County Commissioner proposes hearing test before interpreter hired
I have to admit, I am fairly shocked to find that this is an actual news story in my area. Charles Martin, Chairman of the Bucks County Pennsylvania Board of Commissioners was apparently taken aback by the huge amount of money spent on interpreters for people who don't speak English or cannot hear in the county courtrooms. He suggested that maybe our state representative could introduce legislation that allowing the county court to test peoples' ability to speak English or hear. At a recent meeting, he asked this of the board: "If they say they're deaf, we don't drop a book next to them and see if they jump?" Seriously, ignorance at a level so extreme is sickening. Having people like this in government in simply inexcusable when 10% of our citizens are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing.