Monthly Archives: November 2024

Alright – so, where do I even start with Dakota County. Almost all of their current commissioners were state elected officials at some point. They voted against what later became EIDBI in Minnesota when they were in the state legislature. They also voted to eliminate then Minnesota autism Task Force. How do you like them apples. Watkins was the worst as he was a chair committee. He voted to get public funding from the state budget to subsidize private insurance to cover autism therapy but voted against Medicaid covering the same services for the low income-autism family.

Now, they have even more power in my humble opinion at the county. Counties are extremely strong and have zero person to answer to including DHS. From what I understand, DHS does random audits, but nothing ever comes out of it. At best, they get a slap on the wrist but nothing meaningful. So, then who oversees counties – the commissioners who are elected by the people of the county.

Now we are cooking. There is a Somali – Yusuf Haji who is running in Dakota county to be a commissioner. I don’t know if he will win, if he does, it will be history as we currently have zero Somali county commissioners. In fact, the only county in Minnesota’s 87 counties that has anyone with a suntan is Hennepin which has two minority commissioners. It has been refreshingly pleasant to go to a county commissioner about racial disparities and have them look like you. Going to a white commissioner or any position for that matter and asking about racial disparities is like going to a man to explain about childbirth. It just does not sink in with them even if they care. We have to change this landscape and have more than two county commissioners who look like us in Minnesota.

Please elect Yusuf so that the people in charge of Dakota county reflect the people they serve. 

In summary, counties is where almost all autism services come from. Dakota is by far the most difficult county I have ever advocated in. They often do not provide or even inform Somali autism families the resources and support their children need and qualify for. Parents do not ask because how do you ask for something you don’t know exists. You do not. And, if you know enough to call them and say – I need help. They will offer you the least support. They hardly suggest home safety modifications, water safety or waiver services. We have complained about them to the moon and back. No one has been able to make them do right because the power lies in the commissioner’s office and Liz Workman has been missing in action for the Somali autism community. We need to vote her out if we want support for our families. Voting for the same people and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Retired Advocate

Alright – so, it is that time again when we see much confusion and more confusing ads and well you get the point. I was just watching the daily show where they had acted one of Kamala’s ads where people are nodding to each-other to give signal and voting for her. What now? Laughing out-loud.
Ok, seriously that is what we have become, women lying to their  husbands about who they voted for. Yeah, let’s start lying to each-other now. Oh wait, that is exactly what the dflers do, tell us they will help during the election then drop us like a hot-potato after. Gee, I wonder where I have seen that before.

Now, this blog is only about autism. In Dakota county, Yusuf Haji is running against Liz Workman who has not helped any autism family. She represents Burnsville and Apple Valley area. I know that we contacted her multiple times for autism families and she could care less. In my humble opinion, she is useless, cold, heartless and needs to be voted out. Now, county elections are hard to diversify – yet. A Somali ran before in Scott County and did not win. I know if people keep trying, they will eventually prevail. Besides, Somalis are politically savvy here and across the world.

Gov. Walz – I can write a book about how horrible his autism or lack there-of have been. His health department – MDH has done zero, nada for autism. In fact, the last time Minn health dept has done anything autism was under Gov. Pawlenty who was a Republican. Imagine that. DHS or the state Medicaid agency, well they have screwed with Somalis in autism and everything else human services more than any other governor. You don’t have to ask Jack or Jane that. Their moto is bait and close and shame. If you own any kind of human services agency or have a need for human services including autism, then getting rid of Walz is our best bet. I have seen some families say, well if we vote him in the VP slot, then at least he leaves Minnesota. Not really, his Lt. Gov is just like him. Then we will have him four years in a higher position and his crappy state policies will be pushed by Peggy F. I say do not vote for him as VP and/or anything else for that matter. He is good at using catchy phrases – remember One Minnesota, that was a hoax. Remember slave descent blacks getting help. That was to divide wiil iyo abitigiis and produced nada.

Now, he says we mind our own damn business. Now what now. When he forced families to lose rights of raising their children, did he mind his own business. Heck not, he minded your business. Please do not pay attention to his charm and charisma, look at his policies or lack thereof.

Minnesota House: Everyone is up for re-election. I am always for the Republicans because they at least won’t screw with us. They won’t have shaah and sanbusa with us. They will tell us what they can and cannot do in less than 10 seconds – period. On the other hand, dflers will waste our time, eat sanbusa and drink shaah, learn two Somali words, promise the ocean and not even deliver a pond. I think the choice is clear.

Minnesota Senate: Currently, there is 33 dflers and republicans. There were 34 dfl and 33 republicans before with two of the dflers being Somali. This meant by the way, anything that passed for the last couple of years had the blessing of the two Somali senators including taking away family rights and teaching our children things that are not in our culture. You can be a democrat and not sell your soul – you know.

We are making some headway in Minnesota and even in Ohio, WA, etc. Few weeks ago, Voice of America media held a political debate between Somali Republicans and Somali Democrats in Bloomington. Now that is progress. The dfler no longer own our votes. Yum yum.

I knew this day would come!

In summary, the choice is all ours. Please vote based on issues and what is important to you. To me, it is always autism and it ain’t the dflers. I don’t need a charming boyfriend who tells me what I want to hear and never delivers anything. I have already had that in college. I need a nerd and mature husband who is an adult and means what he says and says what he means.

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Retired Advocate

Alright – so, if you know me or read my blog then you are fully aware that I despise the current DHS administration and leadership. Oh wait, despise is not strong enough, let me rephrase that. I loathe DHS’ current leadership. Why? Ain’t that a good question.

In the interest of fairness and transparency, DHS is by far the agency that I have made the most progress in my autism advocacy. Sadly, we now have Walz and the current commissioner Harpstead. They make North Korea more welcoming. It seems that I am not the only they discriminate against. PRM reported today that under Walz administration, DHS’ racial discrimination cases have risen tremendously. What a shocker.

“PRM has submitted a number of requests to the Walz-era DHS — some within the administration’s early days, and others more recently.  As the organization is divided into several sub-components, results have been mixed. In 2020, the agency responded to a PRM data request with a production of memos, e-mails, and summary data.  The data PRM sought pertained to racial diversity issues at DHS, and the agency produced a collection of records that revealed both employee complaints (including a letter sent to Lt. Gov. Flanagan from DHS employees); as well as management e-mails and memos pertaining to responses.

Summary data provided by DHS showed that the total number of racial discrimination and harassment complaints filed by DHS by employees rose to 31 under the first year of the Walz administration, up from 22 in 2018 (the last year of the Dayton administration).  The number then fell to 23 in 2020.  Prior to 2018, the agency had an average of 7 complaints per year during the Dayton administration, and an average of only 1.5 per year during the final two years of the Pawlenty administration. (DHS noted that it did not “maintain responsive data prior to 2009”).

DHS and Commissioner Harpstead discriminating against people of color, no way. That is absurd. Not really, that is how they roll. It gets better, you just wait…

Remember how they go after Somali autism agencies for stealing Medicaid funds, well it turns out MCOs steal hundreds of millions of Medicaid funds and DHS does not even blink. They may even share the stolen money with the MCO since they delete any records to know for sure. And, wait for it…. drum roll pls….there is NO law that says DHS must audit and hold MCOs accountable for the hundreds of millions the state gives them. Now what now? Yep, that is right. So who writes about this? where is the media here? No where to be seen.

“Documents produced by DHS revealed several important facts — including that the taxpayer-funded “rates” that were being paid to HMOs had minimal outside verification, and that Deloitte Consulting had told the state that there was no consistent methodology being used to allocate HMO administrative expenses.

This internal agency data shed additional light on concerns raised by Feinwachs, as well as by the Minnesota Legislative Auditor and the federal Government Accountability Office.  Ultimately, DHS hired outside firms (including the Segal Company) to review public program management.  In its final report, Segal wrote that the DHS “rate-setting process” raised “serious questions.”

Under the MGDPA, PRM was able to copy and publish thousands of pages of agency financial reports, e-mails, and other data during this period — data that members of the press and policy makers utilized as the discussion around public program management continued.  E-mails obtained by PRM also showed that DHS staff sought to steer the direction of a supposedly “independent” legislative study into managed care by attempting to keep agency critics — such as Feinwachs — from being interviewed.  Without the MGDPA, such data would likely never have been publicly available”.

Now I get it. Delete public data that would tell the public where the money is going. Deny people like Feinwachs to be interviewed, discriminate against people when they ask for accountability and go after the low-hanging fruit like the Somali community because you know they are not going to fight back nor even understand how – Yet. God willing, we will one day. You see, our community is sooooo behind, almost a century in understanding how crook DHS and the Walz administration has been and continue to be. For example, DHS solicited and kept approving Somali autism centers without training, ensuring people understood EIDBI policy and rules, kept increasing the rate despite my against testimonies because with more reimbursement, you attract all yukies. Then once they had enough village idiots in the pool, and they needed a distraction, DHS starts harassing Somali autism agencies and closing them without care to how this will impact the children. If DHS and I am sure they are, as data will tell us is going after, and only investigating Somali autism agencies while it does not do the same for non-Somali autism centers – then Houston, we will have a problem. There is a name for treating people who are similarly situated differently. What is it? oh yeah, discrimination. 

Remember, when Minnesota Autism Center and Lovaas stole millions of Medicaid funds, did DHS close them. Heck to the nope. Why, there were white children with autism going to these agencies. But when it is Somali children whether it is day care or autism center, DHS will close shop faster than a hot NY minute.

One of the liberal reporters called Somalis “shrewd”. Google tells me this is what that means – ” having or showing astute or sharp judgment in practical matters, sometimes at the cost of moral compromise”. 

That is an insult and below the belt. If we are morally corrupt then what is DHS. They should’ve made sure before the autism agency opens, it is equipped properly, and people are trained and understand what they are supposed to do. After all, this benefit – EIDBI is to help the child and family. This is not selling furniture, it is about actual children and real families. To DHS and their to go to reporters, our children are not human to them. It is simply cost of doing business and a distraction for them to avoid their own moral corruption.

A must watch of how David Feinwachs explains the MN Medicaid Fraud that DHS pretends to not see. DHS only sees when Somalis make mistakes. How lovely.

The full PRM story – it is soooooo good. 

The above words do not represent any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Retired Advocate.