[nfbmi-talk] racism and discrimination is prevelent in mcb

Thu Apr 12 23:58:55 UTC 2012

Colleagues and All Interested in Democracy with a Small “D”,

I was struck today by Richard Bernstein’s rightful outrage  at the “bullet proof drapery” fiasco referenced at today’s Michigan consumer Involvement council meeting. Not because he was not right to be indignant and incensed at the outrage of it all but because apparently he didn’t know the complete context. You se we in the NFB got this information vis a vis the FOIA in 2010 because we rightfully wanted to know what the heck was going on with all sorts of illegal firings of blind staff and just how the MCB, a federally funded program was running in accordance with federal laws and its required monitoring; and we wanted to know what the heck was going on with the illegal firing of the likes of people, good people like Christine Boone and David robinson and all those alj decisions which continue again to this day for the most part.

. Low and behold the paranoid FOIA from 2008 (after my signature line appeared). It was the bullet proof memo.

Now, let me lay some context down here for it wasn’t the National Federation of the Blind that created this paranoid response but, rather 

African-Americans who happen to be blind and who were demonstrating for accountability and quality services in Detroit and at MCB meetings dating back to 2007 led by a very responsible black, blind man from Detroit called Richard Clay.

Minutes and recordings from the time period show more revealing paranoia, but more importantly implicit and explicit racism and uneven delivery of required VR and IL services to this population and the subsequent backlash. Which continues to this very day. And one only needs to be a person who lives in south east Michigan and especially Wayne county t and Genesee County for that matter to denote the obvious disparencies in delivery of services including those which would ultimately uplift the minority populations from their privation; and by the by the federal RSA has denoted these disparities in delivery of rehab and other services too so this is a big issue and one need not be black, or paranoid, or have the proverbial “chip on one’s shoulder” to denote such discrimination =within another additional discrimatory envelope. In other words one is twice screwed to be both black, or of other minority status and also blind and live within Michigan. And facts and documented facts bare this out withpropper outrage.

But regardless Richardd Clay’s loose Group also show some basic core and very reasonable positions and concrete solutions including returning simple phone calls in some sort of lifetime back to consumers and other recommendations all positively framed which are, by the way ongoing violations documented in fact and deed and grist for the mill to this day including at this, today’s MCB CIC meeting and consumer satisfaction, or better yet consumer dissatisfaction surveys. . Yet, they were, again met with this racist and paranoid response.

I’m afraid that Mr. Bernstein in his effort to be of goodwill and a true mench (“grown up or good person) was rightfully aghast, but also a bit naïve. And I do not mean that to besmirch him either.

He was naïve because he seems to think that we’ve got to be nicey-nice in the face of such evil not knowing the totality of it all or because he seems to like many others blame the messenger for the message.

Sad, facts are these:

-For more than a decade the MCB has been run increasingly by a discriminatory and maliciously one surrounded by incompetent sycophants which has violated civil rights of all who are in their swath.. This is just too documented to ignore.

-This narcissistic universe in its paranoid delusions has increasingly retaliated in cult like reprisal against all that has opposed its reign of terror.  And all in responsible positions of power including Cannon and Robertson for the mos part are still sucking down state/federal dollars and are still engaging in misfeasance, non-feasance,and gross and kknowing  mass violations of civil rights for their own self-engrandisement. This exercise is to show that the messenger is not the issue but rather the message is the issue and it doesn’t again go only to the nFB.

 Now to think that that goes only to the NFB is the naïve issue for while Cannon et al has done so to NFB he and his sycophants have done so to others including Richard Clay’s Advocates for the Blind, or those in MCBVI like John McMahan. It doesn’t matter ladies and gentlemen this is Narcissistic Personality disorder on steroids at play and the victims don’t make a dime worth of difference. And powers that be in Michigan State Government who have had their own agenda all along including the purloining of federal funds dedicated for the empowerment of the blind and otherwise disabled and manipulating them through the apparatchik to feed the general fund and the hacks who suck at it, especially from the top in parasitical form survive and indeed, thrive. For these are the blood suckers at the governmental trough. They truly are and they are hypocritical to boot for they depend upon we consumers whom they depend upon for their very reason to exist in the first place and they despise us and denigrate us and our bllod suckers at the consumer seat at the table in the second place.

s

-Still this all smacks, in the relevent documentations,  in its initial incarnation of pure racism. For how dare those blind negroes in Detroit rise up against our benevolent hand and raise their ire against Cannon and his “kiss ass” and” white bread” and well fed andannointed ones from Alpena?

Oh yes and then the protest continued and spred  from 2008 to the present.  It spred in the media it spred from the firings of Dave Robinson to all the license revocations of dozens of BEP operators to the firings of Christine Boone to the unsung torture of staff blind and sightd alike and back in full circle only underscored by the self-reveling message from Robertson to his master Cannon in the “bullet proof drape” affair.

We wanted truth and accountability and we still do.

To blame the inquirers for truth, justice and the American way for all the perverted parady of the never ending throwing out of the baby with the bathwater of the Governor’s Order Executive Act 2012-2 is only as absurd as blaming blacks for the civil war because of slaver being in the constitution or because a corrupted supreme Court abided Dred Scott.

Isay here, “A pox upon all corrupted politicians!” I say a pox upon democrats and Republicans alike who on the one hand let aone of their own kind run amuck and when it is finally attributed, this perfidy and incompetence, then the other sied cites the fact that this incompetence and corruption was brought to its pervuue and thus the victims should be the very soruce of that inspiration!

How absurd that is! How incredible! And how pathetic the scared mice are of the ddisability community are when this fight comes to a head too! We who are blind and other wise disabled mus get back to our roots and those are civil rights roots or we’ll lose them to the misguided Democrats and the malicious Republicans to boot. Regardless rights so easily lost are not so easily re-affirmed.

It still is lacking to be sure and now the corruptions of the Grandholm administration and west, fraud and abuse are being compounded by even worse ones by this administration.

But here is where Bernstein is wrong (and I say this most respectfully). He is wrong when he blames the messenger and not the message.

Again Mr. Bernstein has my deep admiration as I’ve followed his career and his ADA and other cases for years. And those who know me know I don’t heap praise upon anyone cheaply.

But, again and this will be fw’d to Richard the victims of mass discrimination are not the cause of issues for decrying that mass discrimination anymore than the vicitms of the holocaust were the problem for decrying the autrocity’s they were exposed to daily.

Nor, are we, including myself, but not limited to myself the problems for pointing out the violations of our civil rights over decades by MCB and Cannon and his minions anymore than Rosa Parks were responsible for the outrages of Bull conner or even the Klan.

And if one ora anyone thinks I’m hyperbolic about all this then again look only to the exchange with Pat Cannon and Bob Robertson both still at the healm of MCB to this day, and both dwidely derelict in duties documented and both violative of civil rights of the blind they ae paid to serve in the exchange via FOIA.

And to somehwo exhonorate the Executive Branch of this day which has in religious metaphor like Pontious Pilate blamed the slaughter of Christ upon others whilst washing his bloody hands of the affair is an affront to dignity, reality and shows the absurdity of these political events over all.

There is no, and I repeat no inconsistency between ddemanding openess, transparency, and accountability of this federally funded program over all and too at the same time demanding the consumer control and integrity guaranteed by pPublic ‘Act 260 and, indeed the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 with all of its millions in federal funding.

Rooting out waste, fraud and true abuse is not incompatable with the mission of the Rehab Act which is after all vocational outcomes based upon informed consent and independent living  base uponn same. In fact one cannot exist without the other. And it is naïve and it is inpolitic to think otherwise.

MCB, MRS and the SILC are not charities as might be suggested by innuendo today. They are federally funded and mandated programs with full sets of constitutionally derived gurantees.

Amonst those, of course are the Article V, of the Fourtheenth amendment rights of “due process and equal protection under the law” claims. These are pretty self explanatory even to a lay person let alone common citizen, but basically we say here that in our context blind folks should have the same rights in law and equity and the sameopportunities and voice in our republic as anyone else. But, sadly as I’ve documented we don’t have anything close in practice and including in the MCB.

From: Robertson, Bob (DELEG)

Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 10:44 AM

To: Haynes, Carla (DELEG); Cannon, Patrick (DELEG)

Subject: FW: Security at Commission meetings

Here is the information on the possibilities of getting security and bullet-proof draping at Commission meetings.

Bob

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Cannon, Patrick D (DLEG) 

Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 4:50 PM

To: Robertson, Bob (DLEG)

Subject: RE: Security at Commission meetings

Thanks Bob!  You did great work on gathering this information and I am most appreciative.

I have forwarded this information on to Jo Ann Pilarski but asked that she not share it far and wide and I will ask you to do the same as I do not want to create any sense of “alarm” on the subject of security.

Thanks again,

Pat

-----Original Message-----

From: Robertson, Bob (DLEG) 

Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:02 PM

To: Cannon, Patrick D (DLEG)

Cc: Luzenski, Sue (DLEG)

Subject: Security at Commission meetings

Hi Pat –

After talking with Steve Monet, I’ve got some info you can “take under advisement” and share with Commissioners if you so wish. Steve is still checking into the feasibility of bullet-proof draping for the conference rooms tables. He wants us to take a digital photo of the tables in the conference room upstairs and include their measurements so the company who makes the draping can give us an estimate on the costs. I thought we could do this when Susan gets back later this week.

As for other buildings, he said there are several in the area. He mentioned the State Library or Capitol Commons as two possibilities downtown. There is also the General Office Building at the Secondary Complex and the building down on Pierpont where the Public Service Commission meets. All of these facilities have someone at the front desk checking IDs and issuing visitor passes. Steve pointed out that these so-called “security guards” do not get involved in apprehending or stopping bad guys. In other words, if someone disrupts a meeting the folks at the front desk won’t come running to the rescue. We would need to call the Capitol Security for that.

Finally, Steve gave me the name of the guy in DMB, Jeff Pratt, we can contact (241-4391) if we want to see about having our own security guard at a meeting in this building. We would need to tell him how often we’d need someone, how many hours each time, the place and time, and then whether we wanted an armed or unarmed guard. We would most likely have to pay for those services. We cannot just “borrow” a guard from another building.

I think this is a good ‘first step’ in gathering some info that you and the Board can use to decide a ‘next step’ so if you need more, let me know.

Bob

Are we charity or are we advocacy?

Oh my let us not advocate and let us not be the masters of our fate.

Let us, rather hold out our plate

begging at the banquet of life

we wouldn't wish

to mix it up and mingle

and be accused of strife,

would we?

.

Let us hold clam bakes, and sell baked goods

and let us sell our souls

right there in the woods.

Just so long

as we can

sing our song

and wonder about the neighborhoods

pastured by other lambs

sheep to slaughter everyone.

.

Let us hold walkathons

so others can talk on and on

doing nothing for the common good

or the brotherhood.

Let us not think

about being free,

or all we want, or can be.

We can't be   with advocacy,

all on account of reading sad poetry,

just to raise some bread

and to finger a dime,

all to have a good time,

for once a year while others smear

in the interim at our blinded fait.

Say brother, you gotta dime?

Say, sister you got some time?

I'm only a blind wanna be

who always talked bravely

about independence and all that phony stuff.

Advocates, well we've had enough!

Map my course with sophistication

and with sublime geo-imagery.

Not bad after all,

good actually,

but it's sophistication

isn't afforded by this entire nation

of the blind asking of the blind

to climb

upon shoulders

while throwing

out boulders

at others who are blind too.

.

I don't care all that much

so long as you don't bother me

with all that reality,

especially the political reality that effect both you and me.

I'm not here to buck convention

or the rest of the year in-between,

because I'm off to that convention,

and the land of wanna bee.

I got my job.

I got my dime.

I, I, I , I yay a ya.

I am mine and it

is all about me.

I'm just a blind

narcissi wanna be.

I look in to the lake

and see everything fake

but my reflection

dazzles me and this is me,

and all I want to be

for it is all about me after all right?

I once stood on shoulders of giants.

Society called them malcontents.

They were Tenbrook and Braille,

and, yes Keller and others frail

by society's notions,

and so long as commotions

didn't rock the boat

they thought us cute.

But we were meaningless

and charitable contrivances,

oh so enviable be those

potable souls eh?

Bake sales?

Expositions?

Yard sales?

Impositions?

The time for civil rights has not ended,

and in case apple carts,

get upended,

we'll all be left

empty handed.

All of us!

Just beggars at the feast,

feeding vanities

and the beast

of a world blinded

through its own ignorance

to possibilities.

Some call me rough,

others call me tough.

I'm a pussycat really,

just because again I want

us to be all we can be.

Our founders held flags

that said, "Don't tread on me."

Yet, we shiver with timidity.

Once we were the tempest.

Now, we seem like milktoast.

Where are the champions inside of each of us?

It is time to rally,

and time to defy,

all the real negativity

bborn of the insanity,

that thinks we are

less than the. multitude,

and forgive me sister

if I don't echo gratitude

or don't echo Oliver

asking for just a little more

porridge

while the rest of us suffer,

and while the mmultitudes

struggle in suffrage

to great for a body to bare

without at very least

a whimper and a moan.

More Porridge please mister?

Give this generation

fishing lessons God!

they've forgotten how to fish.

This is my prayer.

This is my wish.

----- Original Message -----

From: "Elizabeth" <

lizmohnke at hotmail.com>

To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <

nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>

Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 12:53 AM

Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] We are having a board meeting tomorrow at 8:30

P.M.

> Hello Christine,

> 

> Thank you for your kind words. I did not mean to suggest that issues

> surrounding the Michigan Commission for the Blind are not important. I am

> just not sure if it should be the sole reason for our conference calls or

> our organization as a whole.

> 

> I really like your idea of holding some sort of fundraiser to help people

> attend national convention. I think it would be a great way to inject some

> positive energy into our organization.

> 

> Take care,

> Elizabeth

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> --------------------------------------------------

> From: "Christine _boone" <

christine_boone at comcast.net>

> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 8:28 PM

> To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <

nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>

> Cc: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <

nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>

> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] We are having a board meeting tomorrow at 8:30

> P.M.

> 

>> You know, I think Elizabeth raises a valid point.  It's time for

>> something new!  Sadly I do not think we can forget about the MCB because

>> it is so important to the futures of so many blind people.  That being

>> said however, it is time for some real positive energy!  It would be

>> pretty cool to have a walk-a-thon, bake sale, dramatic reading or other

>> kind of fund raiser.  The proceeds, or a portion of them, could support

>> many of our members in going to National Convention.

>> 

>> I cannot be on tomorrow as I am taking a class on Thursday nights, but I

>> wanted to share my thoughts at least.

>> 

>> Good luck to all!

>> Warmly,

>> Christine

>> 

>> 

>> Boone Christine Sent from my iPhone

>> 

>> On Apr 11, 2012, at 8:16 PM, "Elizabeth" <

lizmohnke at hotmail.com>

wrote:

>> 

>>> Please forgive me, but what exactly is the purpose of this meeting? Is

>>> this meeting simply for informational purposes only, and if so, does

>>> there really need to be a quorum of board members for such a meeting to

>>> take place? If there is only discussion and no business taking place

>>> during these meetings, do they really need to continue on such a routine

>>> basis? It seems to me like a lot of these conference calls only end up

>>> in a long rambling rant about the Michigan Commission for the Blind. Is

>>> that really what our organization is all about anymore?

>>> 

>>> Elizabeth

>>> 

>>> 

>>> --------------------------------------------------

>>> From: "trising" <

trising at sbcglobal.net>

>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 5:56 PM

>>> To: "NFBofMichigan List" <

nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>

>>> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] We are having a board meeting tomorrow at 8:30 P.

>>> M.

>>> 

>>>> We are having a board meeting tomorrow at 8:30.The agenda will be

>>>> determined at the meeting    Call 605-475-4333 902855 pound . Terri

>>>> WilcoxSecretary National Federation of the Blind of Michigan

>>>> _______________________________________________

>>>> nfbmi-talk mailing list

>>>> 

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>>>> 

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>>> 

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>>> 

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> 

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