[nfbmi-talk] miles to go before we sleep

[joe harcz Comcast]

The situations involved with last year's resolution referenced here have not been totally resolved to this date.

I submit it only to point out the facts of the matter that with the possible exception of the Christine Boone affair (and that has not been fully ameliorated on a number of counts by the way) these situations and more exist to this very day and in some instances are even worse.

Now, this is not an attack whatsoever against anyone in the NFB MI. It simply is not so.

Simply we are honor, duty, and constitutionally bound to follow through on all of our resolutions until they are accomplished in fact and deed.

In short; "It ain't over until it's over."

Regardless I submit the following unresolved resolution from last year's convention and again no blame on anyone whatsoever...
RESOLUTION 2010-02 ROBINSON, BOONE, BROOKS RESOLUTION

 

WHEREAS:   David Robinson and Christine Boone are highly qualified and experienced workers in the field of Blind Rehabilitation with more than 30 years each of service to blind people; and

 

WHEREAS:   Both Boone and Robinson are long-time members of the National Federation of the Blind; and

 

WHEREAS:   David Robinson was fired for no reason while professionally carrying out his job duties while enjoying the overwhelming support of Business Enterprise Entrepreneurs whom he assisted to operate their businesses; and

 

WHEREAS:   David Robinson advocated on behalf of blind entrepreneurs to properly enforce the legally mandated priority of Business Enterprise Operators to sell food and related products on state property, sometimes in opposition to officials who were illegally operating businesses while on the state of Michigan payroll on state property, as verified by a ruling from an Administrative law Judge; and 

 

WHEREAS:   Christine Boone was fired for allegedly violating state rules prohibiting employees from possessing or using firearms on state property; and

 

WHEREAS:   Mrs. Boone never handled or possessed any firearms on state property during her employment at the Michigan Commission for the Blind; and

 

WHEREAS:   Christine Boone consistently had highly rated performance evaluations and actively worked to build support among staff, students and consumers of the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center and raise the standards and expectations for all blind individuals who were students during her tenure; and

 

WHEREAS:   A number of entrepreneurs in the Michigan Commission for the Blind Business Enterprise Program had their licenses illegally revoked, thus depriving them of income; and

 

WHEREAS:   These blind entrepreneurs were NFB members and in leadership roles in the Business Enterprise Program; and 

 

WHEREAS:   Director Patrick Cannon Personally traveled to Hazell Brooks’ (the president of the NFB Merchants Division and Chair of the Elected Operators Committee) cafeteria in the General Office Building in Dimondale, MI, one of the entrepreneurs who was unlawfully attacked, and removed her from her facility in violation of the Randolph-Sheppard Act, an action which was later reversed by the Michigan Commission Board of Directors; and

 

WHEREAS:   MS Brooks had repeatedly asked for assistance from the Business Enterprise Program to stop illegal catering and had been openly critical of the Commission’s unwillingness or inability to confront and halt the illegal catering of food and the illegal operation of an employee run store during working hours; and

 

Whereas:         These attacks on innocent people by the Director of the Commission for the Blind present a pattern of attack upon members of the National Federation of the Blind, in violation of their Civil Rights under the 1st and 14th amendment, the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, Michigan Public Act 260, Michigan Public Act 220 and a basic moral and ethical code of conduct inherent to the trust placed in public officials by the citizens of our nation.

 

WHEREAS:   The actions of Patrick Cannon are designed and intend to bully and intimidate members of the national Federation of the Blind from speaking out about mismanagement, inept management, poor decision making, violation of state and federal laws and rules, improper influence over decision-making in state government, ineffective enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which Cannon has statewide responsibility and a myriad of other misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance.

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan in convention assembled, this thirty-first day of October 2010, in Dearborn Michigan that this organization condemn and deplore the actions of Director Patrick Cannon of the Michigan Commission for the Blind, for his wanton, vicious and immoral attacks on blind people who exercise their constitutional right to freely assemble and express their views about public programs and policies and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization seek all avenues of assistance, advice and counsel to take all available actions including, court, administrative and public information to stop this common bully and power abusing person from injuring others and seek all compensation available on the behalf of these injured parties from the state government and Director Cannon personally as provided for under law.