[nfbmi-talk] Fw: questions about port huron vending and more

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Tue Dec 3 14:40:30 UTC 2013


----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA) 
Cc: Elmer Cerano MPAS ; MARK MCWILLIAMS ; BRIAN SABOURIN ; bsbpcommissioners at michigan.gov ; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org ; Christyne.Cavataio at ed.gov 
Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 9:39 AM
Subject: Fw: questions about port huron vending and more


This request for basic and easy to find information related to discrimination and accountability by your agency (or rather our agency), Mr. Rodgers has not been responded to to date in any format.

Sincerely,

Joe Harcz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA) 
Cc: zimmerm at michigan.gov ; Constance Zanger MCB BEP ; bsbpcommissioners at michigan.gov ; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org ; James Chaney EOC 
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 8:16 AM
Subject: questions about port huron vending and more


Nov. 19 2013 Questions About Port Huron Vending Route

 

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

Mt. Morris, MI  48458

810-516-5262

joeharcz at comcast.net

 

To: Edward F. Rodgers II, Director

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

(via e-mail)

Constance Zanger, BEP/BSBP

 

Dear Mr. Rodgers and Ms. Zanger,

 

I bring your attention today to the following segment of the  July 13 Commission for Blind Persons meeting transcript:

 

“
Zanger: The Port Huron vnding route we also -- the

 

2        operator resigned on very short notice.    The facility was

 

3        terribly degraded.   It was very dirty, the equipment was in

 

4        disrepair, and there was no inventory.

 

5                        MR. RODGERS:   And as I recall, Constance, in

 

6        order to get somebody in Port Huron we had agreed to a limited

 

7        contract, correct?

 

8                        MS. ZANGER:   We did indeed.

 

9                        MR. RODGERS:   We had to negotiate a contract.

 

10        The Commission should be aware of that.    And we couldn't just

 

11        say to somebody, we want you to do this, but we're going to

 

12        do, you know, like a 30 day lease or a 10 day lease or we're

 

13        liable to yank you out as soon as we get somebody.     I mean no

 

14        business is going to want to go in there and help us out under

 

15        those kind of unreasonable terms.    So we did have to negotiate

 

16        a contract, and that contract is still running, Constance, is

 

17        that correct?

 

18                        MS. ZANGER:   That's correct.   And that entity

 

19        came into that facility, repaired all the machines, brought

 

20        them back into service, cleaned them, and stocked them at

 

21        their own expense.   There was no expense to the Bureau of

 

22        Services for Blind Persons for that.

“

 

 

Now, first of all I am writing to request the contract you reference above with this commercial entity which is not run by blind, or even disabled individuals. Of course, I’m requesting it in known accessible format as I am blind and can’t read it anymore than a blind Business Enterprise Operator can read a print document like this. But, I’m certain you sent this contract to the private concern in a format they could understand. Isn’t that correct?

 

In addition to my request for the contract I wish to know if this temporary operator has followed all of the BEP rules as are required. In that vein I wish to know the gross revenues, net, set aside and sales taxes paid by this entity since it took over this vending route. (I think the Michigan Auditor General and the Michigan Department of Treasury would be interested in that information as well.) Once I receive this information I would be happy to send it to them at no charge to the agency.

 

Finally I am requesting any contracts of this type with any blind temporary operator since October  1, 2012 to the present. I’m certain that you all treat blind temporary operators on equal terms as you do sighted temporary operators given the primary purpose of the BEP program.

 

Thank you as always for your prompt and full disclosure about these matters and your model transparency concerning how you “Shepard” public funds for the advancement of blind persons in Michigan.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

Cc: BSBP Commissioners

Cc: EOC

Cc: NFB MI

Cc: several

 

 



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