[nagdu] National Convention--my opinion

Wed Jul 10 21:35:28 UTC 2013

I personally feel that if us, the dog users aggree to help defray the cost 
or burden of having to maintain a relief area its not discriminatory but 
instead responsible. And, lets face it, some folks don't always pick up. I 
am all for helping maintain relife ares whether donating to maintain them or 
to help keep them clean by using ourselves to volunteer. How many of y'all 
would help keep the areas clean? I believing that helping pay for the 
previledge is easier for most folks.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Margo and Arrow" <margo.downey at verizon.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 3:21 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion


> Well, let's check the legalities.  How does A C B justify it?
>
> Let's not totally reinvent the wheel, folks.
>
> Margoa nd Arrow
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of National
> Association of Guide Dog Users
> Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 3:02 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>
> Julie,
> Do you remember when there were pay toilets? I believe that practice
> was discontinued because it was deemed to not be in the public interest. I
> believe charging guide dog users for the privilege of using a relief area
> could be construed as a surcharge and, by definition, would be
> discriminatory. At the same time, I believe those of us who use the relief
> areas would be best served by making contributions to its upkeep. The
> challenge is that those of us who are responsible will voluntarily make 
> such
> contributions while those who are not will likely not. It is much the same
> as for our meetings. Those who attend the meetings and make contributions 
> as
> we pass the dog bowl understand it is our civic duty. Those who do not
> attend our meetings are those who have other ideas in this respect. This 
> is
> not to say that there are other reasons, such as conflicts in scheduling,
> for not attending our meetings; however, the vast majority of guide dog
> users do not come to our meeting due to apathy. At a convention a few 
> years
> ago, one person told me NAGDU had nothing to offer him. About three months
> later he called me to ask what NAGDU was going to do about an issue he was
> having. I reminded him of his "NAGDU has nothing to offer" comment, then
> help him out. He promised he would become more active. I haven't heard 
> from
> him since!
> There are practical considerations we need to take into account due
> to the sheer number of dogs in one place and, I am of the opinion that we
> should all do our parts in ensuring that our hosts do not suffer losses
> because of our presence. By this, I mean that those who tend to be a 
> little
> defiant of rules would do better by understanding that public order is 
> best
> served when we comply with some basic codes of etiquette.
> If we go to someone's home and our dog relieves itself on the
> carpet, thus damaging that person's property, most of us feel it is our
> responsibility to take care of the problem. When we visit a large hotel, 
> we
> should also take collective care to not damage the property. As I 
> mentioned
> in an earlier post, the number of dogs requires we employ different
> practices than when we are the only guest with a service dog. If we were 
> to
> allow 400 dogs to relieve on a small patch of grass, the urine would 
> damage
> the landscape; therefore, we need to employ unusual circumstance of a 
> relief
> area.
> I know this is redundant, but I say all this again in the hope it
> will get through to those who may not appreciate how 400 dogs can impact a
> property's landscape.
> We are working to find solutions to the problems we face during
> convention, one of which is how to accommodate for so many guide dogs. We
> have a year to brainstorm and plan how we will solve this problem. If we 
> had
> an easy, economical alternative, we would be more than willing to consider
> it. Please let us know your thoughts!
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
> Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 11:01 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>
> Isn't requiring guide dog users to pay a fee for a service or 
> participating
> in an event against our beliefs as an organization?
>
> I've always felt that NAGDU  was opposed to charging guide dog users fees
> based on their choice to use a guide dog.  I don't know about the legality
> of doing this in this particular situation, but if the hotel did it, there
> would be a giant fuss about it.  If we wouldn't put up with it from the
> hotel, why would we impose it on ourselves?  I'm not trying to start
> anything, but it seems like a contradiction to me.
>
> Julie
>
>
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