January 29th 2016 I attended the Paid Family leave Rally. Now Paid Family leave is a reality for New Yorkers.

Some of you may be wondering if I will be able to use the Paid Family Leave Law to care for Stephen. Sadly the answers is No.

Sadly the Federal FMLA Laws currently on the books exclude siblings. That’s right! Siblings are not considered family under the Family Leave Laws. If I was my brother Stephen’s legal guardian then it might be approved. I cannot afford to hire a Guardianship Lawyer so that’s the end of that story.

Another factor is that new Laws normally need to be negotiated into future Union contracts. The next contract for Union Museum Employees is the year 2020 long after my retirement so it makes no sense for me to put myself through the Human Resources purgatory. For those of you Not familiar with American Human Resources departments within companies whether For Profit or Non Profit, H.R. is only there to protect the company not the employees. “Nuff Said!

However the good we do in this life is most often not for us for but future generations.

Autism Activists Advocates in Action

On September 12, 2017September 12, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn 6% Rally, Albany, Autism Activists Advocates in Action, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, James 2:14-26 New King James Version (NKJV) Faith Without Works Is Dead, Stephen, Stephen as a Mighty Autism Warrior!!!, Stephen as Autism Warrior!!, Stephen Vincent Palmer, Uncategorized, Vice President Joe Biden10 Comments

Autism Activists Advocates in Action

March 2013

Here you can see Stephen and I in Albany, New York back in March 2013. Albany is the New York State capital. Seat of New York State Government! Heads of agencies, clients/consumers and their families made the bus ride up to Albany on a very rainy day!

That day we made a stand. Every time a legislator/representative would come out our representative made our presence know. No we did not get to meet with Gov. Cuomo that day but there is strength in numbers. We could not be ignored!!

The Young Man in the red coat read a heart rending letter he had written pleading with the legislators not to cut the budget. He said he wanted to be useful. He wanted to work. He did not want to sit in front of a TV all day! The lady in blue was so taken with his letter she made copies and to it back to the other legislators in Albany.

Stephen advocating in Albany, New York March 2013

Super Siblings! Power Autism Activist Advocates in Albany ~~ March 2013

Protesting, Marching and Demonstrating March 2013 in front of Governor Cuomo’s New York City office!! 1500 Strong! We are the 6%!

Me at the Paid Family Leave Rally January 2016!! I carried a photo of Stephen in my pocket to give me strength. I was personally invited to attend the rally by the Governor’s Office. Speakers included Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Vice President Joe Biden both lost relatives to cancer in 2015. Gov. Cuomo read the New York Times article about Stephen and me.

Result: New York State will have Paid Family Leave starting Jan. 2018!! Apathy does nothing. We must engage with our government.

Action gets results! Faith Without Works is dead!

James 2:14-26

New King James Version (NKJV)

Faith Without Works Is Dead

¹⁴What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my^[b]works. ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?^[c] ²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? ²²Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^[d] And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

²⁵Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

More Calls for Stephen ~~ Start a Conversation

On July 31, 2017July 31, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn Uncategorized

More Calls for Stephen

Start a Conversation and Get Involved!!

Get Involved!! Apathy gets you no where!!

More Calls! ♡ More emails!

Write to or call Governor Andrew Cuomo office:

Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building

Albany, NY , 12224

(518) 474-8390

Start a conversation. Get Involved! Make known and Voice your concerns over budget cuts, layoffs and the elimination of programs and services for our most vulnerable populations, those with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities.

Call Kathleen Hochul, Lieutenant Governor of New York to voice your concerns regarding cutbacks in funding to programs that help Autism/Developmentally Disabled Adults in New York. I am very concerned for the health and welfare of my brother Stephen who has Autism.

Start a Conversation. Get Involved! Help me restore the programs and services that were cut from my brother Stephen’s Group Home Residence and Day Treatment Program. Stand up for New York State Citizens with Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities!! Fight for the Rights of people with Autism!

https://kathyhochul.com/

SHARE YOUR WORLD – 2016 WEEK 14

On April 4, 2016 By dancingpalmtreesIn DeBorah, DeBorah Ann Palmer, FMLA, FMLA Inclusion Act, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Gov. Mario Cuomo, Paid FMLA Family Leave, SHARE YOUR WORLD – 2016 WEEK 14, Sylvester, Sylvester Enjoys Palm Sunday, Uncategorized7 Comments

http://ceenphotography.com/2016/04/04/share-your-world-2016-week-14/#like-16407

SHARE YOUR WORLD – 2016 WEEK 14

With your answers, please remember we are in the SYW world and which may not always match our reality.

What makes you laugh the most?

Madea. My cat Sylvester. Human behavior in general.

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If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work?

Doing the laundry, cleaning and cooking. I leave the yard work to my room-mate.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

Fried Chicken! Also chocolate. Still love chocolate. I consider Dark Chocolate one of the Major Food Groups that gives us Happiness! LOL!!

List at least five favorite flowers or plants.

Roses
Tulips
Daisy
Lilies
Daffodils
Climbing Ivy
Evergreen bushes

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Celebrated my Japanese girlfriend’s birthday by going to the Buddhist Temple with her. All she wanted was for us to be together on her special day. Happy for her. She was smiling. God is present everywhere whether it be a Christian Church or a Buddhist Temple.

Got good news from my lawyer on a personal matter which will be resolved in the beginning of May while I’m on vacation! Yesss!!

Grateful for the passage of Paid Family Leave for citizens of New York State. The Law goes into effect Jan. 2018. A little late for me and Stephen since I plan to retire spring 2018 but I’m happy for all New Yorkers who will benefit from this wonderful Law!! Hooray!! Thank you Gov. Andrew Cuomo!!

http://www.abetterbalance.org/web/component/content/article/49-familyleave/368-nypfloverview?can_id=6f708cddeee20a09fb78254c6be945fe&source=email-paid-family-leave-is-coming-to-new-york&email_referrer=paid-family-leave-is-coming-to-new-york&email_subject=paid-family-leave-is-coming-to-new-york&link_id=4

Looking forward to next weekend!

Paid Family Leave Coming to New York

On April 2, 2016 By dancingpalmtreesIn A Better Balance, Autism, FMLA, FMLA Inclusion Act, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Gov. Mario Cuomo, Paid FMLA Family Leave, Uncategorized2 Comments

Victory for New Yorkers!!

Paid Family Leave will become law January 2018. This is wonderful news for all New Yorkers! As many of my long-time Followers/Subscribers well know I’ve been fighting to receive FMLA so that I may care for my brother Stephen who has Autism. Please see and read the New York Times Article. Also click on the Search category FMLA or Family Leave to see and read my previous blog posts on this subject.

The New York Times did an article on my brother Stephen and me. Please take time to read this eye opening article of our lives. Thank you.
http://nyti.ms/1BktTeP

Here is a synopsis from the Action Network.

The NYS Senate just voted to pass the strongest paid family leave bill in the country and we expect the Assembly to do the same this afternoon.

The passage of 12 weeks of paid family leave is a momentous victory for New York’s families. New York now leads the nation in ensuring that working families have access to this essential and long-overdue benefit.

New York’s families will now have access to 12 weeks of job protected paid family leavecovering all private sector workers, at a 2/3rds weekly wage benefit level. In addition, public sector unions will be able to opt their members into this program.

I’m sure many of you are wondering how does this affect Stephen and me. Well to be truthful since it becomes a Law in Jan. 2018 not a whole lot because I will be retiring spring 2018. No more begging and pleading for time scraps and leftovers. My time as a step-child from a Charles Dickens novel will officially be over. I will no longer have to choose between keeping my job and caring for my brother Stephen. Hallelujah!!

However with that being said, as an Activist particularly in my case as an Elder Activist and Autism Advocate the battle is not just for Stephen and myself but for future generations. My time in the wicked workforce is gradually coming to an end. I’m really looking forward to retirement and getting back control of my life as opposed to now where my employer has the control. Anyway the point is when we fight to change laws or get new laws enacted it may not have the impact in our lives that we wish but we do it to alleviate the suffering of other families and our community.

I remember a long time ago when I was much younger my Aunt Helen Garcia recounting the racism, bigotry and prejudice she encountered trying to get a job in New York. Yes New York! In the 1940s New York was only a few steps ahead of the South in terms its treatment of Black Americans. My Aunt Helen cried because my generation, the Baby Boomers was the first generation to benefit from the Civil Rights Movement. As I recall the stories of Jim Crow Dayton, Ohio from my mother, grandmother and Aunts I absorbed those stories and realized the opportunities available to me that their generation never had.

Now as I make a rapid approach to my 60th year on this earth I’m still out here as a walking wounded warrior but I’m holding out the baton to the next generations.

Millenials are you ready to carry the torch?

I stand on the shoulder of one of the Mothers of the Civil Rights Movement Fannie Lou Hamer.

https://dancingpalmtrees.com/2016/01/16/fannie-lou-hamer/

Millenials are you ready to pick up your swords. Have you put on the Full Armor of God in the fight for Disability Rights? Autism Rights? Caregiver Rights? Human Rights?

Along with your human genius you have the genius of technology. Young People please use those innovations for more than just selfies and sexting. There is a war going on. We need all hands on deck. Like our grandparents and parents before us one day I will pass from time into eternity. As one Watchman goes to receive their heavenly reward another must take up their post. To paraphrase the prophet Nehemiah, “I’m doing a Great Work for God and cannot come down from the wall.” Nehemiah 6

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206:10-18

Ephesians 6:10-18 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,^[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—