[nfbmi-talk] looking at the past conflicts of interests?

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Thu Dec 29 12:53:38 UTC 2011


December 29 Memo Related to Conflict of Interest

 

December 29, 2011

 

 

Re: Unsavory Connections between Public Officials, Public Employees and Community Rehab Programs

 

Colleagues,

 

 

 

This is from the:

APPROVED
MICHIGAN COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND

SEPTEMBER 16, 2002

LANDMARK INN

MARQUETTE, MI

MINUTES
 

Now like all minutes of MCB we can see from the following that things are rather, and amateurish,scattered event:

 

 

“        Ms. Darlene Piconi thanked the commission for all of their help and was informed today that because she and Mr. John McMahon were married on September 6, the Commission will no longer be able to use her services due to a conflict of interest.  

There was brief discussion among Commissioners and Director Cannon regarding Ms. Piconi’s situation.  Chairperson Pilarski stated that this is a subject that should be discussed in a closed session.

MS. THOMAS MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MR. ADLER, TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT IN A CLOSED SESSION.  THE MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

ADJOURNMENT

MR. ADLER MOVED, SUPPORTED BY MS. THOMAS, TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.  THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

        “

 

 

 

Regardless this does go to the relationships between an area Supervisor, Gwen McNeal serving on the Board of Trustees of a job developer, and Community Rehabilitation Program that MCB does direct business with, which is a true conflict of interest on her and MCB’s part.

 

Moreover, the McMahan/Piconi issue was one of so-called nepotism as they were to be married, but McMahan did eventually get fired by Cannon while he defends publicly McNeal being on New Horizons Board even after some “reversion to vendor” issues between New Horizons, Mcomb ISD and MCB were denoted in the RSA Monitoring Report.

 

Another issue here is that closed sessions for disciplinary hearings are the priveledge of the party being disciplined or discussed. Here we see in the public record Commissioners calling for closed session in violation of the Open Meetings Act.

 

Frankly it is behind closed doors that Cannon always has done and always will do his dirty work. And in the past he has roped commissioners in to doing his bidding behind closed doors.

 

A similar thing was done related to the “conflict of interest” attacks upon former Commissioner Mark Eagle.

 

By the way I, personally don’t think now that either John McMahan or Mark Eagle had unremedial conflict of interest issues, but Cannon did. I do think that what is good for the goose is very good for the gander when we examine the real conflicts of interest where lots of federal/state funds are concerned.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Joe Harcz



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