[Blindtlk] Fwd: [Nfbv-announce] Retirement of Dr. Maurer

Mon Dec 2 18:30:51 UTC 2013

Perhaps I should clarify.  Of course, it should go without saying that Dr. Maurer has the right to support whom ever he pleases and to openly recommend that the membership support that person.  I did not, however, attempt to indicate that no one else should run.  True, Mr. Ricobono would be quite a formidable candidate and quite difficult, if not impossible to defeat in the election.  Who ever might choose to run against him had better be a well accomplished federationist.  Now, strictly in terms of the proper parliamentary procedures, competition is not strictly required.  I do think, however, that it will not do to wait until the election itself to determine if anybody has the guts to try to run against Mark.  The public pressure of announcing one’s effort at competition for the presidency only at the time of the actual point where the chairman must ask “Are there any nominations from the floor?” affords the convention no time at all to duly consider the individuals in question and make a truly and properly reflective decision on such a serious matter.  The election for the NFB president is a damn serious and very profound decision which the members should not make in haste.

	Now, it should also go without saying that curt icy to a soon to be past president should suggest that his recommendation should be given due and serious consideration.  To do anything else would be insulting.  But, this is not a desition that the convention should be forced to make in a mere formality looking election that feels more like a hand off.  I can tell you this.  I’m not contemplating putting my own name on offer.

Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind built-in!

Sincerely,
The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5 user!

On Dec 2, 2013, at 11:58 AM, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com> wrote:

> Ray,
> 
> Perhaps I did misunderstand, I'm not certain.  If you mean that Dr. Maurer should state his preferences but 
> someone else should run, then my previous statements are incorrect.  In general, though, Dr. Maurer probably has 
> enough influence and support that someone having his support would likely be very hard to beat at this point.  For 
> that reason, I felt that the only way to get the sort of election you envision would be for him to not express a 
> preference.  I'm going to try to write something more on this, though, because I think there are aspects to all of 
> this that do not get considered.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Steve Jacobson
> 
> On Sun, 1 Dec 2013 21:30:52 -0600, Ray Foret Jr wrote:
> 
>> Steve, I fear that perhaps you missunderstood.  Of course, Dr. Maurer has the right to support he or she whom he 
> pleases and to publically ask the membership to support that person.  Im just questionning whether an election 
> that looks too much like a mere hand off is necessarily the best way to go.
> 
> 
>> Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind built-in!
> 
>> Sincerely,
>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5 user!
> 
>> On Dec 1, 2013, at 8:36 PM, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com> wrote:
> 
>>> Ray,
>>> 
>>> What you are really saying, though, if you think about it, is that President Maurer should not state who he 
> thinks should follow him.  What purpose does 
>>> that really serve?  The only way this will work has a "Hand-off" as you put it is if President Maurer has 
> enough support and trust to have his 
>>> recommendation followed.  Therefore, the process is important because if he were to not have the support and 
> trust of the membership, there is a means 
>>> to elect someone else.  To me, that is far more than a technicality.
>>> 
>>> Best regards,
>>> 
>>> Steve Jacobson
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Ray Foret Jr" <rforet7706 at comcast.net>
>>>> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2013 5:17 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Fwd: [Nfbv-announce] Retirement of Dr. Maurer
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Paul, You seem, with respect, to be implying that one must choose between 
>>>> lack of transparency and a good program for the blind or else full 
>>>> transparency and a bad program for the blind.  I do not agree.  Here is what 
>>>> I think will go down.  Maurer will support Riccobono and then, when it comes 
>>>> convention time, and time to elect the next president, Riccobono will be 
>>>> chosen by acclamation without any competition.  Now, if one were to take 
>>>> this process strictly in parliamentary terms, it would be impossible to 
>>>> quarrel with its legitimacy.  My concern, to speak frankly, is this.  That 
>>>> looks too much like a mere hand off instead of a legitimate election. 
>>>> Smooth?  Yes.  Efficient?  Youd better believe it.  Morally right?  Well, 
>>>> thats where I have a slight problem.  Im not saying that this way of doing 
>>>> it is completely wrong:  however, when you have a process that looks too 
>>>> much like youre just handing it off, you might as well not even bother with 
>>>> the formality of election.  Just might as well go ahead and crown Riccobono 
>>>> king of the movement.  I just do not feel terribly comfortable with the way 
>>>> things look like theyre going to happen.  Call me a traitor to the movement 
>>>> if you will:  but,  Taint no skin off my nose.  Look, this procedure just 
>>>> dont set to well with me.
>>> 
>>>> I aint sayin that President Mauer cant support whom he pleases, and I aint 
>>>> sayin he can not publically say whom he supports nor that he cant urge the 
>>>> members to back his choice:  But, to just do a hand off and have the 
>>>> election as a mere formality really bugs me.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind 
>>>> built-in!
>>> 
>>>> Sincerely,
>>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5 user!
>>> 
>>>> On Dec 1, 2013, at 5:01 PM, Paul Wick <wickps at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>>> Ray that's how things have always been in the Federation In the world
>>>>> of the organized blind there is an organization that while it lacks
>>>>> transparency has a strong program, while another has democratic forms,
>>>>> but is kind of an empty suit when it comes to the programming
>>>>> department; I would rather be part of the former than the latter. I
>>>>> wish President-designate Riccobono well, and may he reach out to all
>>>>> the unaffiliated blind people rather than just preaching to the choir.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Best,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Paul
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 12/1/13, Ray Foret Jr <rforet7706 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>>> I should like to pint out that there seems to be an assumption upon the 
>>>>>> part
>>>>>> of the top NFB leadership that Mark
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Riccobono will sort of just be given the presency of the federation. 
>>>>>>> That
>>>>>>> strikes me as not being the proper democratic way to do things.  To 
>>>>>>> assume
>>>>>>> that just because Doctor Maurer personally supports Mark
>>>>>>> Riccobono for president he will just sort of be handed the presidency by
>>>>>>> Dr. Maurer and the election of Mark
>>>>>>> Riccobono a mere formality strikes me as being very improper.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Sent from my Mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind
>>>>>> built-in!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>>> The Constantly Barefooted Ray, still a very happy Mac and Iphone 5 user!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Dec 1, 2013, at 12:44 PM, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Mark
>>>>>>>> Riccobono
>>>>>> 
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