[nfbmi-talk] supremacy clause or santa claus

[joe harcz Comcast]

Open Question

 

All,

 

We have a lot of talk about diversity in the Michigan Commission for the Blind. But, it is still unanswered the issue I brought up at the last MCB meeting. Here is a fact: “Each and every Promotional Agent hired during the past few years is white, male, and not blind.”

 

Now, why is that?

 

In all the searching for vacant posts we couldn’t find even one qualified person of color; or even one woman; or, God forbid a qualified person who happens to be blind?

 

I don’t think this is a very good message for a program that is by it’s very nature a “priority program”.

 

I also think openly that it is this very avoidance of implementing affirmative action requirements under the Rehab Act that has led to the reality where the BEP program actually uses, again in documented fashion Rehab Funds to supply jobs not for qualified blind folks, but rather, for not qualified non-disabled and not accountable so-called temporary operators. Where are the “set asides” for these folks? Where is the accounting let alone the accountability? Oh, Cannon in his traditional fashion will cite state rules as he’s done in the past. But here as I’ve stated Federal law is supposed to trump state law.  Guess no one has read the Constitution including the “spending clause or the “Supremacy clause””. Cannon sure hasn’t read the Fourteenth Amendement. Anyway his patronage scam is clear and he acts as if he is a political “Santa Claus”. I guess he got his clauses mixed up a bit. Oh well that’s what we get when a GS 19 can’t even acquire a college degree of any type. Oh I’m not an academic snob by any means, but it is really ironic that Cannon continually talks about the soft bigotry of low expectations but has no expectations or accountability about himself. Civil Service and other reforms were supposed to protect us from arbitrary, capricious and perfidious actions. Yet, we have a system that clearly acts the direct opposite of it’s intended purpose.

 

 

 

And if you all think things are hinky as I do in the BEP program then consider how bad things are in the general VR program.

 

Oh, and if Patrick Cannon wishes to talk about hiring the most qualified I would agree. Where are his qualifications?

 

Sincerely,

 

Joe