FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN
/Who's the Boss? /
Editorial List
I don’t know if you
would consider this heaven or that other place, but I spent
the past two days surrounded by hundreds of politicians at
all levels of state government. There were mayors,
commissioners, people running for judge (and probably from
judges), the governor, representatives, senators and I could
swear a dogcatcher or two thrown into the mix. On second
thought forget my opening statement, I think I know what
your answer would be.
The occasion was the
annual pilgrimage north of interested citizenry called
“Broward County Days,” not to be outdone by “Dade County
Days” and “Orange County Days". These events are well
organized two day blitzes though the halls of state
government by interested county residents. Many of us were
there to hopefully make some small impact on important
legislation. I had the good fortune to spend some time with
State Representative Susan K. Goldstein, one of the Bubel/Aiken
foundations Florida Voices for Change award winners, which
will be presented the evening of April 16th, the
date of our
Fort Lauderdale Fearless Caregiver Conference.
Representative Goldstein is a true citizen politician,
driven to run due to her long commitment to developmental
disability issues.
But first and foremost, she is a mother to a child living
with Autism and as such has spent long hours on the
telephone doing battle with those who will stand in the way
of her caring for her loved one. I’m sure this is
something with which we can all relate. She said that
she had long ago come up with a phrase which has gotten her
more accomplished than any other she had tried to date.
When she would be stonewalled by the faceless person on the
other end of the phone, blocking the way of her receiving
the best care for her daughter, she would say, “Who is your
boss?” And when that person would stonewall her, she
would say (you got it) “Who is your boss?” There was always
someone higher up the ladder that could do more for her than
the person she was speaking with that time. She is
proud to be a squeaky wheel.
Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com
