[nfbmi-talk] Those Darn Sneaky Blizzards

[Elizabeth]

Okay, so I think I might have figured out why the Michigan Commission for the Blind does not want to release the audit report that we have been requesting. At the last NFB board meeting, Christine Boone explained that once an audit is conducted, the agency is given some time to fix some of the discrepancies before the final report is released. I could be wrong about this, but I am wondering if the failure to release this report has anything to do with their failed attempts at adopting a new college policy because I honestly cannot think of anything else that the agency has been trying so hard to change. If there are some discrepancies are looking to fix, then what better way to fix them by adopting a new policy?
 
If I recall correctly, I have heard that the audit report was first mentioned by agency personnel sometime last fall. And if I recall correctly, I believe it was around this time when the college policy came before the Commission Board for adoption. If the agency is given a period of time to fix any discrepancies on the report, and if the college policy was soon to come before the Commission Board, then I would imagine that they would want to push back the release of the audit report until after the Commission Board approved the new college policy. But the Commission Board did not approve the college policy, and the audit report was not released to the general public.
 
And now it would appear as though the same thing is happening again. The college policy was to go before the Commission Board around the same time the audit report was to be released to the public. But once again, the Commission Board failed to approve the college policy, and to my knowledge, they have yet to release the audit report to the general public. Is this merely a coincidence or is there something more to this connection? 
 
At yesterday’s college policy meeting, I was a bit surprised and rather pissed that the Commission Board members in charge of heading up this issue basically blindsided all of the students and consumers who worked hard at providing written feedback on the college policy by the deadline they set for receiving these comments. Instead of working from all of these comments to create a policy that would work for all of those involved in this meeting, the Chair of the committee decided to write something up at the last minute the night before the meeting, and then basically slammed it down our throats because the Commission Board absolutely needs to adopt a new college policy at their next Board meeting. Again, is this sense of urgency to adopt a new college policy have anything to do with the release of the federal audit?
 
I understand the Commission provides rather detailed explanations that seem to explain things, but I am honestly getting to the point where I do not believe a word that they say. A friend of mine who lives in Minnesota told me that their state went through a federal audit this past spring, and yet they have already received their report and are currently in the process of conducting public hearings on the report. So even though Pat Cannon says there is a problem with the process for conducting these audits as he explained during the Commission Board meeting on Friday, I am sorry, but I just do not buy it. If they are already releasing reports for this year, then I would think that would mean that they have already finished all of the reports from the previous year.
 
As far as the college policy is concerned, I really do not have a clue what to do next. I still think the main reason why they are looking at changing the existing policy is so that they can implement a means test without really calling it a means test. And even though we were given an explanation of the differences between a means test and the new DELEG financial aid form, I am still not convinced that it is not a means test. 
 
and I’m sorry, but I’m tired of basically having everything I say be confronted by some counter argument without even being considered. They talk about respecting others, and yet I still feel as though I am not being respected simply because I am not one of them. I am sorry, but I am tired of trying to work with an agency that does not appear as though it has any respect for me. And as much as I would love to represent this organization on this issue, I am not sure if I have the strength to do it anymore. I know that I am a good writer, but verbal arguments are simply not a strong suit especially when it feels as though they are just simply waiting there to argue against me without really taking the time to listen to me.
 
 
Elizabeth 		 	   		  
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