[nfbmi-talk] looks like the war has started

[Christine Boone]

Isn't it a shame that Larry has yet to attend his first meeting as a Commissioner; he has yet to take any action in his capacity as a member of the MCB Board, and he is condemned.  

Let us please give him a chance; just as we have done for Geri Taeckens, for Jo Anne Pilarski, for John Scott, Mike Geno, Margaret Wolfe, Sheila Ashcraft and all of the other commissioners who have served through the years.  If he acts in a way that does not support the best interests of blind people, (and I for one most certainly believe that will not happen),  that will be the time to speak out.   

On this day, let us welcome both Larry Posont and Lydia Schuck to the Board of the Michigan Commission for the Blind, and let us stand together as blind citizens of this state.  Let us ask with a unified voice, for an agency that truly serves people who are blind and visually impaired.  The Michigan Commission for the Blind is currently working to put together a corrective Action plan that will satisfy the federal reviewers who released the recent monitoring report on the Commission.  The fact that a corrective action plan is not so shocking, for other agencies have found themselves in such a position, particularly when they are experiencing difficulties of some kind within their states.  What is highly unusual is that this corrective action plan has not been finalized, and the monitoring visit took place two long years ago.  Why does the Commission have such trouble complying with federal law and regulation?  

This and other matters need to be examined by this Commission Board.  Let us see if this Board is pro-active, willing to demand excellence from Michigan's rehabilitation agency serving blind and visually impaired Michiganians.  I believe they will do all of these things and more.  

Respectfully, 
Christine



On Mar 17, 2011, at 10:57 AM, Joe Sontag wrote:

> 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.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nfbmi-talk mailing list
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nfbmi-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/christine_boone%40comcast.net