DEMOCRATS OF NORTH ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
for consideration by the
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC COUNCIL
regarding

REFUNDS OF DISABILITY MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION DUES

WHEREAS Unemployment for people with disabilities ranges from 75% to 85%
and people with disabilities oftentimes have to surrender a good portion
of their scarcely available funds to pay for memberships to organizations 
so to participate in an organized effort to bring improvement upon 
themselves; and

WHEREAS Complaints of organized disability charities and clubs failing to
meet the basic organizational activities continue to be heard from all 
over the State of California.  Complaints like; (1) Communications from 
the disability organizations to their membership oftentimes is limited to 
membership renewal requests; (2) Representation is oftentimes limited to 
people who can afford the expenses associated with providing input, thus 
leaving the majority of the membership defranchised; (3) Opposition members 
are oftentimes 'blacklisted' and discouraged from further participating in 
the decision making process within the organization through a number of 
mechanisms while continuing to pay their dues; (4) Far too many disability
organizations in California are staffed and controlled almost entirely by 
nondisabled people; (5) Many disability-service organizations in California
are automatically doing business with nondisabled professionals instead of 
giving preferred status to disabled-owned businesses; (6) A number of 
California disability organizations have become a part of a haphazard yet 
powerful network of both for-profit businesses and non-profit agencies which 
simply cash in on the "special needs" of people with disabilities instead 
providing real support and advocacy; (7) Some California disability 
organizations would employ manipulative techniques to hold their members 
"captive" and decide what is best for them and how best to provide it to
them; and

WHEREAS given the light of the poor inclusion of their dues paying membership
to a number of activities and decision making process by some disability
organizations, it is time that a mechanism is developed to ensure that
each and every dues paying member of a disability organization is given 
the opportunity to participate in all facets of the organization they are
supporting. And the best means of encouragement possible is through the 
organization's coffers and members who were excluded from participation in
organizational activities should be entitled to have his/her dues returned 
or be credited extension of membership at the choice of the members 
affected; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC COUNCIL affirm's
its belief in full inclusion of the membership in each and every activity
sponsored any California disability organization.  From local meetings to
elections to statewide conventions, each dues paying member should be given 
the opportunity to participate.

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC COUNCIL
lobby the state legislature for legislation to encourage improved membership
participation by membership disability organizations by making them refund
up to 5 years dues paid by a member or credit extensions of membership 
for up to 5 years to any member who demonstrates he/she was never
given the opportunity to participate in any activity sponsored by the
membership organization during his/her membership.

The above resolution was proposed by Richard Roehm, Disability Chair, DNOC

Endorsed by DNOC 5-20-99
Tabled by UDC 5-23-99