[nfbmi-talk] looks like the war has started

[Tonya Smith]

Well it sounds to me like that Pat and, either Pat and Mary are going to have to learn how to get along or something, you know?  Otherwise Mary, you might lose your congratulatory from Rick and I know you don't want that.  And besides, so far I like what Rick doing.  He is getting rid of all the dead weight for the people who don't need food stamps and SSI, who can get along without it.  Cuz there's too many people in the world who basically live on food stamps and SSI because they can even though they don't need it.  And there is too many people in government and whatnot who are not doing jobs that need to be done to help blind people and so on and so forth.  So good going Rick.  Keep up the good work.  Get rid of the dead weight.  Good going.  Keep it up.  You have my vote.  I'm all for it.

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> Original Message:
> ---------------------------------
> 
> From: Joe Sontag <suncat0 at gmail.com> 
> Sent: March 17, 2011 10:57:30 AM
> To: NFB of Michigan List <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] looks like the war has started
> 
> And the first shot was not fired by us
> 
> >From today's edition of the Detroit News:
> 
> Last Updated: March 17. 2011 1:00AM
> 
> 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.
> 
> 
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