[nfbmi-talk] yet another foia request

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Wed Apr 28 12:51:36 UTC 2010


Excuse me but I did attend the last teleconference meeting and, moreover we, 
nor any other organization worth its salt depends solely on meetings. 
Frankly, it is what is done between meetings that accounts for what we are 
made of....

And that goes double, triple, and quadruple for a public organization like 
MCB which uses public funds.

And you are not my censor, Donna. Nor will I have you, individually 
determine what is in the public interest, or in the interest of people who 
are blind. That is something called "prior restraint".

It is very violative of the First Amendment.

I must also say this as well: "NFB does receive federal funding including 
passed through federal funds for Newsline. I support that by the way.

If you would read or explore the references to the RSA monitoring report 
which know one seems to have you would notice that RSA has some issues with 
that funding, or the way MCB does it.

But, no one can figure it out because public officials withhold public 
documents. Meanwhile you, Donna, seem to be suggesting that these aren't 
issues for NFB MI and that questions shouldn't even be asked.

Wow! No wonder blind folks in this state can get walked all over.

Self or collectively imposed ignorance is a plague on democracy and 
democratic functioning. It has been a particular plague upon people who are 
blind.

Look I don't ask for accessible information for the mere exercise of that 
right. I wish to get information like this to actually read, so that I might 
be an informed citizen and so that I might act on an informed basis in 
regards to public policy and action. Ditto goes for the rights and 
obligations of NFB MI.

Frankly, it was this type of stifling of the free flow of information, 
public accountability, and so on and so forth why I left NFB M aand later, 
MCBVI for that matter in the first place.

But, Donna I am back now. Pat Cannon and his abuse upon us and the system 
has certainly ticked me off. No doubt about that for sure.

As Larry aptly pointed out at the last MCB meeting Cannon is the greatest 
recruiting tool NFB M has had in recent years.

I am one in those ranks.

Now, if you wish to have self imposed ignorance of events and of items of 
public interest that is fine with me. That is indeed your choice and I, 
trully honor that choice. I really do.

But, please do not try to impose that on others who wish to be informed so 
that we might, individually and collectively act, in a trully informed 
manner.

By the way I certainly would welcome your input into these issues and your 
attempts to shed some light on and to reform the activities of MCB.

I really would.

Peace with Justice,

Joe


\

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Posont" <donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Michigan List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 8:26 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] yet another foia request


I appreciate your ability to shed "sunshine"  in a factual and informational
manner. However, as I understand the NFB list it is not a dumping ground for
whatever you wish to say about a public official. You are mistaken if you
think that participating in this list is a right and not a responsibility..
Involving yourself in this list is a privilege and should be treated as
such. In the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan we have local
chapters. The monthly meeting is an ideal place to discuss issues of
blindness and the impacts of the Michigan Commision of the Blind on the
lives of blind people. Through these and state board meetings we formulate
plans of action which will hopefully result in better opportunities for
blind people to participate in society with all the rights,
responsibilities,  and privileges that brings.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: "NFB of Michigan List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 7:34 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] yet another foia request


I did send this to the FOIA coordinator. And am making this public as public
records should be. I'll try to be nice about this Elizabeth. We have the
right to know in this country. There are no exclusions for blind folks.

Moreover I worked, in the real world of journalism for nearly twenty years
and the activities of public bodies and public servants are just that,
public! This particular agency and this particular public official have
acted in secret for far too long against all principles of open, transparent
and accountable government.

By the way this also goes to college policy. Have you not noticed that the
same things keep popping up over and over again? I saw basically the same
college policy that you have been bitten with several years back while I was
on the CIC. That CIC by the way and none of your input is valued in the
least as noted in those very minutes. And if you are not informed about the
extreme implications of MCB's funding issues then one day there just might
not be money to send blind folks to college under any conditions or
scenarios. It sure has happened a whole lot in other states, especially for
graduate programs.

As far as so-called personal attack goes. There is no such thing for public
officials as parody and satire are protected expression under the First
Amendment of the United States and several U.S. Supreme Court
determinations.

now, this will be my last word on this issue as I have better things to do.
However, be assured that my First Amendment rights are not chilled in the
least here and nor is my quest to shed some sunshine upon the workings of
MCB which, does impact the lives of blind people statewide.

I wish you a pleasant day and all the best in advocacy.

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elizabeth" <lizmohnke at hotmail.com>
To: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 11:59 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] yet another foia request



Hello Joe,

I am not able to fulfill your freedom of information request because I
simply do not have the information you have requested. I am simply an
average blind citizen living in the state of Michigan. However, if you send
this information to the Freedom of Information Coordinators, I am sure they
will be able to fulfill your request.

This is an email list for the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan,
and is intended to discuss matters related to our organization. It should
not be simply a dumping ground for those who wish to air their grievances
regarding the Michigan Commission for the Blind. I ask that you keep this in
mind when posting to the list, as I do not wish to receive a copy of every
freedom of information request you send to the Michigan Commission for the
Blind.

Thanks,
Elizabeth


> From: joeharcz at comcast.net
> To: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:52:00 -0400
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] yet another foia request
>
> Re: FOIA Request June 20, 2008 Recording MCB Quarterly Meeting
>
> April 27, 2010
>
>
>
> Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
>
> 1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.
>
> Mt. Morris, MI 48458
>
> E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net
>
>
>
> Melvin Farmer, DELEG, FOIA Coordinator
>
> E-mail: farmerc at michigan.gov
>
>
>
> Carla Haynes, MCB, FOIA
>
> E-mail: haynesc at michigan.gov
>
>
>
> Dear Mr. Farmer and Ms. Haynes:
>
>
>
> I am writing you today to request the audio recording of the June 20, 2008 
> meeting of the Michigan Commission for the Blind pursuant to the Michigan 
> Freedom of Information Act referenced in this quotation:
>
>
>
> “ Mike Ellis advised Commissioners that there had not been audio streaming 
> because there was equipment failure. The Commission will have audio that
>
> has been captured.”
>
>
>
>
>
> I am requesting this without any fee pursuant to past actions and 
> identification on either a flashcard or CD (the latter of which has been 
> sent to me in the past and is satisfactory).
>
>
>
> It may simply be mailed as in the past to my e-mail address listed above.
>
>
>
> I do wonder aloud here about one thing however: Why aren’t these 
> recordings simply archived on MCB’s web site which certainly would be in 
> the public interest? I am puzzled by this as also in this same meeting 
> minutes in the discussion of the MCB Action plan this was referenced 
> directly. I quote from the minutes here on the matter:
>
>
>
> “3.4 Enhance the MCB website including adding audio files of agency 
> brochures, videos and archived quarterly Commission meetings.
>
> Status: Future meetings will be archived when the space becomes available 
> through DMB. Three of MCB's brochures are currently available on line.”
>
>
>
> I certainly would consider it to be compliant with this request if MCB 
> simply would put these archived recordings in accessible manner on their 
> own web site as suggested over and over again including the above 
> reference which is almost two years old.
>
>
>
> It appears that we have some issues with timely delivery and availability 
> of public information. The state web sites could well be used to deliver 
> timely, material like this in the spirit of transparency, open governance 
> and accountability. Governor Grandholm has often discussed transparency 
> including efforts in that regard recently on her web site. I would 
> appreciate it if DELEG and MCB also was more forthcoming and acted more 
> affirmatively in these regards. It certainly would, among other things 
> ensure that I, and others would not be so burdened with making FOIA 
> requests. And, for that matter you and the staff at DELEG would likewise 
> not have to be so burdened with these issues as well.
>
>
>
> I offer the latter observations in the spirit of cooperation and positive 
> input from a citizen of this state who just happens to be blind.
>
>
>
> Very Truly Yours,
>
>
>
> Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
>
>
>
> Cc: Commissioners Michigan Commission for the Blind
>
> Cc: National Federation of the Blind of Michigan
>
> Cc: Michigan Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired
>
> Cc: Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services, Inc.
>
> Cc: Michael Cox, Michigan Attorney General
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbmi-talk mailing list
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nfbmi-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/lizmohnke%40hotmail.com

_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_1
_______________________________________________
nfbmi-talk mailing list
nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nfbmi-talk:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/joeharcz%40comcast.net


_______________________________________________
nfbmi-talk mailing list
nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nfbmi-talk:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/donnabutterfly50%40gmail.com


_______________________________________________
nfbmi-talk mailing list
nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nfbmi-talk:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/joeharcz%40comcast.net 





More information about the NFBMI-Talk mailing list