[nfb-db] We Need Your Support

[Maurice Mines]

hi this not a aadb list agen please take this off list, now.	
On Jul 4, 2009, at 11:13 PM, Mussie wrote:

> Hi John,
> I will certainly sign up. I was also shocked that AADB's board  
> decided to postpone the convention despite the efforts of people to  
> raise and contribute money (I am one of them and now feel my  
> contributions are worthless). It is astounding that AADB proclaims  
> to advocate for the deaf-blind community, yet the NFB and other  
> blindness organizations are the only ones holding annual  
> conventions. That is really irritating --  deaf-blind people need a  
> powerful and influential voice, and conventions help promote the  
> interests and needs of the deaf-blind community. At the 2003  
> convention, two important participants included a state senator and  
> the head of the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
> I believe that without a convention, AADB lacks credibility to speak  
> up for the needs of deaf-blind Americans that the NFB speaks for the  
> blind to influence policies and programs affecting individuals who  
> are deaf-blind at every level of government. So, I hope AADB hears  
> our voices loud and clear and does not sit on its hands while other  
> organizations (not to mention deaf organizations) actively promote  
> their interests through conventions.
> Good luck John! Keep the effort up.
> Mussie
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Lee Clark" <johnlee at clarktouch.com 
> >
> To: "'NFB Deaf-Blind Division Mailing List'" <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 9:23 PM
> Subject: [nfb-db] We Need Your Support
>
>
>> Can I add your name in support of our efforts to convince the board  
>> of AADB
>> to give us back our most cherished tradition: the national  
>> conference. Many
>> deaf-blind people do not have email and are not able to speak up in  
>> such a
>> short time, so this petition needs support from ANYONE who  
>> understands how
>> important our conferences are to us.
>>
>> For more information, read the petition below.  I hope you will be  
>> willing
>> to add your name.  If so, you can reply to this message with "Yes!"  
>> and I
>> will add your name.  Also, forward to those you think might want to  
>> support.
>> Thanks!
>>
>> We, the members and friends of the American Association of the Deaf- 
>> Blind,
>> were shocked and heartbroken when Arthur Roehrig, on his last day as
>> president (Tuesday, June 30, 2009), announced that the board had  
>> voted two
>> months earlier to postpone the next conference to 2013.  This means  
>> seven
>> years of no conference.  We find this unacceptable.
>>
>> In his letter, the president explained that AADB did not have  
>> enough money
>> for a conference.  That is not true.  AADB DOES have the money, but  
>> the
>> board decided to use it to maintain AADB Office staff and expenses,  
>> which
>> total around $300,000.  Most of this money comes from a fund AADB  
>> had for
>> many years, that used to be solely for conferences.  We ask the  
>> board of
>> AADB to use this fund for conferences again.  Ever since the  
>> expansion of
>> AADB Office affected our conferences, members have made it clear on  
>> many
>> occasions that we want the deaf-blind community's most important  
>> cultural
>> touchstone back: the conferences.
>>
>> In the same letter, the president mentioned that the host  
>> organization for
>> the next conference had found a hotel available for 2011.  The hotel
>> requires a $25,000 deposit.  The host organization even raised  
>> $10,000 on
>> its own.  That left $15,000.  But the board decided to postpone the
>> conference with the hope that the host organization would raise  
>> more money.
>>
>> We are disappointed that the board did not make cuts to the already
>> overpriced and ineffective AADB Office (for an organization of our  
>> size,
>> four hundred deaf-blind members) and transfer $15,000 to the hotel to
>> complete the deposit.
>>
>> We affirm that the conferences are of utmost importance to the deaf- 
>> blind
>> community.  We ask the board to get the next conference back on  
>> track for
>> 2011.  We request that the board transfer $15,000 to complete the  
>> hotel
>> deposit by the end of July.  Failure to do so will result in the  
>> members
>> among the undersigned withdrawing our memberships and requesting  
>> refunds,
>> followed by other acts of protest by members and our allies.
>>
>> Members and non-members, deaf-blind and others, all are welcome to  
>> support
>> our cause.  If you would like to sign this petition, email your  
>> name and
>> city to ipo56 at aol.com by July 10.  The leaders of this petition  
>> will submit
>> it to the board of AADB on that day.
>>
>> Thank you for your support!
>>
>> Petition Leaders
>>
>> Melanie Bond
>> Bay City, Michigan
>>
>> John Lee Clark
>> St. Paul, Minnesota
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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