[nfbmi-talk] FOIA Response to Request for Information on the Year Ending Operating Budget for BSBP

Thu Nov 7 18:17:46 UTC 2013

So this federally funded program has no basic financials for just how it spent the taxpayer's monies for the last fiscal year?

That's very interesting. Maybe BSBP should give back the funds to the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

Where is the basic accounting for these funds Ms. Haynes?

Sincerely,

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Haynes, Carla (LARA) 
  To: joe harcz Comcast 
  Cc: Rodgers, Edward (LARA) ; Luzenski, Sue (LARA) ; Pemble, Mike (LARA) ; Belknap, Katie (LARA) ; Duell, Elsie (LARA) ; Farmer, Mel (LARA) 
  Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 1:08 PM
  Subject: FOIA Response to Request for Information on the Year Ending Operating Budget for BSBP

  November 7, 2013

  Mr. Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

  E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

  1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

  Mt. Morris, MI 48458

  Re:  FOIA Response to Request for Information on the Year End Operating Budget for BSBP

  Dear Mr. Harcz, Jr.:

  This email is in response to your October 22, 2013, email request for information, received by this office on October 23, 2013, of which an extension was taken to November 12, 2013.  Please be advised that the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) is processing this request under the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq.

  You have requested information as described in your email (also included below) as:

  "I am writing you today to receive the year end operating budget for BSBP. At this time I'm asking for no more than the illustration from MCB after my signature line."

  Your request is denied.  The document you included in your email (which is below and is entitled "Michigan Commission for the Blind, Year End Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2008") does not to the best of my information, knowledge or belief exist for the time period of October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013.  

  FOIA Response - P.J. Harcz, Jr.

  November 7, 2013

  Page 2 of 2

  Under MCL 15.240 of the FOIA you may (1) submit a written appeal regarding the denial of any portion of your FOIA request to Mr. Steve Arwood, Director, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs: Attention, Mike Zimmer, Chief Deputy Director, Ottawa Building, 4th Floor, P.O. Box 30004, Lansing, MI 48909. Your appeal notice must include the word "appeal" and state the reason(s) for reversal of the denial(s); or (2) you may seek judicial review in circuit court within 180 days of the Department's final determination. If you prevail in such action, the court shall award reasonable attorney fees, costs, and disbursements. If the court finds the Department's actions to be arbitrary and capricious, the court, in addition to any actual or compensatory damages, award punitive damages in the amount of $500.00.

  Sincerely,

  Carla Miller Haynes, FOIA Coordinator

  Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

  Attachment:  Email Request for Information

  cc:     Edward F. Rodgers II

            Sue Luzenski

            Mike Pemble

  Katie Belknap

            Elsie Duell

  From: joe harcz Comcast [mailto:joeharcz at comcast.net]  

  Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2013 2:30 PM 

  To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA) 

  Cc: Zimmer, Mike (LARA); nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org; BSBPcommissioners 

  Subject: simple year end operating budget request

  October 22 2013 BSBP Year End Operating Budget

  Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

  1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

  Mt. Morris, MI 48458

  joeharcz at comcast.net

  810-516-5262

  To: Edward Rodgers, Director

  Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

  Dear Mr. Rodgers,

  I am writing you today to receive the year end operating budget for BSBP. At this time I'm asking for no more than the illustration from MCB after my signature line.

  Of course I expect no fee or FOIA garbage for this simple request for information related to public expenditures of mostly federal funds.

  I also request it via simple e-mail and in addition I request that this information as well as related information like the state plan supplement and BSBP Commissioners' meeting information is posted forthwith to the BSBP web site (which is not the case to this very day).

  Sincerely,

  Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

  (Illustrative attachment:))

  Michigan Commission for the Blind

  Year End Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2008

  Fiscal Year Period:  October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008

  REVENUES                                                           

  GF/GP                                                  $4,543,649 

  DED-OSER                                               14,101,602 

  TRAINING                                                   19,219 

  SOCIAL SECURITY REIMBURSEMENT                             531,459 

  DED-OSERS SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT                             103,206 

  GIFTS and STANLEY HERMAN                                    15,000 

  LOCAL MATCH                                                100,000 

  SETASIDE                                                   410,000 

  OLDER BLIND                                              1,042,808 

  PART B                                                     197,721 

  TOTAL REVENUES                                          21,064,664 

  EXPENDITURES BY CATEGORY     BUDGETED          SPENT               % SPENT

  ADMINISTRATION          $1,073,838            $1,004,037              93%

  PASSTHROUGHS            $1,836,021            $1,600,282              87%

  VR                      $8,869,072            $8,739,327              99%

  MCB TRAINING CENTER     $3,875,203            $3,269,961              84%

  BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

  PROGRAM                $3,347,792            $2,823,226              84%

  INDEPENDENT LIVING      $1,820,938            $1,712,496              94%

  YOUTH LOW VISION          $241,800              $241,800             100%

  TOTAL EXPENDITURES     $21,064,665           $19,391,129              92%

  Carla Miller Haynes

  LARA Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)

  201 N. Washington Square, 2nd Floor

  P.O. Box 30652

  Lansing, MI  48909

  Telephone:  517-373-2063 or Toll-Free 1-800-292-4200

  Fax:  517-335-5140

  www.michigan.gov/bsbp