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Thursday, 14 August 2008 |
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· OMRDD PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DRAFT FIVE YEAR PLAN: SEPT 8TH
· GOV ASKS LEGISLATURE TO CUT $1B MORE IN FY 08-09
· DRAFT SELF DISCLOSURE GUIDELINES FROM OMIG
· LARRY RITTER INVESTIGATED OVER USE OF STATE FUNDS
· 'TROPIC THUNDER' MOVIE INSULTS PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
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NYSACRA News & Views
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Issue No. 37-08
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August 13, 2008
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Open Your Eyes! Watch it Now!
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NYSACRA Calendar
Executive Positions
Action Center
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Greetings NYSACRA Members!
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· OMRDD PUBLIC HEARING ON THE DRAFT FIVE YEAR PLAN: SEPT 8TH
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The hearing will be held on September 8, 2008, from 3pm - 6pm, at O.D. Heck in Schenectady, but shown via live video conference at New York DDSO, 75 Morton Street, NYC, and Monroe DC, 620 Westfall Road, Rochester. Speakers will be asked to register in advance of the forum, limit their comments to three (3) minutes, and bring three (3) copies of the testimony. More info on registration is listed on the OMR website. Written testimony can also be submitted to Cynthia Redshaw at OMRDD, 44 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12229 or via e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. The draft Plan will be available on OMRDD's website at www.omr.state.ny.us as of August 29, 2008 or a printed version can be requested through local DDSO offices prior to the hearing.
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· GOV ASKS LEGISLATURE TO CUT $1B MORE IN FY 08-09
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Gov. David A. Paterson presented a plan on Monday to trim $2.6 billion over 2 years, including $1 billion from the state's budget this year by cutting spending on Medicaid assistance, higher education and pork-barrel projects. The comprehensive $2.6 billion budget savings plan for consideration by the Legislature reflects savings of $1 billion in 2008-09 and $1.6 billion in 2009-10. If these savings were enacted in full, the 2009-10 budget deficit would be cut from $6.4 billion to $3.7 billion, a 41 percent reduction. Click Here for the Governor's full Press Release.
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· LARRY RITTER INVESTIGATED OVER USE OF STATE FUNDS
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Larry Ritter, the husband of Commissioner Diana Ritter, was terminated from his job with the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance after a state investigation found he took nearly $20,000 by claiming pay for time he did not work. The matter has been submitted to the Albany DA as well. State officials, however, said Tuesday they found no wrongdoing against Commissioner Diana Jones Ritter. The Commissioner stated that while this is a serious issue and difficult time for her and her family, she conveyed her assurance to the field that she remains focused on the mission of helping people with developmental disabilities lead richer lives.
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· 'TROPIC THUNDER' MOVIE INSULTS PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
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A newly formed coalition of disability organizations participated in a meeting with executives of DreamWorks in Los Angeles to discuss mounting concerns with the portrayal of intellectual disabilities in Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder." Since the initial meeting, disability leaders have viewed advance screenings of the film and have categorically stated that the film's depictions of people with disabilities is actually worse than they'd feared. DreamWorks has refused to do anything. Self advocates and community leaders are protesting tonight, Wednesday, during opening day across the country "because depictions and dialogue in "Tropic Thunder" of people with intellectual disabilities is tantamount to hate speech and will do and has already done a significant amount of harm across the country by reinforcing negative stereotypes and making it "cool" for teens and other viewers to make fun of people with disabilities and to tell each other not to go "full retard" (an actual line from the film)."
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