The following are solely my opinions and do not represent the MN Autism Task force members or affiliations. I plan to write a serious of blogs about this as it is too long to lump it into one.
Stay tuned for more shocking revelations from Norton and party since the autism queen of disparity joined this task force.
As you might have heard the MN Autism Task Force has become a joke and a circus ever since Rep Norton (the queen of autism disparity) joined few short weeks ago.
What do I mean by this and let’s give some facts.
Fact One:
Right before Rep Norton joined as I mentioned in before blogs, MDH wanted to apply Federal HRSA autism grant. This was their 2nd try of this grant, they were denied the last cycle because they lacked a cohesive way of collaborating and partnering with minority communities. Keep in mind, I have been asking them to improve their relationship with communities of color, but why listen to us when they can talk and think for us. So, they never did have a good community of color outreach. Thus, their last two applications for autism federal funding were denied.
Fact Two:
I ask MDH to share their denial letter with the task force and have an open discussion of the reasons for the denial and a way to improve and address that before HRSA announces the 2nd round of grant applications.
Fact Three:
MDH’s Rep Dalbec refuses to share that letter claiming it is useless because HRSA’s new guidelines could be different. Think about that for a minute – MDH refuses to address its lack of minority outreach because it might not affect their next grant. The Autism Chair Trahan agrees with Dalbec and refuses to bring that denial letter for a discussion for over a year.
Fact Four:
HRSA announces their new autism grant guidelines and walla – it asks minority community partnership and collaboration. MDH now comes to the task force and asks a support letter and they only have couple of weeks before the application is due. Now what now? Did I not ask these people to have an open and honest debate of why the last application failed and they refused.
Yes, indeed I did.
Fact Five:
Mr. Trahan writes a support letter by claiming the “whole” task force supports it. Now what now.
That is totally wrong since I am a member and do not support given that I have been asking MDH and they have been ignoring and refusing specific minority language inclusion and sharing the funds. Further, MN Autism Task force is a public law and he refuses to have the vote public and have a debate on this important support letter.
Fact Six:
After such silly refusal – I went back to the leaders of the state agency representatives MDH, DHS, MDE and DEED. DHS right away supports what I was asking to be added which simply stated specific language that said how much of the $400,000 will be allocated for minority community based organizations, who they are and how long they will get the funding. Instead MDH’s rep Dalbec initially refuses that and just says their usual talking point of “we will include minority communities after we win the grant”. Of course, I don’t trust or believe her or MDH given their horrible health disparity record.
MDE’s leaders also come on board and support our language in the support letter.
DEED rep Herzog says she was never asked for a support and has no comment. Then we go to the governors office and ask they talk to MDH to have inclusive and specific language for minority resource sharing of the funds. MDH’s Rep Dalbec then reluctantly says “we can’t add that, but we can take an addendum stating our language”. Think about that for a minute. Instead of having one letter of support from the whole task force, they would rather have two that sort of cancel each-other because one has minority inclusion and one does not.
Finally and with great resistance and hesitation MDH’s Dalbec only adds grants of $70,000 will be awarded to minority based agencies as well as rural based autism agencies. If sharing such small funds is hard for them – imagine how hard it is for them to share bigger funds. That is exactly one of the main reasons why health disparity exist at Minn dept of health (MDH). The level of resistance from MDH’s CMH health is beyond belief. Sadly, not surprising.
Fact Seven:
On the next Autism task force meeting, I ask the chair – Trahan who voted against minority inclusion portion, why we did not have a public debate and vote on it publicly. To my surprise, he states he never got that request. Now what now, because I sent kazillion emails stating that, but all of the sudden he has amnesia and has no recollection. I wonder where I heard that before – oh yeah Rep Norton and how she writes bias autism legislations then pretends to forget them.
Fact Eight:
I then write a formal complaint about the chair and all of the sudden he blames me and resigns. All for what because I asked “minority community organization to get some of the $400,000 federal autism funding & a public vote on a support letter.” I kid you not that was why he resigned. I mean all that pressure of being inclusive can wear anyone down – I guess. I mean seriously, the self righteous and sheer arrogance of these folks is beyond imaginable.
The drama gets more dramatic – stay tuned for the next blog!
Thanks
Idil – Somali Autism Mom and Minority Advocate.