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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Shelter and entertainment for those without resources or providing families are one thing. Cheap labor is another thing. It seems an argument states work of any kind is a priceless privilege, and all people should work, even if the pay is close to zero and cannot possibly cover any personal expenses or lead to personal advancement. People should be happy that they are making cheap goods and supporting the wealth of the leaders of so-called charitable providers. Are not personal advancement and self-sufficiency a couple of the perks to being in the labor force? The argument in favor of sub-minimum wages for the disabled is the same that was used against minimum wages for everyone in the first place. Namely, wages should be based on productivity, and therefore those that are not producing enough are not good enough for living wages; whereas the highest producers deserve wealth and quality of life. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>It seems to me that if employers are not providing a means for workers to sustain quality of life and personal advancement, they are doing society a disservice, as they instead rely on perpetuated dependence and poverty to sustain their own wealth. Think of the money so-called not-for-profits like Goodwill rake in. These guys claim to be providing support to the needy; but at the same time, they rely on impoverished employees to sustain their business model. Rather a vicious cycle if you ask me. Often these organizations use government funding or charitable giving as well, therefore the public at large is supporting the wealth of those that institute sub-standard employment opportunities. At the same time, these employers are spending money to lobby opposition to the Fair Wages bill the Federation is supporting. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Everyone has the ability to compete, but also everyone has the right to a decent life, especially if they’re not choosing to throw away that life. Sub-minimum wages means poverty, and/or perpetual reliance on government and families for monetary support. That doesn’t sound like a good deal for anyone, save those that are profiting at the top. We’re often taught that sweatshop labor is a condemnable practice employed by under-developed, relatively lawless parts of the planet. So, are we going to accept such conditions as righteous when it comes to the disabled? Remember also that the NFB is not the only organization fighting to remove sub-minimum wages. Many other disability organizations are doing the same—standing up for their own livelihoods.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>From what I know, day care for seniors is a wee different, but I don’t know much about it, beyond that it supposedly provides support to seniors living at home without family or friends available to provide necessary aid. BESB does seem to engage in a lot of wasteful or half-hearted practices when it comes to getting clients gainfully employed or prepped for such employment. Why was a train from Stratford to New Haven considered unsafe? Blind people make that trip. We truly need to improve prospective and approach to enhancing the lives of the blind and other folks with disabilities here and around the country. Disabled people do want to contribute to society; but they want to do so in a meaningful way; and they don’t want to simultaneously contribute to poverty and dependency. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org [mailto:ct-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Blindhands@aol.com<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 21, 2012 11:06 AM<br><b>To:</b> ct-nfb@nfbnet.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Ct-nfb] Goodwill Boycott<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>There might be a need for these places. Such places are available for the elderly and it is called Daycare for Seniorsor similar names and it is very pricey for folks to partake in these places. These so called Work Shops are many times serve the same purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>What upsets me is the fact that BESB considers to encourage their blind clients to take jobs in these places. BESB falsely paints these positions as permanent job places and pays the blind an above minimum wage pay while they are in training[thru some government work program]. They spent 3 months working out how I could travel from Stratford to New Haven independently.[after it was decided the train was not a safe option, then Bpt transit and My Ride was the choice]. I worked for 6 months part time receiving $11.50 per hour and after the training period I was hired or went onto Americash pay rates which worked out to be $1.20 per hour. Since the bus transportation cost was $12 per day and I worked 5 hours a day and spent another average of 4 to 5 hours on a bus or waiting for a bus, I decided after one week I could not afford to work there.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>I could not believe BESB supported such job placement for a blind person.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Joyce Kane<br><a href="http://www.krafterskorner.org/">www.KraftersKorner.org</a><br><a href="mailto:Blindhands@AOL.com">Blindhands@AOL.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></body></html>