9/24/2000 
Justice For All

jfa@jfanow.org 

Does Bush Seek To Weaken Our Civil Rights?

DOES BUSH SUPPORT WEAKENING AMENDMENT TO ADA? BUSH SPOKESPERSON, "NO
COMMENT." WILL BUSH SIGN ADA PLEDGE? "THE GOVERNOR DOES NOT SIGN PLEDGES."

On September 14th a group of us -- Texas disability rights advocates -- demonstrated in front of the Austin campaign office of presidential candidate George W. Bush, demanding a dialogue about ADA. Texas under Governor Bush had opposed our ADA rights in the Olmstead case, and so far has refused to support ADA in the Garrett case. The 2000 platform of the Texas GOP, under Governor Bush, calls for an amendment to the ADA that would exclude millions from civil rights  protection.

A campaign spokesperson said the Governor was not in Austin. Asked if the Governor would sign the AAPD pledge to support the ADA that Al Gore had already signed, the spokesperson said, "The Governor does not sign pledges." Asked about the party's call for a devastating amendment to the ADA, the spokesperson said, "The Governor did not write it." Asked if the Governor supported the ADA position of his party's platform, the spokesperson refused to answer. Asked if the Governor, like Al Gore, had appointed a disability issue person to his campaign, the spokesperson said, "Yes," but he refused to give the name. When Bob Kafka tried to ask him about Olmstead and Garrett, he refused to answer any more questions in the presence of the media. We declined to continue the meeting without media witnesses, and we left.

Belinda Carlton
Texas Advocate


--
Fred Fay
Chair, Justice For All
jfa@jfanow.org 
http://www.jfanow.org 

Getting Out the Disability Vote: http://nod.org/vote2000/vote2000.html 
Register to Vote Online at: http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm 
For Your States's Election Resources: http://www.iupui.edu/~epackard/eleclink.html 
Project Vote Smart: http://www.vote-smart.org /

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