[Ct-nfb] Urgent: Stick Up for Your Fellow Blind People

Fri Mar 20 06:10:05 UTC 2015

Fellow Federationists:

At 11:00 AM today, Friday, March 20, the Environment Committee of our state legislature will be voting on SB 1061, the bill that will take away jobs from at least three blind vendors. We are inviting these vendors to our state convention, and I plan to introduce myself to them. When I do, whatever the outcome on this bill, I’m going to tell them that I was one person who took the time to fight for their jobs. If you want to be able to say the same thing when you meet them, you can do a few things:

-          Make a few phone calls using the grid below and ask legislators to vote down this bill because you want the blind vendors to keep their jobs

-          Send a few emails to do the same (you can copy mine if you want)

I know how last-minute this is. I was planning to get a good night’s sleep tonight, but this was important enough for me to throw that out the window.

Here is the email I sent to Craig Miner, the Representative who has been the author of stand-alone bills to do the same thing, who I suspect wrote this bad language into the bill. Below my signature is the contact info provided by Andrew Norton of BESB.

If you need anything further, please reach out to me. Let’s climb the stairs to freedom together!

Justin

Sent to: Craig.Miner at HouseGOP.CT.Gov<mailto:Craig.Miner at HouseGOP.CT.Gov>

To the Honorable Craig Miner:

I oppose Section 6 of Senate Bill 1061 and respectfully request that you vote against the bill until Section 6 is removed from the bill.

Back in the 1940s, your predecessors had the wisdom to create opportunities for blind people to achieve self-determination through the Randolph-Sheppard Vending Stand Act. Section 6 will eliminate these opportunities for blind people to operate vending stations at Department of Energy and Environmental Protection facilities. I currently know of three blind people who will lose their jobs if section 6 is implemented. They work at Gillette Castle, Rocky Neck, and Hammonasset State Parks. Multiple generations of blind entrepreneurs have fed their families by managing vending stations at these state parks, and Connecticut needs this program to continue.

While the Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind and Department of Rehabilitation Services coordinate the assignment of these facilities, it is the blind vendors that manage these facilities to provide for their families. Blind people want to work, but Section 6 will convert these blind taxpayers to dependents on the State of Connecticut indefinitely. Connecticut would not benefit from simply handing our state agency a check for 10 percent of the profits.

I sincerely doubt that 10 percent of the new profits will equal the current profits, plus the incurred costs of assisting these blind vendors in finding their next jobs, plus the social supports that will sustain their families in the interim.

Blind people face many misperceptions and low expectations in our quest for employment. Workers with disabilities are specifically excluded from the minimum wage, and it is legal to pay a blind employee a penny per hour right here in Connecticut in 2015. There are many employers across the state that do exploit workers with disabilities in this way, but the vending program creates opportunities to earn a living wage. We go to school to become productive workers but need opportunities to be productive. We know, with the right training and opportunity, blind people can lead meaningful and productive lives. We can live without welfare programs if we have opportunities like the ones created by the Randolph-Sheppard Vending Stand Act.

Please do not reduce the opportunities that blind people have to earn a living and support our families. Please do not allow Section 6 to take away these opportunities and push blind entrepreneurs back toward social welfare programs. We, the blind, want to be hardworking citizens and taxpayers. In many cases, we are, and I request that you let us continue to contribute to the State of Connecticut in a meaningful way.

I stand ready to be a partner and resource to everyone in our state, especially with, but not limited to, all matters regarding blindness.

Sincerely,

Name
Title
Contact Info, including Address

Below I have pasted in the names of the members of the Environment Committee. Below that is a list of numbers to can use to call the Capitol for the various receptionists who can patch you through to their offices.
S12

Co-Chair

Kennedy, Ted <http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Kennedy-mailform.php>

http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Kennedy.php

D

099

Co-Chair

Albis, James <mailto:james.albis at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Albis

D

S22

Vice Chair

Moore, Marilyn <http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Moore-mailform.php>

http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/Moore.php

D

109

Vice Chair

Arconti, David <mailto:David.Arconti at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Arconti

D

S30

Ranking Member

Chapin, Clark J.<mailto:Clark.Chapin at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.ctsenaterepublicans.com/home-chapin

R

135

Ranking Member

Shaban, John T.<mailto:john.shaban at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repshaban.com<http://repshaban.com/>

R

121

Member

Backer, Terry <mailto:Terry.Backer at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Backer

D

027

Member

Byron, Gary <mailto:Gary.Byron at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repgarybyron.com<http://repgarybyron.com/>

R

023

Member

Carney, Devin R.<mailto:Devin.Carney at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repcarney.com<http://repcarney.com/>

R

063

Member

Case, Jay M.<mailto:Jay.Case at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repjaycase.com<http://repjaycase.com/>

R

021

Member

Demicco, Mike <mailto:Mike.Demicco at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Demicco

D

092

Member

Dillon, Patricia A.<mailto:Patricia.Dillon at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Dillon

D

047

Member

Dubitsky, Doug <mailto:Doug.Dubitsky at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repdubitsky.com<http://repdubitsky.com/>

R

127

Member

Hennessy, John "Jack" F.<mailto:Jack.Hennessy at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Hennessy

D

122

Member

McGorty, Ben <mailto:Ben.McGorty at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repmcgorty.com<http://repmcgorty.com/>

R

097

Member

Megna, Robert W.<mailto:Robert.Megna at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Megna

D

036

Member

Miller, Philip J.<mailto:Philip.Miller at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/MillerPJ

D

066

Member

Miner, Craig A.<mailto:Craig.Miner at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repminer.com<http://repminer.com/>

R

055

Member

Mulligan, Gayle J.<mailto:Gayle.Mulligan at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repmulligan.com<http://repmulligan.com/>

R

085

Member

Mushinsky, Mary M.<mailto:Mary.Mushinsky at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Mushinsky

D

076

Member

Piscopo, John E.<mailto:John.Piscopo at housegop.ct.gov>

http://reppiscopo.com<http://reppiscopo.com/>

R

139

Member

Ryan, Kevin <mailto:Kevin.Ryan at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Ryan

D

098

Member

Scanlon, Sean <mailto:Sean.Scanlon at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Scanlon

D

129

Member

Stafstrom, Steven <mailto:Steven.Stafstrom at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Stafstrom

D

147

Member

Tong, William <mailto:William.Tong at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Tong

D

013

Member

Tweedie, Mark <mailto:Mark.Tweedie at housegop.ct.gov>

http://reptweedie.com<http://reptweedie.com/>

R

043

Member

Urban, Diana S.<mailto:Diana.Urban at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Urban

D

064

Member

Willis, Roberta B.<mailto:Roberta.Willis at cga.ct.gov>

http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Willis

D

034

Member

Ziobron, Melissa H.<mailto:Melissa.Ziobron at housegop.ct.gov>

http://repziobron.com<http://repziobron.com/>

R

If you want to call a legislator, here are the four (4) numbers for the four caucuses. For example, if you want to call a Democratic senator, call the Senate Democrats. If you want to call a Republican representative, call the House Republicans and so on.
House Democrats -      (860) 240-8500
Senate Democrats -     (860) 240-8600
House Republicans -   (860) 240-8700
Senate Republicans -   (860) 240-8800

Here is a link for the Environment Committee. http://www.cga.ct.gov/env/  The members of this committee are the most crucial legislators at this stage. You should feel free to call or e-mail anyone on the committee whether they are your particular legislator or not. If one of them is your legislator, better yet. When you hover over the link, you will be told to hit “control” and click your mouse. You will then notice a link to “Committee Membership”. Click that and a list of every member of the Environment Committee will be shown. If you click his or her name, it will set you up to send them an e-mail.

Here is a link to the legislative website where you can enter your address and find out who your Senator and your Representative are - http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CGAFindLeg.asp

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