[nfbmi-talk] low crimes and misdemeanors

Larry Posont president.nfb.mi at gmail.com
Thu Jun 3 00:22:59 UTC 2010


I know everyone gets tired of all Joe  Harcz's Commission stuff, but this is 
right on!
Larry Posont
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: "blind democracy List" <blind-democracy at octothorp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 3:48 PM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] low crimes and misdemeanors at mcb


Low Crimes and Misdemeanors



Colleagues:





Note the following section from the RSA Fiscal Year 2009 Monitoring
Protocols:

"While only RSA staff will carry out monitoring activities, the review
process is supported and strengthened by collaboration with key state agency
staff, as well as other stakeholders.  Input will be solicited from the
State Rehabilitation Councils (SRC), SILCs, Client Assistance Programs,
consumer groups, service providers and other stakeholders whenever
appropriate."



Now, I'd like to openly ask if there is even one consumer let alone any
consumer organization that was involved with the Michigan Commission for the
Blind monitoring? In fact the answer is: "No". and, to this very date, even
the members of the Michigan commission for the Blind board are still
clueless let alone not engaged. In fact in the so-called Special Meeting of
the MCB Board of May 3, 2010 where the commissioners went into closed
session for the purpose of discussing their rolls and responsibilities among
other illegal and inane things everyone commented in open session later that
they haven't even seen the preliminary monitoring report issued in September
of 2009 by RSA let alone be engaged during the process. Moreover they
clearly are in the dark about the required action plans and other
 "rebuttals" to that monitoring, let alone any real budgetary information or
issues with same.



Now, the public at large has been illegally prevented from seeing this
critical information through numerous abuses and violations of the Michigan
Freedom of Information Act. And these people also include the very consumer
groups referenced like say the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan,
or Advocates for the Blind, or the Michigan Council of the Blind and
Visually Impaired for that matter.



A commission by law, and I'm speaking of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is
supposed to be "autonomous" and "consumer driven". Ours isn't even
"re-active", because it generally doesn't even request timely and accessible
information in which to exercise its responsibilities or it doesn't get it
even when requested. In fact it just dawned on the Commissioners at this May
3 meeting that they have a roll in developing and actually writing policy.
Wow, what a revelation eh?



Moreover, watchdogs and consumer organizations once again are routinely
denied public information.



By the way these are more than civil matters or allegations for knowing
violations of the Freedom of Information Act by public officials and
violations of the Michigan Open Meetings Act (which MCB also has violated)
are also misdemeanors and thus criminal acts.



It certainly is a crime in the truest sense of that word what Patrick Cannon
has done in denying access to the process and even information which in turn
has led to firing of qualified staff who are blind, fundamental violations
of civil rights of consumers, and the whole plethora of activities that have
now jeopardized the very existence of the Michigan Commission for the Blind.



Fundamentally though the exclusion of consumers and consumer organizations
from the beginning through the conclusion of the monitoring process to this
very day on its findings and actions to date is typical of the abuse of
power that has been going on during the reign of terror by this agency
director against the very people he is charged to serve with a $118,000 plus
salary to boot. Well I guess he figured out how to get one man who is blind
quality employment with only an Associates Degree and a whole lot of spin as
credentials.



Since he is grossly  unqualified by the fact that he has no frontline
experience with the rehabilitation of people who are blind, let alone only
having a passing acquaintence with skills of blindness like say Braille or
independent travel,  I'm surprised that he didn't appoint himself as the new
director of the MCB Training Center and hog up that position and salary for
himself.  Along with his duties as MCB Director and State of Michigan
Americans with disabilities Act coordinator position this could be just
another job he can't do to add to his resume, and, of course precious
pension, let alone his benighted legacy



Wow, why doesn't Cannon just fire everyone on the Commission and staff of
the Commission and cut out all that nasty middle person stuff? Oh, no he
couldn't do that for then he wouldn't have some convenient scape goat to
blame when the bovine scatology hits the proverbial fan.



Joe Harcz



June 2, 2010



(Still awaiting openness, transparency, inclusion, accessibility, and
accountability.)






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