Alright – so, have you ever heard when someone says born again blah or an artist tries to change their name or image to sell their new products. Well – Minnesota Department of Health, you know the state agency that has failed minority health for years and decades is trying to re-invent itself with a new name division.
MDH had office of minority health which has not really decreased racial health disparity in Minnesota. In fact, racial health disparity has increased despite millions of dollars into Minnesota health department’s eliminating health disparities initiatives. So, now MDH wants more millions for their new and “improved” Center for Equity. They have eliminated office of minority health. Imagine if they actually “eliminated” racial health disparity.
No, that is not their plan. Their goal especially under Governor Dayton and Commissioner Ehlinger is let’s just go back to the state legislature and explain our brand new idea of creating or renaming office of minority health and while we are there – let’s just ask a staggering ten million dollars. Oh, and this time – we will say and use a lot of jargons like equity matters, minorities should be at the decision making table and my favorite we “talked” to many minority communities to get their input. And, we will even put in our useless report that came out over a year ago that the reason for Minnesota’s horrible racial disparity is because of “institutional racism”. Sound all good, right – the devil is always in the details.
MDH Commissioner Ehlinger (who is up Monday for senate confirmation without anyone asking his failed policies) but is a very nice person and probably cares went to the state legislature along with the new butt kissers, and testified their hearts out more like begged for millions of dollars for their Center for Equity division which has about 14 people. The director is a Native American, they also have African American specialist and staff, Asian staff, zero Somali staff and some Caucasians. My humble little opinion – why do they need Caucasian staff in Center for equity anyway – don’t they already hog other departments like the child and maternal health that has over 117 staff and less than 1 percent are Blacks, zero Somali as a permanent staff and zero person of color in a leadership position. Yet, children and women are the ones facing the most racial health disparity. Think about that. If MDH really cared – they would’ve hired diverse staff in positions of influence, but they don’t because if they did they would’ve have hired a diverse person in their legislative office which has two and both are Caucasian. They even had a Somali intern last year and guess what they told her instead of hiring her….wait for it….drum roll please “nothing available now”. That is their usual line to our community – not hiring now, not a good fit, we will call you, don’t call us. You get my drift here.
On the other hand, similar Caucasian interns like Dayton’s current health policy adviser can move on up. This kind of deliberate hiring is called White privilege and happens in Minnesota more than any other state. Hence, the high gap between Whites and people of color in every category.
The icing on the cake is when MDH hired their new deputy commissioner Mr. Pollock. I think he is the poster picture for White privilege. Mr. Pollock has been given opportunities that minorities don’t even dream of from DLF house leadership to DHS to Gov Dayton’s office to MDH now. He is also the perfect example of a smiling and un-emotional liberal that creates disparity policies in a subtle and friendly manner. Pollock is the reason the MN autism task force got Rep Norton – you know the queen of autism disparity, he is the reason – the house tried couple of years ago under Rep Huntley to pass an autism legislation that said low income and minority kids get autism therapy up to age seven and wealthier and more Caucasian autism families get autism therapy unlimited in age and in coverage. He is the reason that back in 2010 DFL house in Huntley’s committee voted to help only wealthier and more Caucasian autism families with private insurance while they told Medicaid autism families – kiss the air and nothing for you. There is more, but I am getting a headache thinking about the obstacles and arrogantly bias autism policies Pollock has tried to inflict us with. The good thing is we defeated him in all of those bias legislations, but as a MDH deputy commissioner, things will get worse for minority health.
And, now this guy is number two in charge of our health department, Are you bleeping kidding me. You see Minnesota department of health has zero desire to address or change any racial health disparity. Heck, they create it and maintain it. Their sole goal is to keep asking for more money and produce no results.
In sum, giving any funds to Minnesota department of health’s newly created division – Center for Equity is like milking a camel in the sand. It is worthless, un-necessary and will for sure not decrease any racial health disparity at all. All they have done is fire the last two previous directors from office of minority health a Hispanic one and the African American one before him. Now they have another minority director who in time will be fired too after the funding is all gone and wasted.
Sadly, no one in state legislature including the few minorities we have ever ask them any good questions or deny them funding because insanity is giving more money to MDH and expecting different outcome.
Even more sad is our communities of color have no idea how the legislative process works and how our votes are connected. We don’t bargain with our voices and our votes. We don’t ask what the heck they did when we last voted for them and if there is no improvement – we don’t tell policy makers that have for years and even decades failed our communities to take a flying leap. Therefore, it is truly our fault, albeit – due to lack of understanding of the process, but still our fault.
So, what happens now. Well, Gov Dayton has nothing to lose because he already got the minority votes last year and said he is not running again. His Lt. Governor Heartless Hammer Smith could care less and never has even though she will probably run that is unless and more likely Dayton steps down and hands her the veto pen. I think the area (that is if minority communities had lobbyist or advocates) we can make a dent is the House and the Senate who are both up for election next year. In reality, no one in our minority community will ever testify against this worthless division at MDH. Well – I suppose I could, but really I rather not have that headache since this is not solely for autism.
I guess my question to minorities in Minnesota is – why don’t we have lobbyist and advocates at the state legislature. This is where the meat of the bone is in all things good and bad and we are still in la la land.
As usual, above words do not reflect any agency, candidate or committee.
Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Minority Advocate