[Timothy's Team] Rally Edition

Thu Nov 18 17:33:41 EST 2004

Seeing as how you are the reason this campaign has been so successful, we
wanted to get you the first information about just how much of a success the
rally today was.  About 500 of you came to Albany today to greet Alexandra
Zimmerman as she came to town to finish her walk from Warwick, NY in Orange
County.  We then sent a powerful message as the entire collective moved
across the Empire State Plaza to the Capitol en masse, in a line that
stretched across about three quarters of the quarter-mile Plaza (think about
that for a moment).

While a more detailed description will be forthcoming in the next few days,
due to exhaustion on the part fo those of us in Albany, we are going to
cheat a little on today's rendition.  Attached below is the press release
that was issued by the Timothy's Law Campaign, as well as a couple of
pictures from teh rally itself.  

For those of you who could not make it, but still made a phone call to your
Senator, we thank you too.  This rally was felt on numerous levels, and we
definitely sent a strong message that it is time for, as you shouted walking
across the plaza, "Timothy's Law Now!"

As always, if you would like to respond to this message, to follow up, ask a
question, or for any reason, please do not hit "reply"  Send responses to
bomalley at mhanys.org.

Sincerely,
Bryan O'Malley
PRESS RELEASE

HUNDREDS CALL FOR ENACTMENT OF 

'TIMOTHY'S LAW NOW'

Group gathers in Albany to end discriminatory health insurance policies

Hundreds of people gathered in Albany today to call on the New York State
Senate to pass Timothy's Law, legislation that will end the discrimination
faced by New Yorkers in need of mental health and chemical dependency
treatment.

The rally began at the New York State Museum, where participants were led to
the Capitol by Alexandra Zimmerman, a young woman from Orange County who
walked 122 miles from Warwick, NY in memory of high school classmate Robin
Desrats, who completed suicide while the two were in school together.

Alexandra talks with rally participantsAfter arriving at the East steps of
the New York State Capitol, Alexandra Zimmerman, holding balloons
representing Timothy O'Clair, Robin Desrats, the hope for a livable cure,
and hope for those living with mental illness, began the rally by recounting
her six day journey to Albany.  

Zimmerman said of her journey, "It is due to the spirit and support of Robin
and Timothy that I was able to make this journey, and today we all gather in
their memory, to ensure that nobody else has to endure what they did."  She
continued, "I congratulate all of you here today, as we all have journeyed,
in numerous ways, to continue to spread hope to those living with mental
illness.  As we move forward, keep in mind, I am not special, this is a
movement led by all of us.  You don't need to walk 120 miles to have an
impact, all you need to do is contribute whatever you can."

The rally also introduced Small Businesses for Timothy's Law, a coalition
formed by Susan Wheeler of Binghamton, NY, that will serve as a voice for
small businesses who support mental health parity.  Ms. Wheeler is the owner
and proprietor of the Star Group in Binghamton, which serves as an
employment services agency for those living with disabilities.

In announcing the group, Wheeler responded to arguments posed by those
purporting to represent her and other small businesses in Albany by stating,
"It's not a matter of 'can we afford to?' It's a matter of 'can we afford
not to?'"  

She continued by arguing, "As small businesses, we are more dramatically
effected by mental health issues.  Issues such as lost worker productivity
and absenteeism have a much more dramatic effect on us, because we do not
have a sea of workers to call upon that can pick up the slack.  In a
marketplace geared toward larger corporations, any policy that does not
provide small businesses with parity-based benefits only serves to place us
at a competitive disadvantage."

The emcee for the rally was Thomas O'Clair, father of Timothy O'Clair, in
whose memory Timothy's Law is named.  In his remarks, Mr. O'Clair noted that
it was time for the Senate to pass Timothy's Law, noting that Timothy's Law
is the perfect example of the gridlock that has come to symbolize Albany.  

"For two years, I have been told time and time again why Timothy's Law
cannot be passed.  What I have never been told is what is necessary to pass
it, to end the anguish that so many New Yorkers face because they cannot get
the services they need and deserve.  Timothy's Law is supported by 80% of
New Yorkers and represents the perfect opportunity for all sides to come
together and begin to end the years of legislative gridlock that have
existed in this state."

Paige Macdonald of Families Together of New York State, and Co-chair of the
Timothy's Law Campaign with Tom O'Clair, stated, "This discrimination has
gone on long enough.  It is time for New York to take the next step to
ensure no more families in this state are forced to endure what the O'Clairs
and so many others have already had to face.  It is time to pass Timothy's
Law."

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