North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights
|
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights |
|
Click PayPal link for direct credit card contribution or PayPal payment options. (No PayPal account necessary!)
Interested in Receiving NDHRC Email Newsletter? |
~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
February 18, 2005
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) We Still Need Your Membership 2) Update on Legislative Bills of Interest – Human Rights 3) NDHRC Member Organizations’ 2005 Legislative Activities 4) Press Release: United Tribes News, Companion characters emerge in new edition of Indian Superhero comic book
Newspaper Articles 5) The Forum (Fargo), State may regulate mixed fighting bouts 6) The Forum (Fargo), Court to decide human rights suit 7) Jamestown Sun, N.D. Senate endorses new name for Labor Department 8) The Forum (Fargo), Dems feel frustration over WSI 9) The Forum (Fargo), Marriage license fee bill sponsor gets ration of grief 10) Valley City Times-Record, The ‘Journey of Hope’ 11) The Forum (Fargo), Understanding disabilities: Puppets teach Moorhead third-graders 12) Grand Forks Herald, Concerts organized to support reservation elders 13) The Forum (Fargo), Survey examines Indian issues 14) Bismarck Tribune, Group to help Indians get elected 15) The Forum (Fargo), Cass commissioners balk at bill 16) Bismarck Tribune, Bill worries some activists 17) Bismarck Tribune, Plan eliminates UTTC funding 18) Bismarck Tribune, Pay lagging 19) Grand Forks Herald, Reservation nursing homes should get OK from Legislature 20) Bismarck Tribune, Recognize tribal jurisdiction 21) Minot Daily News, Women sues county 22) Bismarck Tribune, Hall seeks quality of life efforts 23) Bismarck Tribune, Bill would add post for faith-based groups 24) The Forum (Fargo), Fargo senator wants faith-based services office 25) Grand Forks Herald, Dorreen Yellow Bird Column: At Stake – the survival of a culture 26) Grand Forks Herald, Bill seeks to reduce abortion rate 27) Minot Daily News, N.D. needs to ‘catch up’ 28) The Forum (Fargo), Forum editorial: WSI reform is in need of reform 29) Jamestown Sun, Community-based care needs an equal playing field in N.D. 30) Bismarck Tribune, Authorities intent on finding Indian headdress 31) Bismarck Tribune, Islamic holiday brings Muslim community together 32) Bismarck Tribune, More choices for elderly, disabled 33) The Forum (Fargo), Other views: Forum’s caustic editorial was assault on marriage
Events 34) Fair Housing FIRST Accessibility Conference, March 14 & 15, Fargo 35) UND Multicultural Student Services’ 8th Annual MLK, Jr. Awards Luncheon, March 4, Grand Forks 36) UND Black Student Association, Black History Month Events, February 22 & 28, Grand Forks 37) FM UU Church & ND Peace Coalition Sponsor 8-week Course in Resolution Resistance, Redemption, March 2 – April 20, Fargo 38) Campus Committee for Human Rights & Bridges, Educational Forum, March, & Rally, March 23 – 26, Grand Forks
Reminders 39) 2005 North Dakota Community Leadership Awards 40) Tri-College NEW Leadership Development Institute Accepting Applications 41) NDSU Memorial Union Gallery Exhibit, February 2 - 25, Fargo 42) Diversity Resource Expo & Career Fair, March 3, 2005, Fargo 43) Learning Circle Facilitator Training Coming – Save the Date, February 18 – 20 44) Press Release: ‘Spring Break’ offered for tribal vocational training personnel 45) 2005 Patrick Stewart Human Rights Scholarships 46) Minnkota Health Project, 2nd Annual Celebrating Life Dinner, Gala, & Auction, February 26, 2005 47) Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellowship Grants 2005 48) Sisters of the Presentation at Sacred Heart Convent, “2004 – 2005 Presentation Peace Studies Forum,” Fargo, ND
Please Note: The NDHRC distributes a weekly PAUR report to inform our members and friends about news, events, and other human rights related information around the state. The opinions expressed within the articles are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the NDHRC.
New NDHRC members: as a membership benefit you have received an e-mail subscription of our weekly e-mail newsletter, the NDHRC PAUR Report. If you would like to be removed from the PAUR Report mailing list, please send an email to humanrights@ndhrc.org.
********************************************* Announcements *********************************************
1.) We Still Need Your Membership
We need your help and support to make a difference.
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition depends on your membership dollars to fund our work. Here are several education and advocacy related activities that are made possible by your donations:
· Staff lobbying in the 2005 state legislature on behalf of human rights related bills
· Copying educational information for community groups, legislators, and allies
· Hosting and upkeep of the NDHRC web site
· Meals, materials, and other expenses at the NDHRC annual conference
The Coalition’s membership goal for 2005 is to reach 200 members and membership proceeds of $10,500.
As of February 18, 2005, the NDHRC has received 75 memberships for 2005 for a total of $4,410!
Your membership is very important to us and your individual advocacy is invaluable. Please become a member at: http://ndhrc.org/membership_form_revised.htm, or make a monetary donation to the NDHRC. Send your donations to NDHRC, P.O. Box 1961, Fargo, ND 58107-1961.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” - American anthropologist Margaret Meade
*********************************************
2.) NDHRC Legislative Updates
During the 2005 legislative session, the NDHRC is following bills that affect human rights. We are also distributing a weekly legislative update to our PAUR recipients. Past legislative updates are available on our web site at: http://ndhrc.org/Goals/2005LegActivities/LegislativeUpdateFeb14.htm.
*********************************************
3.) NDHRC Member Organizations’ 2005 Legislative Activities
View legislative activities for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition member organizations' at: http://ndhrc.org/Goals/2005LegActivities/2005NDHRCMemberOrgLegislativeActivities.htm.
*********************************************
4.) Press Release: United Tribes News, Companion characters emerge in new edition of Indian Superhero comic book
United
Tribes News 8 February
2005 701-471-6257
Companion
characters emerge in new edition of Indian Superhero comic book
BISMARCK - When last we left our hero, he was getting to know his new companion, Benny the Rez Dog. Now, in the colorful pages of a new edition of the comic book series, KODA The Warrior, Benny is along for adventure right from the start and other companions join the battle too.
Illustrator Mark L. Mindt has grown the cast of characters who join KODA, an American Indian Superhero, in the third edition of the educational comic book series. KODA means “friend” in the Dakota language. Mindt introduced the action hero to school audiences in two previous volumes.
This story, Healing Time, begins on the Couer D’ Alene Reservation in Idaho and leads through Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota.
<snip>
View full press release here
********************************************* Newspaper Articles *********************************************
5.) The Forum (Fargo), State may regulate mixed fighting bouts
State may
regulate mixed fighting bouts
<snip>
Seemingly every session, Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, backs a bill to create a state Human Rights Commission, and every session it goes down to defeat.
The Senate on Thursday defeated both a last-ditch effort by Mathern to amend his bill on the floor and then the bill itself.
Republicans said the commission is not needed because the Department of Labor is doing a good job with human rights enforcement.
Mathern's Senate bill had requested a commission be set up as a volunteer advisory body to the state Department of Labor, which investigates human rights violations in the state.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
6.) The Forum (Fargo), Court to decide human rights suit
Court to
decide human rights suit
BISMARCK - The state Supreme Court will decide if hundreds of North Dakotans waiting for the Department of Labor to act on their discrimination complaints can join a class-action lawsuit.
Filed in Cass Count District Court last March, the lawsuit centers around three Fargo residents who filed discrimination complaints with the labor department in 2003 and have since been waiting for the labor commissioner to decide whether or not discrimination occurred.
The purpose of the lawsuit is to get the labor commissioner to do her job and enforce the state's Human Rights Act, according to Mark Schneider, the Fargo attorney representing plaintiffs David Shove, Charles Stebbins and Patricia Villanueva, legal guardian for Lisa Villanueva.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
7.) Jamestown Sun, N.D. Senate endorses new name for Labor Department
N.D. Senate endorses
new name for Labor Department Jamestown Sun – 02/08/2005
North Dakota’s Labor Department would become the Department of Labor and Human Rights under legislation approved by the state Senate.
The change, suggested by Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, acknowledges the fact that discrimination complaints make up a large share of the agency’s workload.
It has a human rights division, which handles complaints about discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations and lending. Changing its name would give the agency ‘‘a more proper identification,’’ said Sen. Duaine Espegard, R-Grand Forks.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
8.) The Forum (Fargo), Dems feel frustration over WSI
Dems feel
frustration over WSI
BISMARCK - After watching House Democrats' workers' compensation bills "go down in flames," Rep. Steve Zaiser, D-Fargo, blasted away at the Republican majority on the House floor Thursday.
Zaiser said he is tired of seeing so many bills introduced this session to benefit injured workers dismissed by committees and defeated on the floor.
The latest to fall was Zaiser's bill directing Workforce Safety and Insurance, the state workers' compensation agency, to study its treatment of retirement-age injured workers. He said he introduced it on behalf of an injured worker and because the patchwork of benefits is inequitable.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
9.) The Forum (Fargo), Marriage license fee bill sponsor gets ration of grief
Marriage license
fee bill sponsor gets ration of grief
<snip>
Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, was elated Wednesday when the Senate Industry, Business and Labor Committee gave a do-pass to his bill that changes the name of the state Department of Labor to Department of Labor and Human Rights.
He told the committee he introduced the bill after state Labor Commissioner Leann Bertsch told him a few weeks ago that enforcing and implementing human rights cases takes up two-thirds of her small department's duties. The department has 10 employees.
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition also wants to see the agency name changed.
The agency will be easier for people with complaints to find the office if the name is changed, Mathern said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Janell Cole at (701) 224-0830
View full article here
*********************************************
10.) Grand Forks Herald, Base donates used base housing to tribes
Base donates used base housing to tribes Grand Forks Herald – 02/16/2005
Grand Forks Air Force Base officials said Tuesday that they plan to donate about $4 million in used housing units to two North Dakota American Indian tribes this summer.
The base plans to donate 20 officer units -- four single-family homes and eight duplexes -- averaging 1,300 square feet to North Dakota's Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold tribes by mid-July, said Chris Powell, base housing manager.
Six additional units will be donated soon, he said.
"With the introduction of new Air Force housing size standards, it became more economical to build new homes instead of performing costly upgrades to existing units," Powell said.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
11.) Valley City Times-Record, The ‘Journey of Hope’
The 'Journey of Hope'
Valley City Times-Record – 02/11/2005
A 2001 Valley City High School graduate, Rob Schneider, is "going the extra mile" for people with disabilities.
In June of 2005, Schneider, a student at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., will be meeting about 60 other Pi Kappa Phi's from universities across the country and embarking on a 63-day "Journey of Hope." Schneider is one of five students from CSU participating in the event.
He is the son of Jeanne Schneider of Valley City and Mike Schneider of Bismarck, and is majoring in accounting with a finance degree at CSU.
"I think it will be an amazing experience (biking across the states), meeting with people with disabilities and with the riders across the country. Hopefully, we'll make a positive impact," Schneider said.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
12.) The Forum (Fargo), Understanding disabilities: Puppets teach Moorhead third-graders
Understanding disabilities: Puppets teach Moorhead third-graders
The Robert Asp Elementary School third-graders watched the show, their eyes wide, absorbing a simple but important lesson.
Kids with disabilities have talents, too.
Twenty-four members of the Moorhead High School Key Club, a volunteer group, this week presented the "Ribbon Magic" puppet show to third-graders in Moorhead public schools, and Park Christian School and St. Joseph Catholic School, both in Moorhead.
The 15-minute show, presented Friday at Robert Asp, sought to help third-graders better understand what it's like to have a disability.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
13.) Grand Forks Herald, Concerts organized to support reservation elders
Concerts
organized to support reservation elders Grand Forks Herald – 02/14/2005
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Four concerts are planned at college campuses in North Dakota over the next week to support American Indian elders.
The concerts are being organized by Peter Klein, an AmeriCorps VISTA worker who has volunteered on the Turtle Mountain reservation over the last year. They aim to raise money for the National Society for the Native American Elderly and for Chippewa elders on the Turtle Mountain reservation.
The national society offers assistance to elders for nutrition and transportation services. The Turtle Mountain program provides delivered meals each day, in-home assistance and transportation to doctor's appointments, dialysis and shopping.
Classical pianists Philip Thomson and Sergio Gallo each will sit at a grand Bosendorfer piano for 45 minutes each, performing music composed by Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Franck, Poulenc and Mozart. The first concert is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, in the Josephine Campbell Auditorium of the UND Hughes Fine Arts Center.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
14.) The Forum (Fargo), Survey examines Indian issues
Survey
examines Indian issues
The survey is being spearheaded by Native American Programs in Fargo, with help from the city, in an effort to enable a better understanding of the needs of local American Indians.
"This will give us a foundation and we'll build on it after that," said James Thomas, coordinator of Native American Programs, 324 7th St. N.
Thomas said the survey will document needs to help the center obtain federal grants to provide health services and other programs.
<snip>
View full
article
here *********************************************
15.) Bismarck Tribune, Group to help Indians get elected
Group to help Indians get elected By Jodi Rave, Lee News Service Bismarck Tribune – 02/10/2005
A former U.S. Justice Department attorney will soon launch the first national group dedicated to putting more American Indians in local, state and national political offices.
"This has been a dream of mine for more than a dozen years," Kaylyn Free said. "I'm walking proof that there's a new day in politics."
The Indigenous Democratic Network -- also known as INDN's List -- will debut officially Feb. 28 in Washington. The grass-roots political group's goal is to finance, recruit and train a new generation of Indian leaders for elected positions.
Its main office is in Tulsa, Okla., and Free plans to open offices, or put liaisons, in states with significant Indian populations, including Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
16.) The Forum (Fargo), Cass commissioners balk at bill
Cass
commissioners balk at bill
A proposal to give complete control of child support enforcement to the state worries Cass County commissioners.
Senate Bill 2301 would transfer the child support enforcement program to the state, but counties would have to pay for the service.
The state currently supervises child support enforcement. The counties, divided into eight regional units, administer the program.
If the bill is approved, the 119 county employees would become state employees. Eight regional units would remain, but how and where they operate would be up to the state.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
17.) Bismarck Tribune, Bill worries some activists
Bill
worries some activists Bismarck Tribune – 02/10/2005
Legislation
that would make abortion the state's most serious felony crime has divided
anti-abortion groups, who worry the legislation could be used against a woman
who has an abortion, along with anyone who performs one.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
18.) Bismarck Tribune, Plan eliminates UTTC funding
Plan eliminates UTTC funding By Tom Rafferty Bismarck Tribune – 02/08/2005
Officials announced Monday that this is the fourth year in a row President Bush's budget has eliminated funding for United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck.
Although Congress has restored funding for the college in each of the past three years, it would be a major blow to the school if the funding doesn't come through this year.
According to David Gipp, president of the college, the school's annual budget is a little more than $7 million, of which about $3.5 million comes from a federal grant through the Department of the Interior.
"It would certainly put the intertribal college in jeopardy," Gipp said.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
19.) Bismarck Tribune, Pay lagging
Pay lagging Bismarck Tribune – 02/05/2005
As North
Dakota moves into an era of new opportunities, something we can all feel excited
about, one industry faces challenges in being able to compete for qualified
staff.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
20.) Grand Forks Herald, Reservation nursing homes should get OK from Legislature
Reservation
nursing homes should get OK from Legislature Grand Forks Herald – 02/07/2005
Instead, new types of elderly care were constructed, specifically assisted living facilities and other reduced-care alternatives. Those have been constructed throughout the state, including small towns.
So while the cap has been considered a success, the bill before this year's Legislature addresses a concern not much considered before: the lack of nursing home beds on South Dakota reservations.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
21.) Bismarck Tribune, Recognize tribal jurisdiction
Recognize
tribal jurisdiction Bismarck Tribune – 02/05/2005
Re. your
Jan. 24 editorial, "Hunting rules for reservations complicated":
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
22.) Minot Daily News, Women sues county
Woman sues county By Jill Schramm, Staff Writer Minot Daily News – 02/01/2005
WASHBURN McLean County officials claim state restrictions prevented them from remodeling an historic courthouse to accommodate a disabled employee, who now is suing.
Donna Nelson, Washburn, filed the lawsuit against the county Jan. 10 under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Nelson's complaint dates prior to recent renovation of the courthouse. Nelson, who has cerebral palsy, has worked as a receptionist in the courthouse more than 25 years. She alleges that the county denied her reasonable accommodation for her disability and violated federal law and the North Dakota Human Rights Act.
The McLean County Courthouse falls under the National Historical Preservation Act, so architectural changes must maintain the historical value of the building, the county stated in court records. The county was unable to comply with Nelson's requests for accommodations because the State Historical Society had vetoed them, according to the county.
The North Dakota Legislature enacted a law change in 2003 to limit the historical society's control, which enabled the county to begin efforts to make the entire courthouse handicapped accessible. The county argues that because the state prevented the county from making courthouse modifications, the county is immune from ADA liability under the 11th Amendment, referring to state immunity.
Nelson first filed an ADA complaint in January 2000.
She stated in court records that she had to navigate several steps, using her crutches, to get to her work station. She was unable to access other floors of the courthouse for training and safety meetings or to perform other functions of her job because of the need to navigate additional stairs.
Failure by the county to make the courthouse accessible has caused her physical condition to deteriorate over the years, Nelson stated. Her complaint alleges she suffers increased physical pain and discomfort and has become more seriously disabled.
Nelson filed a discrimination charge with the North Dakota Department of Labor two years ago. When Nelson decided the matter wasn't reasonably resolved, she asked to dismiss the administrative process to bring suit.
Nelson is seeking economic damages, including medical-related expenses incurred from the alleged discrimination, along with non-economic damages for pain and suffering, inconvenience, permanent impairment and loss of enjoyment of life. The lawsuit seeks at least $50,000.
The county denied discrimination or failure to make efforts to accommodate Nelson. Despite limits due to historic preservation, the county noted that it was able to make her work station and entire first floor of the courthouse more accessible.
Article no longer available online
*********************************************
23.) Bismarck Tribune, Hall seeks quality of life efforts
Hall seeks quality of life efforts By Jodi Rave, Lee Enterprises Bismarck Tribune – 02/04/2005
The leader of the nation's oldest and largest American Indian advocacy group on Thursday appealed for federal help to meet underfunded needs in Indian Country.
"In many ways, tribal governments are exactly like state and municipal governments providing critical services to citizens and helping shape a community's value system," said Tex Hall, president of the National Congress of American Indians.
"Like state governments, we struggle to provide these essential programs -- education to the youth, health programs to the elderly, and to support programs for our veterans."
Delivering the group's third annual State of Indian Nations Address in Washington, Hall called on lawmakers to pass legislation that would improve the quality of life of Indian people.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
24.) Bismarck Tribune, Bill would add post for faith-based groups
Bill
would add post for faith-based groups Bismarck Tribune – 02/04/2005
Gov. John
Hoeven's office should have a coordinator of faith-based initiatives, to help
churches and religious groups land federal and private grants, a group of
lawmakers believe.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
25.) The Forum (Fargo), Fargo senator wants faith-based services office
Fargo
senator wants faith-based services office
BISMARCK -- The national prison recidivism rate is 67 percent, Gary Mudder of the Minnesota Prison Fellowship Ministries told a Senate committee Thursday. But among inmates who go through Prison Fellowship's intensive faith-based re-entry program, the rate is 8 percent.
That is the kind of good work that could go on throughout society if churches and religious groups were allowed and encouraged to operate social programs on behalf of government, said supporters of Senate Bill 2349.
"Government programs are not sufficient to meet the needs of our citizens," said Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, prime sponsor of the bill that would create an office of faith-based initiatives in the governor's office.
Such initiatives could aid with addiction prevention and treatment, social services, aiding jails and prisons, teen pregnancy prevention, housing, services to elderly and disabled and juvenile offenders.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
26.) Grand Forks Herald, Dorreen Yellow Bird Column: At Stake – the survival of a culture
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: At stake -- the survival of a culture Grand Forks Herald – 02/01/2005
Adoption is utterly life-changing for a child. It also upends the ordinary lives of the parents involved. The adoption process is complicated, but when it reaches across cultures, especially the cultures of Indian tribes, it can be a worst-case scenario.
The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act was instrumental in helping tribes hold their children within their communities. Keeping children with their Native families - no matter how humble the home - is keeping who we are alive.
A recent news story shows how adoption's complications can reach across cultures. A non-Native couple in Hendricks, Minn., is in a heartwrenching struggle with the birth mother of a child whom they consider a part of their family. The adoption process wasn't done correctly, and the Native American birth mother is in the process of getting her son back.
The Indian Child Welfare Act is the leverage the birth mother is using to recover her child.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
27.) Grand Forks Herald, Bill seeks to reduce abortion rate
Bills seek
to reduce abortion rate Grand Forks Herald – 01/30/2005
BISMARCK - North Dakota needs to move to reverse a rising abortion rate, a state lawmaker says.
Sen. Aaron Krauter, D-Regent, has sponsored a bill that would establish an alternatives-to-abortion services program in the state's Department of Human Services. The program would provide counseling services for women who are considering getting an abortion, Krauter said. Through television advertisements and a toll-free phone number, counselors would urge women to give birth.
"It's not taking away anybody's rights to make their own decisions, but it's giving them good tools to make those decisions," Krauter said.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
28.) Minot Daily News, N.D. needs to ‘catch up’
N.D. needs to 'catch up' Erica J. Cermak Executive Director, N.D. Senior Service Providers Minot Daily News – 01/30/2005
As we venture into the new millennium, policy makers throughout the United States are finding alternative, creative methods to serve diverse populations of people. North Dakota lawmakers are making every effort to keep up the pace. However, one arena that continues to be underserved throughout the state is the elderly and disabled population. As other states have taken the lead and made efforts to expand services and funding for Home and Community Based Care, North Dakota remains locked into a funding system that renders it difficult, if not impossible to obtain in-home services. Consequently, many of our elderly and disabled citizens find themselves forced to settle for more restrictive living arrangements because funding is not available to support them in their own homes.
The Graying of North Dakota Coalition supports a rebalancing of North Dakota's budgeting system for home- and community-based services and other options for those who need long-term care. Putting more flexibility in the budgeting process will allow services to expand, save money for our state, provide our senior and disabled populations with choices that fit their individual needs, and allow them to remain in their homes as long as possible. We are asking for your support to urge our legislators to "catch-up" with the times, and to help implement positive change for the state of North Dakota.
Article no longer available online
*********************************************
29.) The Forum (Fargo), Forum editorial: WSI reform is in need of reform
Forum
editorial: WSI reform is in need of reform
Reports by The Forum's Patrick Springer on the operation of North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance (workers' comp) continue to document a troubling drift from the agency's original purpose. The employer/employee partnership that was the foundation of the 1919 agreement to help disabled and injured workers has been shredded by a business-dominated board that is accountable only to itself.
Some of the reforms accomplished in the 1990s were necessary. The agency was a mess. It needed to be distanced - but not removed - from government oversight. Sound business and actuarial practices needed to be imposed. Some of the reforms were useful. WSI is financially sound. It no longer is a revolving door for political appointees. Workers' comp assessments for employers have gone way down since 1996.
<snip>
View full article here
*********************************************
|
