[New-hampshire-students] See if this surprises you! Fw: Scheduling Request

[Marie Johnson]

Scheduling RequestBelow is a reply that I just received and thought I would share it with all of you for your feedback.
As usual,  it comes as no shock to me to hear that he doesn't have the time nor the desire to meet with any of us for the 3rd 
year in a row. He hasn't supported the quiet car legislation either, so can someone, anyone, tell me who voted Hoad back into Congress and why they did so?
Is it worth the trouble to meet with his aid and wonder if she even addresses our concerns with him? 
Should we chalk him up as a lost cause?
Should the affiliate compose a letter of concern in regards to his indifference?


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Mayer, Jesse 
To: jomar2000 at comcast.net 
Cc: Levin, Sarah 
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 3:45 PM
Subject: Scheduling Request


Hi Marie-


Thank you for your request to meet with Congressman Paul Hodes. Unfortunately, due to the Congressman's hectic schedule, he will be unavailable for a meeting. However, I am cc'ing the appropriate staff member, Sarah Levin, who can set up a meeting with you, and brief the Congressman at a later time.  Again, thank you for your request. 

Sincerely,

Jesse





    Hello Luke,

    My name is Marie Johnson and I am the current President of the New Hampshire Affiliate of the National Federation of the  Blind. We actually made connections last year for the purpose of scheduling our annual trip to Washington.  

    A group of us will be traveling to Washington again this year in hopes of  meeting with Congressman Hoad to present our concerns and seek his support. I would like to schedule an appointment for Tuesday February 10. I have pasted below a summary of the concerns we would like to discuss with the Congressman, for his convenience and reference. 

    I can be reached at either my home phone; 603 225-7917 or my cell phone number; 603 524-1945, or by email at   jomar2000 at comcast.net.



    Thanks for your prompt attention to this request. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future and greatly appreciate your time.



    Marie Johnson, President

    NFB NH State Affiliate





    1.      We urge Congress to ensure the safety of blind and other pedestrians by passing the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act.  This legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to:  

      ·        Begin a study within ninety days of its enactment to determine the most practical means of assuring that blind and other pedestrians receive essentially similar information to what they now receive from sound emitted by internal combustion engines; 

      ·        Determine the minimum amount of sound necessary to offer sufficient information for blind pedestrians to make safe travel judgments based on appropriate scientific research and consultation with blind Americans and other affected groups; 

      ·        Within two years of beginning the study, promulgate a motor vehicle safety standard to address the needs of blind and other pedestrians by requiring either a minimum level of sound or an equally effective means of providing the same information as is available from hearing internal combustion engines; and 

      ·        Apply the standard to all motor vehicles manufactured or sold in the United States beginning no later than two years after the date it is promulgated.  


    2.      We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to create a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that mandates consumer electronics, home appliances, and office equipment to provide user interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.  This legislation should:  


      ·        Mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, and office equipment be designed so that blind people can access the same functions as sighted people through nonvisual means and with substantially equivalent ease of use; 


      ·        Create a commission comprised of essential stakeholders to establish standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended for use in the home or office; 

        ·        Endow the commission with enforcement powers or locate it within a government agency having such powers; and 

        ·        Authorize it to reexamine and rewrite standards to keep pace with the evolution of consumer electronic technology.  


    3.      We urge Congress to promote and facilitate the transition by blind Americans from recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits to income-earning, taxpaying, productive members of the American workforce by enacting legislation to:  


      ·        Replace the monthly earnings penalty with a graduated 3-for-1 phase-out (i.e., a $1 reduction in benefits for each $3 earned above the limit); 


      ·        Replace the monthly earnings test with an annualized earnings test with an amount equal to twelve times. Substantial Gainful Activity amount; and 


      ·        Establish an impairment-related work expense deduction for blind Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries equal to the amount applicable for this deduction when determining an appropriate income subsidy under Medicare Part D or 16.3 percent of earnings, whichever is greater.


            


###

Jesse Mayer

Congressman Paul W. Hodes

1317 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC  20515

202-225-5206 (p)

202-225-2946 (f)

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