[Nfb-or] OCB's vending program director put on leave

[T. Joseph Carter]

Link to story: http://is.gd/U1Xlbm

Oregon Commission for the Blind's vending program director put on 
leave pending investigation
Published: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 8:11 PM
Updated: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 8:22 PM

By Michelle Cole, The Oregonian

SALEM -- The director at the Oregon Commission for the Blind who 
oversees vending and cafeteria programs in public buildings statewide 
has been put on paid leave pending an investigation. 

Commission administrator Linda Mock confirmed Thursday that Walter 
Reyes, head of the Business Enterprises Program, was put on 
administrative leave Aug. 1. 

Mock said she could not discuss the reasons other than to say there 
is an "investigation occurring." 

Reached at his home Thursday, Reyes said his lawyer had advised him 
not to comment. 

The Secretary of State's auditors confirmed they are looking into 
contracts and consultants connected to the vending program as a 
follow up to a May 2009 audit that questioned sloppy financial 
tracking and spending. 

A spokesman for the Oregon Department of Justice said he could not 
"confirm or deny" whether the agency is conducting an investigation. 

Reyes, who earns $68,052 a year, was promoted in November 2009 to be 
director of the vending program. 

His responsibilities include management of a $750,000 two-year budget 
and 17 licensed blind vendors who operate snack machines, coffee 
carts and cafeterias in hundreds of public buildings throughout 
Oregon. 

The program is largely funded through federal dollars. Sales topped 
$1.8 million last year, with 11 percent funneled back to the state 
commission to be used to maintain equipment and other operations 
costs. 

Randy Hauth, one of the licensed vendors and chair of a consumer 
committee that works with the commission, said his group had filed 
multiple grievances with the state about Reyes and the program's 
management. 

"The agency is responsible for safeguarding and protecting the 
program and the rights of the licensed blind vendors and we contend 
they don't do that and haven't done that," Hauth said Thursday. 

Mock said she could not comment on those complaints, citing the 
ongoing investigation. 

Earlier this year, an outside consultant hired to assess the program 
found the blind vendors didn't trust Reyes or other commission 
managers. The two sides agreed on an improvement plan, which Hauth 
and others said was ignored. 

--Michelle Cole

End of article.

Sounds like quite a mess in the works.  Hopefully the matter will be 
resolved quickly and without placing the Commission itself in 
jeopardy.  It’s worth pointing out that the National Federation of 
the Blind of Oregon  opposed Walt Reyes' promotion to the position in 
2009, with cause, but Ms. Mock did not accept our recommendation.

The Oregon Commission for the Blind is important to blind people in 
the state of Oregon and does important, necessary work for hundreds 
of people who could not be adequately served by other agencies.  We 
know that there are those in the Oregon Statehouse who inevitably 
consider any scandal as justification to eliminate or merge the 
agency, rather than attempt to actually fix whatever problems they 
would cite as justification.  This would cause additional problems 
and do immense harm to Oregon’s blind at a time when we need the 
Commission’s services more than ever.

I have every confidence that if a group begins to feel so inclined to 
save a buck at the expense of Oregon’s blind, we WILL shed light upon 
what they’re doing.  They’ll have a fight on their hands for sure, 
and we certainly won’t accept any empty promises—we remember the 
School for the Blind!

Joseph - KF7QZC