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

Tue Nov 19 22:57:25 UTC 2013

Joe, this is simply too funny!  Shall we bet on how many thousands or
hundred of thousands of dollars this one will cost you in FOIA fees?  I can
hardly wait to see and use that FOIA response!

Were you to actually receive an unedited  copy of the All-Star contract, I
wonder if it will give any clues as to whom is sleeping with whom, or whom
is the likely recipient of an illegal kickback by a state official, sworn to
uphold the law and Constitution of this state and nation?

By the way, that contract should have, at minimum, been shared with the
Elected Operators' Committee, however, since it never was, and no memver of
the EOC requested a copy of the  contract, and we know they are bought-off
or in intimate relationship with management, it raises the question of a
possible involvement or kickback to an EOC member.  Any guesses as to who
that might be?  The promotional agents cannot be ruled out either. 

Now, I am not suggesting absolute corruption in this matter, however, after
a read of the BEP audit, and no plausible answers having been given for the
incestuous relationship between equipment contractors to the BEP, and the
unaccounted for equipment and expenditures by BEP management, as identified
by state auditors, it does without question raise the high possibility, if
not probability that some type of illegal hanky-panky has taken place with
regard to the All-Star vending company Port Huron vending facility contract.
Of course, it is highly likely that information and transparency will be
forthcoming, at least for now and voluntarily, to determine the truth of
this contract.  This is demonstrated by the fact that the BEP audit findings
and conclusions have been swept under the LARA and BS4BP carpet, with
absolutely no interest by LARA, BS4BP, and the EOC to get to the truth of
the BEP audit findings and conclusions, and unlike the private sector, which
the current governor was quoted as saying his administration was going to
re-invent Michigan government to be more effective and efficient as in the
private sector, the BEP management remains at the taxpayer feeding well,
whereas in the private sector, with such BEP audit findings and conclusions,
BEP management would have been out of a job, in other words, FIRED!  So much
for the reinvention of Michigan government, Mr. Governnor! 

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

From: nfbmi-talk [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of joe
harcz Comcast
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 8:17 AM
To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)
Cc: James Chaney EOC; Constance Zanger MCB BEP; zimmerm at michigan.gov;
bsbpcommissioners at michigan.gov; nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] 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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