these to work to make life better for all people who encounter bigotry and prejudice in their lives. I have worked for various agencies across the country on women’s issues, minority issues, homelessness, and disability rights issues. I helped to get anti-discrimination ordinances passed in Chicago and Denver. For 16 years, I have been a member of ADAPT, a national, grassroots disability rights organization. I helped to write the piece of legislation that is sitting in Congress at this moment. The bill is known as MiCASSA (Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act), and its numbers are S. 971, and H.R. 2032.

Nevertheless, I wanted a regular job, and a few years ago, I went back to school and got a degree in Computer Information Systems. I went out job-hunting, only to face more discrimination, notwithstanding the ADA. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Ticket To Work Work Incentives Act? It was supposed to help folks with disabilities get off of Social Security by providing training and assistance in getting REAL jobs with REAL pay. I’m sorry to inform you, Mr. President, that the program is failing those of us with disabilities who have an education behind us. I tried to make the program work for me, but it is wholly inadequate.

That is when I decided to open my own business. I was tired of being discriminated against for various reasons when I was more than qualified for a position. I scraped together the money for all of my licenses and fees, registered my trade name with the State of Colorado, and in August of 2000, I opened The Family Geek out of my home. I provide computer training and consulting to individuals and businesses in the Denver Metro area. Business is going slow now, because of the economy, but hopefully, things will look up. I wanted to tell you my story to illustrate the worth of low-income and working-class Americans, and what we can do, despite hardships, when we are motivated, and work diligently to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

Mr. President, I would like to know what is being proposed to address the issue of low-income families not receiving their child tax credit? How will they benefit form your tax bill? I would also like to know how will someone such as myself benefit from your tax bill? Do I count, Mr. President, or am I forced to watch while the American Dream passes me by?

I thank you in advance for taking the time to read my letter, and I would be honored if you would send me a response.
 

Respectfully,
 

Anita Teresa Cameron

Can you believe it? The public outrage about low-income families not receiving their child tax credit was so intense that President Bush asked the Senate and the House to restore the child tax credit to low-income familes, and to get a bill to him as quickly as possible so that he can sign it! The Senate has already done this, but the House is still bickering with each other, and trying to devise new ways to screw over poor folks. Still, it gives me great satisfaction to know that I may have had a small part in bringing about this change, because I channeled my anger in a positive direction, and officially added my voice to the public outcry. This incident, small though it is, stregthens my conviction that ordinary people can indeed change the world!

Back to my Bush Rant

Forward to my Disabled Voter's Rights Rant

My Equal Rights For All Rant

Well, there's another Rant. There'll be more to come. You may return to the Main Page, the Living Room, or go home and snoop around my house some more. I don't mind at all!

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