[nfbmi-talk] Decentralization of the Commission

Mark Smith mark.smithyman60 at gmail.com
Sat Feb 25 18:13:32 UTC 2012


Hello Fred,
	I am not gloating nor am I being smug, I apologize if this is how my
previous message came across.  I am seeing the forest for the trees, calling
the cards as they have fallen.  Frankly as a advocate for persons with
disabilities and a person with a visual impairment myself it pains me deeply
to see the mantel of authority for a esteemed agency be passed to a
department that is not solely vested to do the work for our community.  The
fact is that the group who is the most vocal in our state has not chosen to
come to the table so to say like adults.
	When someone who is not deeply vested or has immersed themselves in
Michigan blind  politics views the situation,  What they see is  a group of
squabbling children. When an outside elected official views the situation
along with the  dialog from the consumer groups, finally mixing the recent
reports the facts do not mesh.  As with any good parent you fire the baby
sitter and hire a new one.  This is what is happening now.
	The primary purpose of MCB is to empower persons who are blind or
have a visual impairment so that they can become taxpaying citizens.  Please
do not forget this fact,  do not cloak it in pretty words.  The old analogy
is to, give a person a fish they eat for a day.  Teach a person to fish and
they can eat for the rest of their life.  How many times do some people need
to be re-taught to fish?  I had once heard a quote from  Einstein he  said
that "to do the same experiment over and over, expecting a different result
is insanity."  So things needed to be changed, with the lack of a productive
plan our governor provided one.  I certainly do  not feel that this was a
proper course of action or positive development for our community.  However
I am capable of reading the table as it is set right now.
	I choose to see this as an opportunity to make a break from the old
ways.  The castle building that you describe is always going to be in our
government, this will only change when the fundamental system is altered.
You are not keeping in mind though that the government is being shrunk and
only the strong nobles will remain standing after the hammer stops swinging.
Consolidation and making the system as cost effective as possible is the
mantra today.  This move as I mentioned in my previous message is the most
logical for the government now.  The thought of your destruction of civil
liberties was never part of the decision process.  You are making it
personal when it is not so. Come to the table in the frame of mind to make
things work for the community, solidarity is the answer and the point of
power right now.
Mark          
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Fred Wurtzel
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:52 AM
To: 'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Decentralization of the Commission

Hello Mark,

I do not know who you are.  You sure sound smug and a little gloating.  I
guess we ought to expect this from people who do not understand the nature
of why there is an agency for the blind.  It is not simply a conduit to
spread federal money to self-interested bureaucrats for their agrandizement
and empire building.  This money is to empower people who have little or no
power.  It is exactly this lack of power that allows the faint
acknowledgement of people's goals for first-class citizenship to be so
casually disposed of.  This is 1 more insult and insult to blind people in a
landscape of centuries of similar insults.  We have dignity and we will not
accept this as our fate.  We have fought this fight before and we will fight
it again.  We may suffer other setbacks, but we will not ever give up on
recognition of our right to first-class citizenship.

Regards,

Fred



-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Mark Smith
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:14 AM
To: 'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Decentralization of the Commission

Hello Larry,
	Both groups advocated this move by proxy.  If no one provides a
positive critically thought out solution, you are part of the problem.  I
have more than 500 messages from this list from the past few months that
absolutely unequivocally call for the destruction of MCB in its current
incarnation.  I do not see one positive critically thought out solution.  I
see only the rare call by Christine boone providing a bit of well thought
out clarification or if necessary admonishment of a member in a gentle and
kind way.
	Coming from the business world this move that the Governor is taking
appears to be a  solid one.  He is taking what appears publically to be two
agencies that are not functioning in an efficient manor, moving them to the
most logical place where they will leverage the assets of one another along
with enhancing their own already established organizations.  In addition the
removal of a program that has smelled of nepotism and insider trading  is
being placed where it makes the most logical sense, the department who
handles the states ways and means.
	Only a short sighted person would or could say that the MCB board is
NOT the most dysfunctional group that has ever existed.  One only has to sit
in a meeting for about two minutes to realize that it is run by amateurs and
attended by a group of circus clowns.  The lack of human dignity and respect
alone calls for its destruction.  The most eloquent and efficient way to do
this is to dismantle the entire organization.  Take what is working, give it
to a different management team,, then eliminate the parts that are
disfunctioning , establish a new legally appointed board to satisfy the law,
and move on.
	So you got your wish, the change that you have been calling for is
here.  The bureaucrats in this state are currently hunkering under their
desks right now just wondering where the next hammer blow is going to come
from.  The word on the street is that no one has seen this many laws fly
through the legislature this fast  in a very long time.  Go lawyer up and
bring up a case.  Before it gets anywhere , you will see the law change.
The most interesting evidence for the promotion of that change  will be your
own words and arguments that you have been lodging against MCB for oh about
the last ten years or so.
	The only question left is; is this going to be good for the blind
and persons with visual impairment community in our state?  This is a very
treacherous and mine field ridden question.  On one hand if it is business
as usual I think that it is going to be very bad for our community.  I feel
that the credibility is in the toilet bowl and the voice is horse, people
are sick of hearing the bitching and griping without any real answers that
call for bringing the community together.  On the other hand it could be
something that rises like a phoenix from the fires of destruction welding
our community together in a positive way.  Power is in solidarity not in
division.  Stop the juvenile antics and come to the table like professionals
with critically thought out questions and possible reasonable solutions,
ready to negotiate and give and take a little.  Sound a lot like what our
federal government should do as well. Lol Mark  

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Larry D. Keeler
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2012 8:01 AM
To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Decentralization of the Commission

It is my oppinion that none of us from iether organization of blind
comsumers advocates this shocking move by our estemed Governor.  I didn't
nor will ever vote for him.  That aside, to my knowledge, NFB never
advocated the abolishment of the Commission.  We constantly called for
reform in order to serv its clients, blind folks the way it waas meant to.
I am stunned that this is happening!  I am not really sorry about its
director being out of a job but otherwise, I think this is appalling!  How
can us blind folks fight for ourselves when our services will be devided
across the board?  If our Board of Commissioners is abolished, how can we
continue having a real say in how our tazx dollars get spent on blindness?
I also know many folks in the Commission who are decent folks and truely
want to better our lot.  Having dealt with DHS in a semiproffessional and
personal capacity, I truely don't have a clue how they plan to have access
to the services they are supposed to be providing.  And what of BEP?  For
all its faults, it has provided many blind folks iether with a means to make
a living or as a start to move up and really be able to contribute to the
tax pool.  Again, I want to make it clear that in my perception, us in NFB
never!! called for decentralization!!  I believe we will always fight
against coruption and abuse of the system whereever it occurs!  Dhis
decentralization is disastrous for all of us!  
Intelligence is always claimed but rarely proven!
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