[nfbmi-talk] horrible slanted news

[joe harcz Comcast]

It will be done and you can mark my word on that. Things are happening very 
fast though and such is the rub.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "fred olver" <goodfolks at charter.net>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 11:17 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] horrible slanted news


> 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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