All I intended to say in my introduction was something like: Hi, my name is Ramona Harvey, I am from Evansville, and I used to serve on this council as Secretary. I have been involved in Independent Living all of my life, and have a great deal of personal and professional experience in this area. I am hoping to see things improve in Indiana.
Download Lyrics to The Answer They're Not Gonna Send written June 8, 2007
Empowerment Hell Read by Author Ramona Harvey I’ve got no money And I cannot walk And when I go to ICOIL I can’t even talk This is my story, I want to tell About my journey Through empowerment hell When it all started, I thought it’d be good Governor appointed I’d do all I could They had no by-laws And they were a waste of my time They wanted minutes That would cover their crime But I didn’t know that When I started last May Because I believed All the lies they would say I didn’t have much money And I never could walk, But in the beginning They allowed me to talk They gave me a title And they said I’d do well Then I started my journey Through empowerment hell With no discussion They forced bylaws through The ADA was violated, Because they wanted to And I had to write the minutes So what else could I do? But listen to the tapes And write down what was true The Report of Findings said that we’d done bad And I did not want the liability I had But I know too many people, who are important to me Who are lost in this system without a voice to get free So I signed their bylaws And I continued to write Bringing the issues Honestly to light And I called to the people To make their voice heard And if it was said for the record I wrote every word I have no money And I cannot walk But when Jodi James was chair The people could talk But there is too much corruption And too much fraud And too many people Valuing money, not God So when we went to DC, Jodi and I We meet with Tom Kelley and talked eye to eye We didn’t know if he’d listen, but we had to try Because in our backwards state – too many die We had no money And we could not walk But we were officers of ICOIL Ready to talk Because the people do matter And we were both fair ICOIL lynched us While we weren’t even there They made accusations, That they could not prove And so going to the Governor Was our next move But in Indiana The state does not care And the Feds are just wanting To pretend it’s not there We met with Mitch’s staff For nine hours - it took us two days We outlined the corruption In so many ways And when it was all over I gladly gave my word we would work with them If the people could be heard And Jon Vanator, He agreed that it was bad And he wished I had not been treated The way that I had I thought the governor cared And would step up to the plate Demanding an end To the slander, corruption, and hate When that did not happen Things only got worse In December the council members Lined their own purse This is just part of the story I just had to tell About the truth, and my journey Through empowerment hell I am part of the public And I never could walk But now when I go to ICOIL I cannot even talk By Ramona Harvey March 16, 2007 This poem documents actual events - For more information go toIndiana SILC (ICOIL) Resources and Directories on onecandream. Poetry, Prose, and Thoughts Table of Contents.
I’ve got no money And I cannot walk And when I go to ICOIL I can’t even talk
This is my story, I want to tell About my journey Through empowerment hell
When it all started, I thought it’d be good Governor appointed I’d do all I could
They had no by-laws And they were a waste of my time They wanted minutes That would cover their crime
But I didn’t know that When I started last May Because I believed All the lies they would say
I didn’t have much money And I never could walk, But in the beginning They allowed me to talk
They gave me a title And they said I’d do well Then I started my journey Through empowerment hell
With no discussion They forced bylaws through The ADA was violated, Because they wanted to
And I had to write the minutes So what else could I do? But listen to the tapes And write down what was true
The Report of Findings said that we’d done bad And I did not want the liability I had But I know too many people, who are important to me Who are lost in this system without a voice to get free
So I signed their bylaws And I continued to write Bringing the issues Honestly to light
And I called to the people To make their voice heard And if it was said for the record I wrote every word
I have no money And I cannot walk But when Jodi James was chair The people could talk
But there is too much corruption And too much fraud And too many people Valuing money, not God
So when we went to DC, Jodi and I We meet with Tom Kelley and talked eye to eye We didn’t know if he’d listen, but we had to try Because in our backwards state – too many die
We had no money And we could not walk But we were officers of ICOIL Ready to talk
Because the people do matter And we were both fair ICOIL lynched us While we weren’t even there
They made accusations, That they could not prove And so going to the Governor Was our next move
But in Indiana The state does not care And the Feds are just wanting To pretend it’s not there
We met with Mitch’s staff For nine hours - it took us two days We outlined the corruption In so many ways
And when it was all over I gladly gave my word we would work with them If the people could be heard
And Jon Vanator, He agreed that it was bad And he wished I had not been treated The way that I had
I thought the governor cared And would step up to the plate Demanding an end To the slander, corruption, and hate
When that did not happen Things only got worse In December the council members Lined their own purse
This is just part of the story I just had to tell About the truth, and my journey Through empowerment hell
I am part of the public And I never could walk But now when I go to ICOIL I cannot even talk
By Ramona Harvey March 16, 2007
This poem documents actual events - For more information go toIndiana SILC (ICOIL) Resources and Directories on onecandream.
Poetry, Prose, and Thoughts Table of Contents.