[nfbmi-talk] Cannon Calls for Armed Gaurds, Bullet Proof Drapes at MCB Board Meeting!

Fri Apr 23 04:54:06 UTC 2010

Hello,

This is more amazing than anything I imagined.  At the end of the last MCB
meeting I asked who needed guarding?  I asked who authorized the guards.
President Posont filed a Freedom of Information Act request.  We were
astonished to read the following paranoic exchange initiated by Pat Cannon.
He is apparently a little nuts or something.  Can you believe blind people
are being told there is no money for needed services and Cannon is
investigating bullet proof drapes and armed gaurds?  Who should be afraid?
We have posted this on our web page www.nfbmi.org.  Please tell your friends
to read this and decide who deserves to have a job, Christine, Dave, Blind
Vendors or Pat Cannon. UNBELIEVABLE!

From: Robertson, Bob (DELEG)

Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 10:44 AM

To: Haynes, Carla (DELEG); Cannon, Patrick (DELEG)

Subject: FW: Security at Commission meetings

Here is the information on the possibilities of getting security and
bullet-proof draping at Commission meetings.

Bob

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From: Cannon, Patrick D (DLEG) 

Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 4:50 PM

To: Robertson, Bob (DLEG)

Subject: RE: Security at Commission meetings

Thanks Bob!  You did great work on gathering this information and I am most
appreciative.

I have forwarded this information on to Jo Ann Pilarski but asked that she
not share it far and wide and I will ask you to do the same as I do not want
to create any sense of "alarm" on the subject of security.

Thanks again,

Pat

-----Original Message-----

From: Robertson, Bob (DLEG) 

Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:02 PM

To: Cannon, Patrick D (DLEG)

Cc: Luzenski, Sue (DLEG)

Subject: Security at Commission meetings

Hi Pat -

After talking with Steve Monet, I've got some info you can "take under
advisement" and share with Commissioners if you so wish. Steve is still
checking into the feasibility of bullet-proof draping for the conference
rooms tables. He wants us to take a digital photo of the tables in the
conference room upstairs and include their measurements so the company who
makes the draping can give us an estimate on the costs. I thought we could
do this when Susan gets back later this week.

As for other buildings, he said there are several in the area. He mentioned
the State Library or Capitol Commons as two possibilities downtown. There is
also the General Office Building at the Secondary Complex and the building
down on Pierpont where the Public Service Commission meets. All of these
facilities have someone at the front desk checking IDs and issuing visitor
passes. Steve pointed out that these so-called "security guards" do not get
involved in apprehending or stopping bad guys. In other words, if someone
disrupts a meeting the folks at the front desk won't come running to the
rescue. We would need to call the Capitol Security for that.

Finally, Steve gave me the name of the guy in DMB, Jeff Pratt, we can
contact (241-4391) if we want to see about having our own security guard at
a meeting in this building. We would need to tell him how often we'd need
someone, how many hours each time, the place and time, and then whether we
wanted an armed or unarmed guard. We would most likely have to pay for those
services. We cannot just "borrow" a guard from another building.

I think this is a good 'first step' in gathering some info that you and the
Board can use to decide a 'next step' so if you need more, let me know.

Bob

If you wondered if it was really someone else who requested the security,
here is proof from the Department of Management and Budget that Cannon,
personally, did it.  

From: Luzenski, Sue (DELEG)

Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 2:24 PM

To: Heibeck, Cheryl (DELEG)

Subject: For FOIA request

Attachments: DMB-123 Blind Comm Victor.doc

-----Original Message-----

From: Pratt, Jeff

Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 10:48 AM

To: Luzenski, Sue (DELEG)

Subject: Fwd: FW: Braille and Tactile Signs

Sue,

Thank you.  Pat asked that I arrange for a security guard on Mar. 19 & 20. 

Attached is a DMB-123 that I need to have you complete and have signed by
your agency then returned to my attention.  I will also need a point of
contact and phone number for these two days as well as an understanding of
what the guard's duties will be.  I do know that on the 20th the guard will
need to be posted at the entrance as the building will be locked.  It would
be helpful if a list of those authorized to enter so that the guard knows
who is authorized.

Thanks,

Jeff