To: s-acc@yahoogroups.com
From: "Andrew Phelps" <starfish@northcoast.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 12:32:45 -0700
Subject: Re: [s-acc] trust and trauma
Aaa:
What I'm addressing is building the discipline necessary for getting the system to "behave." The Black Panthers won some of their confrontations with the police because they had
better discipline. I remember the last time I taught at Laney College in Oakland (2003), there was a class being taught jointly by a former leader of the Black Panther Party and the former Mayor of Oakland, who got elected because the Panthers broke open the in-group that previously ran the City. Bobby Seale didn't get elected but he changed the dynamic of power there.In Sonoma County, Corinne Camp and Theresa Rosario were able after a TERRIBLE two year fight to get the system to "blink. "At that moment, the County M.H. Director resigned and so did the Chair of the M.H. Advisory Board. That's discipline.
Here on S-ACC we hope to do some of the work to help create pockets of discipline in our movement.
Aaa wrote:
Call this trauma and trauma. Our MHB recently asked for a list of the steering committee, those who will write how to spend all that money, as at meetings we were put off. We got the list and our Director told us due to the nature of the PEI process, it was a list of experts bit there were no special interests. As I look at the list I see the MH Dir., the MHSA manager from Admin. As well as 2 other division higher staff members.
..
So it goes in one of the most controlled counties in CA.
All of this complaint is
reality as it happens every day in "MHSA land." "Most controlled counties" is the only point I think needs elaboration. Every county is much over-controlled; it's just a matter of "style" how they do it. Sonoma Co. (where I've done work) is notorious for an arrogance of dominance shown up front.At one point after most of that two years, Corinne got some members of the MHAB
finally to come to talk with her. The item (gang-rape of the clients in the local psychiatric lockup in Santa Rosa) got put on the agenda. When it came up, the Chair .. moved it back on the agenda. Again. Finally at the end of the meeting he moved to close the meeting. 1/2 the Board stood up and pointed at him and cried, "fascist!" After that, it got in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, and the lid blew off.All we did Monday was get the system to "blink." That's what puts "behave!" on the agenda.
Andrew