Troubled Eyes in the Beholder

Howdy Comrades!

As your Dear Leader, I'm not accustomed to admitting weakness or imperfections, but I have a confession to make to the peeps today.  I am not invulnerable to physical and mental woes.  This is shocking, I know, and I hasten to reassure you that I have no intention to resign as leader of the local branch of the BPP.  My work product, however, has suffered, and I need your advice and assistance.

As some in the Central Committee know, my blindness results from a rare genetic anomaly called "head cone rod dystrophy."  As I age, the condition progresses in strange ways.  Most disturbing to me is that I experience what's known as a scintillating schetoma, a blind spot in my central field that resembles and explosion or the mirrored ball in a disco.  I see this troubling phenomenon even with my eyes closed, when I train under blind-folded or in a dark room.  It is quite vivid and disconcerting, and the only time I get a break from it is when I am asleep.  There is no cure, only experimental therapies available through clinical trials.  One approach is to alter the underlying genetic error causing the damage to my retina.  The other approach is to inject stem cells and growth factor directly into the damage regions.  The longer I wait to enroll in a clinical trial, the less likely it is that I can benefit from any treatment.

Both experimental treatments are considered risky by the National Institute of Health.  Both have had some positive results in certain patients and very little help for others.  What course should I take?  Should I forget about becoming a guinea pig and let nature take its course?  I need to enroll in at least one clinical trial no later than January 3^rd 2009.  Has anyone an opinion?

I await your suggestions.

Regards,

Chairman Mal

Power to the Peeps!

Yes We Can Defeat Metro Management!

Howdy comrades!

What a tremendous victory for the United States we had on November 5^th this year of our Lord 2008!  I joined with many of the peeps here in Austin to celebrate Tuesday night, only to face a major buzz killer the next day.  I'll put it in context.

As the third millennium's savior of the sightless, I devoted most of my spare time this election in the trenches, cabbing to boring fund raisers, spending way too much money on hopeless candidates and driving myself crazy with worry about the fate of the nation.  Now I am wistful for the campaign already.  Incidentally the 2012 battle has already taken shape with the Republicans involved in a democratic style circular firing squad.  I love it!  Fast forward to 2012, and imagine the nightmarish dog fight between the Pit Bull Bitch of the Tundra and Governor ROM.  Millions of bucks will pour from ROM's Dog, inc. and the Mormon Church to elect the first creepy as hell, gay hating LDS President. Whoa!  I'm digressing, comrades, and must focus on the narrative. 

Barack was my second choice during the primaries, Hillary being my man, so to speak.  I attended the Texas State Democratic Convention and switched my Hillary button for an Obama button on the second day of the convention, being what is called a party hack.  I knew the media hype that all Hillary partisans would switch to supporting the republican ticket would soon fade, but a lot of elderly feminists in the Hillary camp wanted to wack me when they saw the Obama button.  I really felt sorry for them because they worked their ancient hearts out to nominate Hillary and was convinced they'd never live to se a woman elected President.  I'd planned a vacation to celebrate the Democratic landslide this week only to be consumed in yet another crisis with Cap metro.  The Amalgamated Transit Workers local decided to strike the day after the election.  Senior Metro management schemed to use the blind, elderly and disabled passengers as pawns in their labor negotiations by cutting all cab vouchers and other trips except for persons on dialysis.  Stunned by this cruel and cynical ploy, disability advocates weren't able to get the service restored until Friday morning, and Fred Gilliam's flunkies   are stonewalling the Access Committee on repeated requests for accurate information about this crass attempt to manipulate public opinion against the union.  What are the peeps supposed to think?  Does this guy think we are stupid?  It seems obvious to anyone with a lick of sense that Fred Gilliam has no real intention to abide by the "good faith" promise to begin a new era of trust and candor with Access and the blind and disability communities.  We have seen two instances when Gilliam has evinced a total lack of conscience in living up to the terms of the mediation agreement between plaintiffs and the Texas Civil Rights Project.  First, Pat Bartel was excluded from consideration by the Board for membership on Access.  Had Pat been approved, the exact same balance of disabled and blind members would have existed as last year.  Next Gilliam cuts work vouchers during the worst economic crisis the nation has seen since the Great Depression.  We've had enough of Metro Senior Management's bull crap already; we are going to the Board to make our case one last time.  After that, should Gilliam remain in charge, Blind Salamander will unleash the dogs and other critters of war against him.

Regards,

Chairman Mal

Power to the Peeps!

Yes We Can!

PS:  If you don't believe my gonzo account of the Metro matter, just read pertinent articles in both the Austin American statesman and the Austin Chronicle.  There will be more to follow.  CM

Vote Today Strike is Tomorrow

Howdy Comrades!

I've pledged Election Day to the campaign of our next President, Barack Obama, but I need to let the peeps know about the strike of bus drivers and mechanics who work for Cap Metro.  The Amalgamated Transit Workers Union local will walk off the job early tomorrow morning.  Metro staff told the Cap Metro Board that they will be using other nonunion contractors to provide limited fixed route bus service and Metro Access Service.  In terms of paratransit, we were told that priority will be given to medical appointments during the strike.  This is understandable, but what I can't fathom is the decision to cancel perm work cab vouchers.  Did I miss an announcement that the taxi drivers will also strike tomorrow?  This makes no sense and conflicts with what Metro staff told the Metro Board about attempting to make sure as many riders as possible would have rides to and from work.  Perhaps, Metro staff will change their mind once the facts are explained to them.  I must close for now.  I urge everyone to vote today to end the long national nightmare of the Bush Administration.

Regards,

Chairman Mal

Power to the Peeps!