[nfbmi-talk] low crimes and misdemeanors

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Thu Jun 3 14:58:54 UTC 2010 

Yes, and isn't it interesting that under the Rehab Act Michigan 
rehabilitation Services does have some say so over ALJs and in fact the head 
of the Michigan Rehab Council (the similar outfit compared to MCB Board) 
stated in one meeting, "If they don't know about reasonable accommodations 
(and disabilities in general) they are incompetent (to conduct fair 
hearings)."

Ditto for ALJ's who have no working knoledge of the Rehab Act, the Randolph 
Shepard program, or blindness in general...

One thing that was so glaring about the May 3, 2010 meeting in my reviews of 
it (and I have listened to the entire recording) is that not once was it 
mentioned by the AG rep. Schmidt or anyone on the board for that matter 
anything about the Rehab Act or RS! Oh they talked abut PA 260, civil 
services rules, and all kinds of state law with a twisted and arbitrary 
determination of what they are, but they failed to adhere to let alone even 
mention federal enabling legislation and obligations!

Incredable if you ask me!

And frankly I think that MCB under Cannon is in cahoots with the AG in 
selling us all out on a variety of issues.

Here, very ironically the personal agendas of so-called left (Cannon) and 
right (AG's office under Cox) coincide to, again protect their personal 
interests over those of the public and the interests of the blind which 
these programs were designed for to begin with and funded by the federal 
taxpayer to a very large extent.

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Sontag" <suncat0 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 10:37 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] low crimes and misdemeanors


> This is also the same office that represents the BEP at hearings, 
> including the very one which brought the catering issue into daylight. 
> Can anyone say conflict of interest?
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
> To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 09:39
> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] low crimes and misdemeanors
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Did all notice another thing here. The same A.G., Barbara Schmidt who has 
>> been advising MCB to violate the Open Meetings Act, and openly violating 
>> even the case law and A.G. past opinions on the Attorney General's web 
>> site is also the same office that developed the bizarre opinion on 
>> catering?
>>
>> Now, that is literally taking the food out of the mouths of venders and 
>> hampering job opportunities for the blind.
>>
>> Our board to its credit did not yield to the closed meeting and closed 
>> book, so to speak on that issue when it came up in December of 2008. Yet, 
>> they for some strange reason cited that very issue and Schmidt's memos 
>> related to it in the May 3, 2010 meeting.
>>
>> And, of course they referred to her as "our attorney".
>>
>> Something is clearly wrong with this picture.
>>
>> The Attorney General's office is supposed to be the "people's attorney" 
>> and should among other things be enforcing the open government activities 
>> of state agencies like MCB including the OMA and FOIA. Moreover, MCB does 
>> not belong to Cannon, or the board members for that matter. It belongs to 
>> us, the people of this state of Michigan.
>>
>> The sense ofproprietorship, paternalism, and ownership over state and 
>> federal programs by a few is mind blowing to me. It is anti-democratic at 
>> its core.
>>
>> Don't get me wrong here. I'm clearly for government programs including 
>> rehabilitation programs like MCB and affirmative action programs like the 
>> Randolph-Shepard Act.
>>
>> But, none of these valuable programs can exist for long without checks 
>> and balances, scrutiny, and we the people being watchdogs on activities. 
>> The very reason we have sunshine laws like the Open Meetings Act and the 
>> Freedom of Information Act are to ensure the entigrity of public programs 
>> like say, MCB, and to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse through open and 
>> accessible governance.
>>
>> Of course, being an old reporter by trade I know one thing. That is when 
>> any government agency works as hard as MCB has to hide its activities 
>> from the light of day then it, indeed has something to hide.
>>
>> It doesn't matter if this is done by Democrats or Republicans, or right, 
>> left or middle. History shows that corruption and malfeasance thrives 
>> when the public is in the dark. Conversely, programs work well and 
>> function according to their missions and goals when sunshine is the rule 
>> of the day.
>>
>> Here is something interesting: I've heard from some folks still working 
>> for MCB that some think people like myself and NFB MI are out to ruin MCB 
>> and destroy the remaining jobs of staff. This couldn't be further from 
>> the truth. In fact MCB is already being destroyed from the inside and 
>> jobs are being eliminated for blind folks as we well no right now. 
>> Sighted and loyal Cannonites are being rewarded with some promotions on 
>> this sinking ship.
>>
>> Meanwhile back at the ranch on the front lines of rehab, like at the MCB 
>> TC how many of those jobs directly related to skilled professionals 
>> developing the necessary skilss of blindness in our population are at 
>> risk? I'll tell you that a huge percentage of front line, skilled 
>> personnell are at risk.
>>
>> Of course, all the operators know what is and what has been done to the 
>> BEP program.
>>
>> No in this state there is only one job for one blind token that is 
>> sancrosanct.
>>
>> Joe
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Joe Sontag" <suncat0 at gmail.com>
>> To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 11:33 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] low crimes and misdemeanors
>>
>>
>>> Wow! I love it and fully agree! Even as uncle Pat is passively trying to 
>>> destroy me financially, I say Mr. Harcz's purely on topic here.
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Larry Posont" <president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NFBofMichigan List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 20:22
>>> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] low crimes and misdemeanors
>>>
>>>
>>>>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.)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> 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/suncat0%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
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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/suncat0%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