Stillwater Courier, MN, USA Friday, October 26, 2007 Legislative Commission to End Poverty holds hearing in Bemidji By Brad Swenson, Forum Communications Company ..half dozen Bemidji residents who live in poverty and testified Thursday night to members of the Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota by 2020, which must have a report to the Legislature by Dec. 15, 2008. They only used their first names, and faced the half-dozen panel members with their backs to the public and press at Northland Apartments hearing. They told similar stories, of living in poverty and facing challenges and barriers. Some were disabled, others with families and finding themselves in low-paying jobs. (Extract) "The more politicians talk about solving poverty, the more people stay on poverty, said Elizabeth, a middle-aged black woman who is blind and spoke from notes in Braille. "I come with skepticism because public officials and prospective employers sit for hours in meetings knowing that every minute they are there is one more day of their security but it's one more day to fulfill their promises made to the poor and disabled," she said. Elizabeth told of barriers faced by the disabled, especially the visually impaired, in housing and jobs. Capable of performing work, many end up referred to work that is nothing more than "day care," she said. "My challenge, and I am here speaking my mind about issues I am familiar with, is knowing you will do nothing," Elizabeth said. "You do not have my confidence. Usually at the end of the road we end up in the same place." The only time the poor and disabled will hear again from the politicians is the next election season, Elizabeth said." Published Friday, October 26, 2007 (Full article at source below) http://www.stillwatercourier.com/articles/index.cfm?id=6057§ion=mnnews,Minnesota%20News&property_id=11 BlindNews Mailing List Subscribe: BlindNews-Request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" as subject Unsubscribe: BlindNews-Request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" as subject Moderator: BlindNews-Moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Archive: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind RSS: http://GeoffAndWen.com/BlindNewsRSS.asp More information about RSS feeds will be published shortly.