[Nfb-or] Nfb-or Digest, Vol 46, Issue 9

[Kendra Schaber]

Hi Joseph, I won't be surprized if Linda Mock ends up eating her 
disagreement to what the NFB has said in the past. Yes, it does sound like 
we have a mess in the making. I hope that it doesn't do much dammige to the 
Commission since that would impact all of us who is affiliated with the 
Commission in some way, shape or form. Oregon has enough problems to fix 
without the latest news coming from the Oregon Commission for the Blind.
Kendra Schaber
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Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 10:00 AM
Subject: Nfb-or Digest, Vol 46, Issue 9


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> Today's Topics:
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>   1. OCB's vending program director put on leave (T. Joseph Carter)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:27:08 -0700
> From: "T. Joseph Carter" <carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
> To: nfb-or at nfbnet.org
> Cc: rosecity at nfb-oregon.org
> Subject: [Nfb-or] OCB's vending program director put on leave
> Message-ID: <20110820012707.GD95363 at yumi.bluecherry.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
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> End of Nfb-or Digest, Vol 46, Issue 9
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