[nfbmi-talk] looks like the war has started

[joe harcz Comcast]

Whatis the access code?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christine Boone" <christine_boone at comcast.net>
To: "Joe Sontag" <suncat0 at gmail.com>; "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing 
List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 11:49 AM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] looks like the war has started


> 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.
>>
>>
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