[nagdu] FIDELCO ownership rights and other things.
Tamara Smith-Kinney
tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Thu Feb 3 21:32:21 UTC 2011
Brenda, et al.,
I will say as someone who has attempted to advocate for herself and to find
advocacy regarding abuses -- which also appear to be a pattern -- in another
system, even people who are willing to mention that something happened to
them on a list or something are less than eager to come forward or join in a
collective effort against the abusers or anything like that. Probably
because it does not take long to discover that as a blind person, you are de
facto considered to be worthless as a witness. All the organization has to
say is that they did everything just right, and there you have it. For
some, the loss of perceived credibility can carry over to doing all those
things like contacting the news and making a big fuss in other ways...
Which is why in my own case, my personal decision has long been to just do
what I need to do for myself to get back to health and work, because that
will increase my perceived credibility there. Also, I have a plan to get
some video to go with other forms of evidence... Which are on paper, so not
nearly exciting enough to be worth reading when the organization says they
did everything right while implying that I am nuts, while of course piously
insisting they can't say anything about my case because of confidentiality.
/lol/ Some of that paper evidence I mentioned is their documentation of
their own violations of HIPAA. Which, I discovered on further
investigation, includes no recourse whatsoever and has a super short statute
just to file a complaint that starts running when the violation occurs, not
when you actually learn that there is something to file a complaint about.
Ain't that a hoot!
Anyway, I understand people's concerns with bringing the matter into the
public eye with little in the way of detail and names in the description of
the concern we are dealing with as an advocacy agency. However, there is a
point where that can be a large part of the advocacy process, especially
when it does involve a pattern, because others can come forward who were
disinclined to before if they see there's someone with some clout who might
be able to do something about it... This often happens in cases where
serial rapists end up finally being charged and convicted. Another case in
which being the one to come forward and say enough is enough and this really
did happen to me is a good way to get yourself thoroughly brutalized with
little chance of getting justice. Sigh.
So, the lack of detail of third parties beyond the really basic facts as he
has been able to determine is appropriate in this context. True, it leaves
the rest of us to trust Marion's judgment in making the decision to bring it
to the list. As well as that of the other officers, assuming that he used
the good judgment to include them in the corporate decision-making process.
Which is why we elected them to do that. Theoretically, at least. /smile/
I guess what I'm trying to say that I, for myself in my own little corner of
the world, have seen enough in this current group of official leaders to be
willing to grant them my trust in this very delicate and controversial
matter. I trust that they have done their respective homework, gathered
sufficient information to consider their action, weighed pros and cons and
options and whatever else it is that they do before deciding upon and
following through on the current course of action, including making the case
public and naming the school and an individual. Doing so in their official
capacity. Which is all what I want them to do if it credibly appears given
the information they have that there is a pattern of injustice and
mistreatment that requires our advocacy.
I have noticed that the leadership has been almost completely quiet during
the ensuing discussions, unless they needed to step in for some reason,
leaving the rest of us free to discuss, disagree, argue, emote, whatever.
Which we can do to our hearts' content, since our words don't carry official
weight. What we say is important and can lead to the development of an
official position, but we as peons are not stating official NAGDU policy
just by running off our fingers. /smile/
That being said, if I do find that my trust in this one has been misplaced,
with enough evidence to be sure that's what happened, then I can vote
differently next time, right? Or even find another candidate to back or ...
Even leave in disgust if I want to and feel it's not worth my while to
remain in the organization... Whatever, I will have the option to decide
what to do if I see that I've mistakenly and even passively joined a witch
hunt.
For now, I'm willing to trust that there is a legitimate issue there and
wait to find out more as the case progresses, which seems to me to suit my
role as peon. /smile/
Tami Smith-Kinney
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Brenda
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 10:26 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] FIDELCO ownership rights and other things.
Could those individuals tell you or come on list themselves and say what
the situation is from their prospective? There is a lot of vagueness still.
Brenda
On 2/3/2011 12:36 PM, Marion Gwizdala wrote:
> Dear All,
> I will only say that we have attempted to get Fidelco's side of the
> story and, in spite of a signed release of information, Mr. Russman
> refused to talk to us about it. As this message so astutely stated, it
> makes us wonder what they are hiding. A great deal, we have come to
> find out, as more consumer come forward with similar stories. If it
> were an isolated incident, I would question the details. As a pattern
> evolves and we find credible information with physical evidence, it
> supports our action.
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion Gwizdala
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brenda" <bjnite at windstream.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 11:45 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] FIDELCO ownership rights and other things.
>
>
>> Brian
>> Well said.
>> I have asked what the person who had her dog removed from Fidelco was
>> actually told with no response - makes me wonder. I do not think the
>> whole story has been relayed about the incidents at Leader either. I
>> find it amazing that a dog could be removed with little warning and
>> no cause - something is missing OR at least it would be nice to hear
>> from the school and the handler (both sides of the story) so an
>> informed opinion could be made about a certain school.
>>
>> Maybe in the survey that is being prepared there could be an entry of
>> how many dogs have been repo'd by the school and the reason the
>> school gave for the forced return.
>>
>> Another survey question would be what is the reason for your
>> ownership policy? Why do you require a handler to wait two years
>> before awarding ownership?
>>
>> Brenda
>> Brenda
>>
>> On 2/3/2011 11:04 AM, Bryan Brown wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> The day after Marion posted the message about the woman who
>>> had their dog
>>> repossessed by FIDELCO for no reason... I received a call from a
>>> FIDELCO trainer. She was
>>> calling to find out if she could meet with me for a follow up visit. I
>>> scheduled a time to meet with her on the seventeenth of February,
>>> since I am
>>> not in what you might say is FIDELCO's traditional service area this
>>> will be
>>> the first follow up visit that I have had. They have offered, but I
>>> haven't had any
>>> problems that I thought needed a trainers help with so I declined.
>>> Any time
>>> I have ever had an issue or question I just call out to FIDELCO and
>>> I get
>>> put right through to someone who can help. I've never had to request
>>> follow
>>> up, I guess I've been lucky and not had any issues as a working team
>>> that I couldn't deal with myself. I'd be comfortable if FIDELCO
>>> called and
>>> said hey we're five minutes from your house and we want to see your
>>> dog. That would be great, I don't have any reasons to be anything
>>> other than proud of my dog. They were however nice enough to give me
>>> more than two weeks notice and make sure that it worked with my
>>> schedule. I'm far from intimidated, in fact I'm
>>> excited, I know that I have nothing to worry about, my dog is
>>> healthy, he is in great shape , we are a great working team and I'll
>>> be proud to show
>>> off our teamwork to someone who knows how much it takes to develop
>>> that type
>>> of relationship with a dog. My only concern is that the trainer
>>> might not be
>>> able to stick around and have dinner with myself and my family.
>>>
>>> It's unfortunate that anyone would ever have their dog unjustly
>>> removed from
>>> them and I'm not sure how that would benefit the program, imagine
>>> the implications if a person could prove those allegations, for
>>> instance in front of a jury? Why aren't the people who have
>>> supposedly had their dogs removed
>>> making a public show of such an unjust action? I know if that
>>> happened to me
>>> I'd be the first to call the sheriff, my vet, my attorney and the
>>> media, I'd make a
>>> huge stink of it, but I am confident that I have done nothing to
>>> bring such
>>> action on myself. , maybe the parties in question are not quite so
>>> confident? Is it possible that the inflammatory comments that
>>> Marion has made about FIDELCO and Mr. Russman are rooted in limited
>>> information and Mr. Russman's reservations to bow down to the big
>>> bad NFB?
>>>
>>> as far as I know... I own Tarik, do I think I have that right, "yes"
>>> at this
>>> point after five years it would be cruel to remove him from me, I am
>>> as much
>>> his life as he is mine. Do I think I deserved to own him upon
>>> graduation, my
>>> answer is no. I feel as though having a dog is a wonderful privilege
>>> in the
>>> case of a FIDELCO dog it's a 45,000 dollar privilege and I am the
>>> custodian of that privilege. It is my responsibility to hold up my
>>> end of
>>> the bargain. I knew what it was when I got the dog and I was
>>> confident in my
>>> ability to hold up my end of the bargain throughout his working
>>> life. That's
>>> why I signed my name on the line.
>>>
>>> I think making negative comments about any given program in a public
>>> forum
>>> without first hand experience is wrong and only serves to tarnish the
>>> program. If people have complaints so be it, but unless the
>>> complaints are coming directly from the people making them, the
>>> information has probably been spun and is most certainly one sided.
>>>
>>> I'm not sure why anyone sees fit to vilify any guide dog program.
>>> all the people that work so hard to provide us with these wonderful
>>> animals aren't doing it for the money. I'm fairly sure that the
>>> puppy raisers aren't pulling down huge salaries, and that the
>>> trainers surely aren't earning six figures, I see that they are
>>> doing it because they are genuinely good people, and that they
>>> either have a passion for helping, or dogs, or both!
>>>
>>> Why is it that I see such a militant attitude with so much of the
>>> NFB? I know it's a strong advocacy group, but I personally don't
>>> want to be advocated for by a group that comes across so negatively.
>>> We've become a society of victims, everything is always somebody
>>> else's fault and there is always someone out to get you, I see it in
>>> strangers and people I know and love. People have to start standing
>>> up for themselves again and taking responsibility for their own
>>> actions.
>>>
>>> Bryan
>>> -----
>>>
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