[nfbmi-talk] official request for information and accommodation

Fri Aug 27 13:24:38 UTC 2010

If I could say something to Mr. Cannon at this time, I would say this:

No matter how often you repeat a set of words put together in a sentence,
the words need to mean something in order to constitute the truth.   

I have heard Pat Cannon say that the Michigan Commission for the Blind will
err on the side of openness, for nearly 4 years now and the statement is no
more true today than it was when first he uttered it.  

If this agency errs on the side of openness, how is it that neither the
Commission chair nor any member of the Board had any knowledge of the
existence of a document called the State Plan, as late as March of 2009? And
only learned about the State Plan at that time because the Commission chair
was participating in the RSA monitoring visit and the monitoring team
naturally addressed that document?

The State Plan is only the most important document that a state vocational
rehabilitation agency prepares every year.  It is almost impossible for me
to imagine how it could even be possible for a Commissioner to be unaware of
the existence of this document after serving for no less than 9 years on the
Board in March of 2009.  

I could go on...in fact, I could go on for so long that I could bore the
socks off of every reader of this list if I mentioned only a fraction of
everything that is secretized and sanitized within the Michigan Commission
for the Blind.  
...so I shall stop here.   
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of joe harcz Comcast
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 7:12 PM
To: Wyeth, Duncan (DELEG)
Cc: Luzenski, Sue (DLEG); Margaret Wolfe MCB,Commissioner;
nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org; John L Wodatch USDOJ; Lynnae Ruttledge RSA
Commissioner; Jo Anne Pilarski MCB, Chair; mike.cox at michigan.gov; John Scott
MCB,Commissioner; Patrick Cannon MCB Nice work Joe.  

be  Director; TOM MASSEAU MPAS; Joe Sibley MCBVI Pres.; Richard Clay
Advocates f/t Blind; Geri. Taeckens MCB, Commissioner
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] official request for information and accommodation

Official Request for Public Documents Including Financial Information

August 26, 2010

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

Re: request for information pursuant to ADA, Title II

Duncan Wyeth, DELEG ADA Coordinator

Via e-mail

Patrick D. Cannon, Director Michigan Commission for the Blind

And State of Michigan ADA Coordinator

Via e-mail

MCB Commissioners (all via e-mail)

Jo anne Pilarski, Chair

Michael Geno, Vice-Chair c/o Susan Luzinski

Margaret Wolfe, Commissioner

Geraldine Taeckens, Commissioner

John Scott, Commissioner

All,

I am writing you today in the interest of accommodation, inclusion, and
transparency for all of the following items in accessible format pursuant to
obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1993 (Title II,
subpart e, communications), as well as relevant provisions of The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

The documents may simply be sent to me via e-mail as either Word attachments
or plain text enclosures.

I reiterate my request for all information in the "commissioner's packet"
reference today at the meeting on budget and cash match. Ms. Luzinski only
sent me the MCB Report, Agenda and Draft College Policy. But documents
related to the State Plan which the commissioners clearly have and other
documents they will be priey to tomorrow at the board meeting were not sent
to me. Thus again I wish to have all documents that the commissioners have
concerning tomorrow's quarterly meeting sent to me.

Moreover, as discussed today I wish to have all of the documents related to
the in service sent to me. They include in part:

-all the reports that Ms. Cheryl Heibeck referred to including the 911
report, standards and indicators, the most recent Auditor General's report
(single audit) and so on and so forth

-the operating budget that Ms. Zanger referred to

-all of the memorandums of understanding referred to with Intermediate
School Districts, by Mr. Jones

-the financial report referenced by the person from DELEG (Al was his first
name but I couldn't hear his last or official position

-the memorandum of understanding referred to at today's in service

I must say that Mr. Cannon denoted that these documents were to be made
available to members of the public and that he reiterated his contention
that MCB was open and wished to be more open than other agencies in the
country. I take him at his word on this and am taking him up on his offer of
open governance in these regards now.

Finally, I reiterate my verbal suggestion today that these and other
documents relative to the activities of the Michigan Commission for the
Blind are routinely, in a timely and accessible manner simply posted to
MCB's web site now and in the future.

Respectfully,

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

Cc: MI National Federation of the Blind

Cc: Michigan Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired

Cc: Advocates for the Blind

Cc: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights
Section

Cc: Michael Cox, Michigan Attorney General

Cc: Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services, Inc.

Cc: Lynnae Rutledge, Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration

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