[nfbmi-talk] horrible slanted news

[fred olver]

Joe, maybe you as well might consider letting your views be known to the 
Detroit News and Mr. Burnstein, forgive the spelling.

Fred Olver

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 10:12 AM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] horrible slanted news


This is just plain disgusting and just plain fluff. Listen please you all. 
I'm personally a decidedly left of center person and all know I've had 
political and philosophical disputes with both NFB and ACB for that matter. 
It is all irrelevant. The MCB is a federally funded program that is supposed 
to run under the rule of law and not the rule of man as are all others. That 
is independent, or should be of politics. Yet, here we have basically a news 
plant, devoidof content that is meaningful which is typical Cannon modus 
operandi. The news should in my mind do some due diligence in reporting real 
and documented actions rather than playing political football. Maybe they 
should look into the books of MCB. And, as per Richard Bernstein all I have 
to say is this: "I've sent him for years documentation of the ADA violations 
by Cannon and MCB. I ask openly here: What gives?"

Darn maybe he'd like to see the accessibility surveys and such in accessible 
format of MCB and other state facilities. Oops he's seen as much as I have.



IOh, my I'm trying very hard not to swear here. But, I've begged 
Bernbnstein, M PAS and others, literally and in phone calls and in writing 
to sue MCB for ADA violations.

I personally have grave reservations and will protest other issues related 
to the Snyder administration and our Republican dominated legislature. But, 
this stuff is nothing short of pure political football without any 
accountability, which should be the bottom line of news period. And end of 
story. Except that Bernstein, Bodding, and the Detroit News should simply 
look at the books and the shenigans and all the other crap conducted under 
the regime of Cannon.

I, for one, as a former journalist am damned sick and tired of the fluff, 
and PR driven news coverage in general and in specific here. That goes to 
both the so-called right and the so-called left. Facts are facts and news 
should be fact driven.

And I don't give a rat's posterior if those facts hit a Democrat or a 
Republican, or a Socialist, or a doornob.

This is nothing but politics in the worst sense of the term. This is nothing 
but character assasination by default without examing the facts.

Arrgh! Let me write later about the stuff on my old computer related to the 
Kerry campaign and Janelle Cannon. Let me write later about trying to make 
Democratic Party functions and events and even the 2004 primary fully 
accessable to the blind.

Let me write later about all my years of trying to make the Grandholm 
Administration and all of its programs, services and activities accessable 
to all people with all disabilities. Argh! And much of what you good people 
on this list have seen in these regards has been sent to both Richard 
Bernstein and in fact the Detroit News.

I am so outraged at this crap I simply can hardly write. But, this needs to 
be a component of the public record.

Larry is an honest broker. He and I differ generally when it comes to 
nominal party affiliation. In fact and I'll say it here my only issue with 
Obama is that he is far to the right of me. Now, that and a dollar or two 
will get us all a cup of coffee.

Opinions are like noses as everyone has one for the most part. But, facts 
are facts.

For too damned long. Far too damned long MCB has run as a sort of secret 
government. And I and others wish the News and other so-called news sources 
would simply look at the books. Or maybe they should simply look at 
attending today's meeting and finding the entrance with a blind fold on or 
in a wheelchair.

This is incredible in that for some reason if it is done then the stuff I've 
sent to the News, to Bernstein and others about compliance and simply fixing 
the ADA issues alone surrounding MCB will come to light.

Man, for ten years I've tried to get Bernstein to sue MCB and other state 
entities for violations of the ADA. These are known and documented 
violations bythe way and not some spin or conjecture including the lack of 
ADAAG required raised character and Braille signage in all state buildings. 
This also includes independence reports forwarded to Bernstein and in fact a 
Detroit News reporter documenting these things as well as other issues 
relevent to ADA, Title II compliance.


Argh!! Argh!

Here things are clear. Neither the News nor Bernstein or anyone else really 
cares about the ADA or our civil rights or facts. They just care about 
politics.

They are as guilty as this Administration and this Legislature of going 
after people with disabilities and those who are blind. A pox on them both! 
But, the outrage expressed here is simply an outrage and bovine stuff of the 
highest order.

The politics and the crap will ultimately shut MCB and otherstate run 
organizations like it down and it all goes to politics.

And sadly, most sadly it is politics devoid of principle and laden in fact 
and deed with personal engrandisement of a few chosen, and that includes 
Cannon. Who died and named him God? What the heck is his documented track 
record devoid of politics? Has the News or any other so-called news source 
ever investigated the fact that this clown is the highest paid and highest 
placed public official in the entire state without a college degree?

The News and MCB and all Party types should be made aware that all agencies 
of state government should be scrutinized regardless as to affilliation, or 
politics and on objective standards. And MCB is and should not be immune to 
that scrutiny.






Joe

Snyder appointee to agency for blind risks conflict



New commissioner, director have been at odds for years



Paul Egan / Detroit News Lansing Bureau



Lansing — Gov. Rick Snyder's appointment to the Michigan Commission for the 
Blind of a vocal critic has set the stage for increased turmoil at the 
agency

that serves the state's estimated 45,000 blind people.



Snyder's press secretary, Sara Wurfel, says the governor wasn't aware of the 
bad blood between his newly appointed commissioner, Larry Posont, and 
longtime

agency director Pat Cannon when he appointed Posont earlier this month.



Posont, who is blind and serves as Michigan president of the National 
Federation of the Blind, says Cannon has fostered "an atmosphere of 
cover-up, secrecy

and intimidation," and he wants him to step down. Cannon, who is also blind 
and has held his state post since 1998, denies the allegations and says he

has no intention of leaving.



"This is not good," said Richard Bernstein, a prominent blind attorney from 
Farmington Hills who last year sought the Democratic nomination for attorney

general. "At a time when you're going through critical budget cuts … you 
really need to have more cohesion."



The heads of two agencies that advocate for the blind have written Snyder 
asking him to reconsider the appointment to the five-member commission 
charged

with helping blind people live and work independently. It holds its 
quarterly meeting in Lansing today and Friday.



"I would like to see them withdraw the appointment," said Gwen Botting of 
Ionia, president of Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments. 
"It

is a mistake, in my opinion."



Joe Sibley, president of the Michigan Council of the Blind, said he's 
"concerned this could be damaging in the long run, especially if (Posont) is 
made

chairman."



As federation president, Posont, 59, has organized a public demonstration 
against Cannon for about the past two years has criticized his handling of 
personnel

issues, his dealings with blind entrepreneurs who operate shops or vending 
machines in state buildings, and his handling of a federal audit, among 
other

issues. Posont said his main priority as a commissioner is to do a better 
job of helping blind people get jobs.



"Mr. Cannon's recent actions are an unwarranted abuse of power and amount to 
intimidation and bullying of blind citizens of Michigan who dare to speak 
for

themselves and question his policies," Posont said after Cannon's 2010 
firing of Christine Boone, who is blind, as director of the commission's 
Blind Training

Center in Kalamazoo.



Wurfel said Snyder's children know Posont's children but the governor wasn't 
"aware of the extent of the commission's history" when he appointed Posont

on March 2. Snyder expects "both appointees and staff to work together in a 
collaborative, constructive fashion," she said. "Moving forward to best 
serve

the blind and visually impaired community is imperative."



Posont of Dearborn Heights did not sound conciliatory this week. "He 
(Cannon) could go between now and June and we wouldn't have to figure out a 
way to

push him out," he said. Otherwise, "this could get very dirty."



Cannon, 68, whose $125,000-a-year post is civil service, not a political 
appointment, said Posont's comments are surprising and unfortunate.



"We are both dedicated to working in the best interests of blind people in 
Michigan," he said. "I am optimistic that we will work well together."



The commission, which is not paid, must have at least three members who are 
blind. It can't dismiss Cannon but annually reviews his performance and 
recommends

a replacement if the post becomes vacant. Cannon said he's received 
"outstanding evaluations over the last 13 years."



Though both advocate for the blind, Posont's federation and Sibley's council 
have different philosophies on issues such as whether special accommodations

should be made for blind people, with the federation less supportive of such 
measures.



Sibley said the council takes a nonconfrontational approach while Posont 
prefers the "pit bull" method. Posont agreed the federation is more 
aggressive

than the council and said it is less supportive of special measures, such as 
currency implants to help blind people distinguish one denomination of bill

from another.



Boone was fired for allegedly violating rules about workplace safety and 
firearms on state property after she used pellet guns to offer marksmanship 
training

to blind students.



Cannon said he can't comment on a personnel matter.



Posont said Boone had been doing an "exemplary job" of instilling students 
with "a positive philosophy of blindness" and Cannon had verbally signed off

on the marksmanship training. There was no safety issue and the 
small-caliber pellet guns used are not even considered firearms under 
Michigan law, he

said.



Posont put out a news release announcing his appointment before the 
governor's office did. Posont's release said Snyder had named him chairman; 
Snyder's

release only named Posont a member. Posont conceded his release was 
premature.



http://www.detnews.com/article/20110317/POLITICS02/103170410/1022/Snyder-appointee-to-agency-for-blind-risks-conflict


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