Topic: Feds try to eliminate housing for the deaf--at complex built for hearing-impair

[oldcoastie6468]

Feds try to eliminate housing for the deaf -- at complex built for hearing-impaired
By William La Jeunesse, Jennifer GirdonPublished October 21, 2013FoxNews.comFacebook5249 Twitter541 LinkedIn5

Arizona is defying a federal order to eliminate apartments for deaf seniors at a housing complex built specifically -- for the deaf.

"I think it's about the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who attempted to negotiate the impasse. "There are a lot of stories of out-of-control regulators, but this just seems to be going to the extreme."

A 2005 federal study found that the U.S. had virtually no affordable housing for the deaf. So the federal government helped build Apache ASL Trails, a 75-unit apartment building in Tempe, Ariz., designed specifically for the deaf. Ninety-percent of the units are currently occupied by deaf and deaf-blind seniors.

But now, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development says Apache ASL Trails violates civil rights law -- because it shows a preference for the hearing-impaired.

"A preference or priority based on a particular diagnosis or disability and excluding others with different disabilities is explicitly prohibited by HUD's Section 504 regulations," says a HUD memo about the project. "There is no legal authority contained in any of Apache Trails funding to permit such a priority or preference."

HUD is threatening to pull all federal housing aid to Arizona unless it limits the number of hearing-impaired residents to 18 people. The agency would not forcibly remove current residents, but wants many of their units to be blocked off to deaf residents in the future once they leave.

However, when HUD approved and helped fund the project in 2008, it did so knowing that the property was specifically "designed for seniors who are deaf, hard of hearing and deaf blind."

"It's impossible to walk into this building and not see that real people were hurt and continue to be hurt," said Mary Vargas, an attorney for the residents.

The National Association for the Deaf has also stepped in, calling HUD's actions "atrocious" and "a tragic irony."

"HUD is forcing deaf and hard of hearing residents to live in isolation and firetraps," said the Association's CEO Howard Rosenblum in a letter to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "There is no statute or regulation that mandates any 25 percent quota."

State housing director Michael Trailor refuses to comply with the federal orders.

"Quite frankly, the attorneys I dealt with at HUD I would characterize as ignorant and arrogant and much worse, they are powerful," Trailor told Fox News. "And if they worked for me, I would have fired them a long time ago."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/21/feds-try-to-eliminate-housing-for-deaf-at-complex-built-for-hearing-impaired/?intcmp=latestnews

[RickZ]

"Quite frankly, the attorneys I dealt with at HUD I would characterize as ignorant and arrogant and much worse, they are powerful," Trailor told Fox News. "And if they worked for me, I would have fired them a long time ago."

That statement applies to the whole fukcing government, city, county, state, and Federal.

[warpmine]

"Quite frankly, the attorneys I dealt with at HUD I would characterize as ignorant and arrogant and much worse, they are powerful," Trailor told Fox News. "And if they worked for me, I would have fired them a long time ago."

That statement applies to the whole fukcing government, city, county, state, and Federal.

Yes, what Rick said.

If it were Bush or any other Republicrat in the White House, you can bet there would be hell to pay by the fukcing DemonRats

[Glock32]

Feds try to eliminate housing for the deaf -- at complex built for hearing-impaired
By William La Jeunesse, Jennifer GirdonPublished October 21, 2013FoxNews.comFacebook5249 Twitter541 LinkedIn5

Arizona is defying a federal order to eliminate apartments for deaf seniors at a housing complex built specifically -- for the deaf.
.
.
.
HUD is threatening to pull all federal housing aid to Arizona unless it limits the number of hearing-impaired residents to 18 people. The agency would not forcibly remove current residents, but wants many of their units to be blocked off to deaf residents in the future once they leave.

And right here is the damn problem.

Every state and local government entity is now thoroughly dependent on federal grants, so the degree of independence that was once inherent in our federalist system has become mostly meaningless. They'll do whatever Washington demands because they won't dare risk getting cut off from the DC gravy train. Dependency, it ain't just for individual citizens is it?

We talk about what it's going to take to remedy things in this country, but absolutely nothing will be remedied until people start denying themselves things out of principle. Just stop taking federal grants. I'm sure your 10 man police department will survive without a MRAP. A mindset of "gotta get mine" has been cultivated. You can see the reaction when occasionally an elected official will try to do the right thing, such as Mark Sanford in SC not taking the federal stimulus grant for teachers, or Scott in FL not taking the high speed rail grant. They were excoriated even from their own ranks, because "if we don't take the money it will go to someone else!" Then you start hearing all the arguments about how it is so necessary for job creation, even by people who should absolutely know better than to think that's the dynamic that creates jobs.

This is all just the Washington Mafia making proverbial offers that can't be refused.

[LadyVirginia]

"Quite frankly, the attorneys I dealt with at HUD I would characterize as ignorant and arrogant and much worse, they are powerful," Trailor told Fox News. "And if they worked for me, I would have fired them a long time ago."

That statement applies to the whole fukcing government, city, county, state, and Federal.

Yes, what Rick said.

^^^that

[Pandora]

No.  Different rules, see?  Take the money, do what you damn well please with it.  What are they gonna do, take ya to court?

[warpmine]

No.  Different rules, see?  Take the money, do what you damn well please with it.  What are they gonna do, take ya to court?

That would work except in this case AZ is governed by a pushover, Jan Brewer.

[Glock32]

No.  Different rules, see?  Take the money, do what you damn well please with it.  What are they gonna do, take ya to court?

That would work except in this case AZ is governed by a pushover, Jan Brewer.

Yeah, talk about somebody else that they "got to"...wonder what they threatened her with?

[warpmine]

No.  Different rules, see?  Take the money, do what you damn well please with it.  What are they gonna do, take ya to court?

That would work except in this case AZ is governed by a pushover, Jan Brewer.

Yeah, talk about somebody else that they "got to"...wonder what they threatened her with?

Cigarette shortage?