When it comes to the war on the poor in Sand Land, I have little faith that the cruelty toward the less fortunate evidenced by our ruling Republican junta ever will be avenged.
Stephen Lemons
Kini Seawright, in Peggy Plews' apartment with a photo of her late son, Dana.
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Governor Jan Brewer, state Senate President Russell Pearce, their puppet-maestro, Chuck Coughlin of HighGround Public Affairs, and all the rest of that ilk have furthered their political careers, in part, by denying the unemployed a federal extension of their benefits and by whacking 110,000 childless single adults off the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program, regardless of need.
That's 110,000 for 2012. Ultimately, the number will be more than twice that.
On the AHCCCS tip, this crowd claims the cuts have helped balance the budget. Which is a sad joke. Through gimmickry and tricks, they've rolled over the debt 'til next year, when they'll have to deal with it all over again.
Only the pending November 8 recall of Pearce, a man who has spent his entire career in the government's employ despite his hatred of same, offers promise of payback.
Meanwhile, the poor and the middle class suffer and the state's unemployment rate inches higher. Even if Pearce falls, his legacy and the work of his allies will have done their damage.
One of those harmed by the Brewer/Pearce/Coughlin cuts is Kini Marie Seawright.
Seawright, 45, suffers from diabetes and spinal stenosis/degenerative disc disease. She is in constant pain and has difficulty sleeping at night. Some days, she can get out of the house, but most of the time, she is confined to it. Often simply being on her feet is too much for her.
Until last year, Seawright was gainfully employed, working at Alcoa, and making about $16 per hour. But her world went into a tailspin when her only son, Dana, was brutally beaten down in prison, the result of a hit put on him by the West Side Crips, one of the gangs that effectively control Arizona's penal institutions.
As you might expect, Seawright was engulfed by horror and depression. Visions of her child, whom she last saw on his deathbed at Saint Joseph's Hospital, haunted her. Her work and her health suffered, and she ended up losing her job as a result.
She had an apartment in Chandler with a little long-haired Chihuahua named Joe as her only dependent. Initially, she was able to pull unemployment and was covered by AHCCCS. After paying her bills, she was broke but able to survive, barely.
In May, the Arizona Department of Economic Security cut off her AHCCCS. The reason? She made too much on unemployment to qualify. You know, on $240 per week.
Not long after, the DES informed her that her unemployment was about to run out. That's when I first heard of her situation through prisoner-rights advocate Peggy Plews. She knew Seawright because of a federal lawsuit Seawright's attorney brought against Arizona for negligence in her son's murder.
The attorney is keeping the lawsuit alive pro bono, BTW.
It seemed odd to me that Seawright's unemployment would run out so soon. So I called the DES' spokesman, Steve Meissner. He said he could not comment on Seawright's case but told me he would alert the appropriate person as to her situation.
By this time, Seawright had fallen behind on her rent. Her landlord had been as obliging as possible, but she had to move.
Though Plews is on disability herself and runs her Arizona Prison Watch blog on PayPal donations out of her tiny apartment in Phoenix, she took in Seawright and her pup and began paying for Seawright's medicine, which costs about $250 a month.
To do this, Plews took out loans. Her friends helped out, passing the hat at get-togethers.
After my call, the DES contacted Seawright, telling her the unemployment checks would continue after a brief pause. She eventually received a letter telling her she had $4,044 remaining in unemployment compensation.
That was in early July. When Plews and Seawright informed me of the letter, I figured I'd done my Boy Scout good deed for the year.
I was deeply mistaken. On August 5, the DES sent Seawright a letter informing her that she was not eligible for unemployment insurance.
Get this: because she's disabled. That's right — her doctor will not certify her for work. And since she cannot work or even look for a job, she can't get unemployment.
Meanwhile, Seawright appealed the AHCCCS decision. But the DES told her no dice. Though she'd been without unemployment, she didn't qualify under the new law, passed by the state Legislature and signed by Governor Brewer, axing benefits to adults with no dependents.
I called Meissner back about the Kafka-esque Catch 22 Seawright found herself in. He told me what I already knew: The DES doesn't make the rules; it just applies them.
What about the letter saying Seawright had four grand coming to her? Barred from commenting directly, Meissner could only speculate.
"Sometimes we think something is appropriate, and upon further review by someone else, it's found that it's not," he offered.
Seawright is a proud woman, and she does not want to rely on the charity of Plews or others. Her anxiety level grows higher with each passing day.
