[Colorado-talk] Fw: message from Scott LaBarre regarding sunset hearingof CCIBVI

[Scott C. LaBarre]

Reminder.
SCL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lisa Bonderson" <lbonderson at cocenter.org>
To: "Colorado-talk NFBC" <Colorado-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 2:56 PM
Subject: [Colorado-talk] message from Scott LaBarre regarding sunset 
hearingof CCIBVI


> Greetings Fellow Federationists:
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, the House Health and Environment Committee 
> will be holding a hearing addressing whether the Colorado Commission for 
> Individuals Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired should be allowed to 
> sunset.  Our position, as adopted through resolution at state convention, 
> is that CCIBVI should be sunset at the end of this fiscal year.  Below, 
> you can read the text of our legislative fact sheet on this issue as well 
> as the Resolution we adopted.
>
>
>
> It is critical that you call and email members of the Health and 
> Environment Committee to let them know our views.  You will find a list of 
> those members with contact info below.  Also, we need everyone who can to 
> show up at the hearing this coming Tuesday afternoon.  It will be at 1:30 
> pm in the Legislative Services Building, Hearing Room A which is located 
> at 200 East 14th Avenue, across the street from the Capitol building.
>
>
>
> Thanks for your attention to this message; feel free to contact me at 
> slabarre at labarrelaw.com or 303 504-5979; see you at the Capitol; and have 
> a great weekend!
>
> Scott
>
>
>
>
>
> House Health and Environment Committee
>
>
>
> KEN SUMMERS, Chairman
> Colorado State Representative, District 22
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-2927
> E-mail: ken.summers.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> CINDY ACREE, Vice-Chairman
> Colorado State Representative, District 40
> Capitol Phone: (303)866-2944
> E-Mail: cindy.acree.house at state.co.us
>
> LAURA BRADFORD
> Colorado State Representative, District 55
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-2583
> E-mail: laurabradford55 at gmail.com
>
> J. PAUL BROWN
> Colorado State Representative, District 59
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-2914
> E-Mail: jpaul.brown.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> RHONDA FIELDS
> Colorado State Representative, District 42
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-3911
> E-Mail: rhonda.fields.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> JANAK JOSHI
> Colorado State Representative, District 14
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-2937
> E-Mail: janak.joshi.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> JOHN KEFALAS
> Colorado State Representative, District 52
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-4569
> E-Mail: john.kefalas.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> JAMES KERR
> Colorado State Representative, District 28
> Capitol Phone: (303)866-2939
> E-Mail: james.kerr.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> TOM MASSEY
> Colorado State Representative, District 60
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-2747
> E-mail: tom.massey.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> BETH McCANN
> Colorado State Representative, District 8
> Capitol Phone: (303)866-2959
> E-Mail: beth.mccann.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> CHERYLIN PENISTON
> Colorado State Representative, District 35
> Capitol Phone: (303)866-2843
> E-Mail: cherylin.peniston.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> SUE SCHAFER
> Colorado State Representative, District 24
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-5522
> E-mail: sue.schafer.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
> DAVE YOUNG
> Colorado State Representative, District 50
> Capitol Phone: 303-866-2929
> E-Mail: dave.young.house at state.co.us
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> SUNSETTING COLORADO COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND
>
>
>
> In 2007, the NFB of Colorado led the effort to create the Colorado 
> Commission for Individuals Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired (CCIBVI). 
> When Governor Ritter signed H.B. 07-1274 on May 24, 2007, the Federation's 
> hopes were high because there finally existed a high level, 
> gubernatorially appointed state commission charged with addressing the 
> significant barriers faced by blind and visually impaired individuals. 
> Nearly five years after its creation, CCIBVI has accomplished very little 
> and it is now evident that this Commission is not the best vehicle to take 
> on the unique barriers faced by the blind.
>
>
>
> Because blindness and visual impairment are low incidence disabilities, 
> proper attention is not given to the needs of this population.  The 
> Federation urged the creation of the CCIBVI to focus attention on the 
> significant barriers faced by the blind such as an unemployment rate 
> exceeding seventy percent, lack of quality education and access to decent 
> public transportation, and other relevant barriers.  The idea was for the 
> Commission to investigate these issues and return meaningful 
> recommendations for systematic change to the Governor and General 
> Assembly.
>
>
>
> Even though the Commission was charged by Statute to meet by September of 
> 2007, the first meeting did not actually occur until May of 2008.  The 
> tardy commencement of Commission activities turned out to be the least of 
> significant problems hampering the CCIBVI's ability to meet its statutory 
> charge.  Other than turning in its annual report to the Governor and 
> General Assembly, the CCIBVI has accomplished nothing in the way of 
> meaningful progress.  Many priorities have been set but none met.  For 
> example, at its first meeting in May of 2008, CCIBVI called for a 
> Commission website to be established to deliver in one place all the 
> resources available to the blind and visually impaired of our state.  It 
> took over three years to establish a bare bones website which still does 
> not provide a link to critical resources.  Even though the Commission had 
> adopted a strategic plan at least two other times since May of 2008, it 
> again spent thousands of tax payer dollars in the spring of 2011 to go 
> through another strategic plan process.  The website and strategic plan 
> issues are emblematic of the problems faced by the Commission.
>
>
>
> The Commission is slated to sunset by June 30th of this year and the House 
> Health and Environment Committee will hold a sunset hearing on January 
> 24th.  In preparation for this, the Department of Regulatory Agencies 
> (DORA) conducted a sunset review and recommended the continuation of the 
> Commission.  The General Assembly should know, however, that no one from 
> DORA contacted any of the Commissioners, the Federation, or other consumer 
> organizations representing the blind to seek input.  The Federation 
> wonders how such a sunset review can be considered to be thorough when it 
> does not take into account the views of those who the Commission serves.
>
>
>
> In any event, the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado recommends 
> that the Commission sunset.  Failure of the Commission is due to a wide 
> variety of issues.  Ultimately, however, it is evident that the 
> Commission's structure and low level of funding, approximately $100,000 
> annually, is not suited to address the serious barriers faced by the blind 
> and visually impaired of our state.  Eventually, a more robust solution is 
> necessary.  The Federation understands that now is not the time to adopt a 
> comprehensive program, given the continuing economic shortfalls faced by 
> the State.  Nevertheless, the Federation dedicates itself to working 
> closely with the General Assembly to adopt creative and comprehensive 
> solutions in the future.  The Federation worked hard to establish this 
> Commission but now admits that it is time to go back to the drawing board.
>
>
>
>
>
> RESOLUTION 2011-01
>
>
>
> Regarding Colorado Commission for Individuals Who Are
>
> Blind and Visually Impaired and Sunset Thereof
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado worked 
> diligently and vigorously to bring into existence the Colorado Commission 
> for Individuals Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired (CCIBVI); and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, Governor Bill Ritter JR signed CCIBVI into law in May of 2007 and 
> the first meeting of the CCIBVI did not occur until May of 2008 even 
> though the authorizing legislation mandated a first meeting by fall of 
> 2007; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, the CCIBVI has the statutory charge of reviewing all manner of 
> programs affecting the blind of Colorado such as vocational 
> rehabilitation, the Randolph-Sheppard Program, and essentially all other 
> programs affecting the blind and visually impaired; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, CCIBVI possesses the duty of making recommendations and 
> suggesting legislation to Governor and the Colorado General Assembly; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, to this date, CCIBVI has not met its statutory charge due to a 
> lack of staff, lack of appointments from the Governor's office to fill 
> positions on the Commission, a lack of priority placed on the Commission's 
> programs, and political squabbles on the Commission; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, by law, the CCIBVI is scheduled to sunset in 2012 unless the 
> Colorado General Assembly specifically authorizes the Commission to 
> continue; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, a sunset review process has already occurred and the Federation 
> was not contacted for input; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, the Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado 
> passed Resolution 2010-02 calling for a critical examination of whether 
> the CCIBVI should be sunset and urging the Commission to become much more 
> active in meeting its statutory obligations; and
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, in the last year, the CCIBVI has done little to justify the 
> nearly half million dollars already spent on it as evidenced by wasting 
> time developing a strategic plan (something already done at least two 
> other times in the Commission's short history), allowing its director to 
> be assigned to other state entities for long period while ignoring 
> Commission business, and by offering no tangible recommendations or 
> legislation to the Governor or General Assembly;
>
>
>
> WHEREAS, the annual fiscal allocation to CCIBVI of approximately 
> $100,000.00 can be put to much better use such as providing Braille 
> literacy and access to technology for blind youth: Now, therefore,
>
>
>
> BE IT RESOLVED by The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado in 
> convention assembled this Sixth day ff November, 2011, in the city of 
> Denver, Colorado that we express our outrage that the National Federation 
> of the Blind of Colorado, the oldest and largest organization of the blind 
> in the State, was not contacted to give its input during the sunset 
> review; and
>
>
>
> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge the Colorado General Assembly to 
> oppose any continuance of the Colorado Commission for Individuals Who Are 
> Blind and Visually Impaired, allow it to sunset, and allocate the fiscal 
> appropriations of the Commission to new programs targeting literacy and 
> access to technology for blind youth.
>
>
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