Occupy the Capitol Rally: The First Day of MN Legislative Session 2012

Welfare Rights Rally
January 24, 2012

Good morning everyone! My name is Nichole Villavicencio and I am here representing ADAPT Minnesota. ADAPT is a national grassroots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.

In my few years here at the Minnesota Legislature, services for people with disabilities have gone from bad to worse. We have suffered cuts in all aspects of our lives: our healthcare, transportation, our ability to live in the community, jobs, education. Also simple, but important, things have been threatened and/or eliminated: for instance, eye glasses, dentistry, physical, speech and occupational therapies. The thing is, my fellow ADAPTers and I realize that many Minnesotans have suffered due to the economy. But what we can’t understand is why some legislators insist on making cuts that hit people with disabilities so hard while refusing to raise taxes on those who can afford it.

I want the legislature to know is that this session we will not allow it! We will not allow them to make cuts that threaten our independence, while they continue to protect the rich from paying their fair share! We will hold them accountable!

Already some in the are working very hard to disenfranchise low income people, people with disabilities and senior citizens from the right to vote. We cannot let them squash our voice! The legislature is also attempting to change the state constitution to only allow Minnesota to raise taxes if there is a "super-majority" vote. This would put any future legislature into gridlock and make it nearly impossible to raise income taxes. We cannot allow them to continue to protect the rich!

As a community we must come together and fight these absurdities and all the ones to come! We need everyone here to stay tuned in this session and stay in contact with your legislators. Call them! Email them! Visit them! Tell them we will not allow them threaten our freedom and independence while they protect the one percent! FREE OUR PEOPLE!