[nfbmi-talk] {Spam?} open comments some things yesterday's meeting

[joe harcz Comcast]

August 17 2014 to NFB Members and Board

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

At yesterday’s NFB Board meeting held here in Flint there was discussion related to inviting and having Mr. Ed Rodgers and BSBP at our State Convention in October. He and other staff were at our convention last year and the public record attests that Mr. Rodgers was abusive, evasive and violated as he has done since he assumed the Directorship of BSBP the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, Public Act 260 and every law I can think of.

 

Moreover there is no accountability and substantial abuse of public funds which I’ve documented through the year’s even regarding expenditures of public funds to attend our state convention. Please denote the ludicrous so-called FOIA response to me after my signature line regarding expenses of BSBP to attend our convention last year.

The utter disregard and outright abuse of not only NFB, but of all blind persons is expressed in this response which is monstrously ludicrous, abusive and but one of hundreds of similar responses that are clearly illegal, immoral and abusive to our organization and, again also to the public.

 

It speaks for itself.

 

In this regard I also appreciated Kimberly Monke’s simple inquiry about the status of the proposed lawsuit against BSBP. It was very germane in my opinion.



Colleagues, there is no blame here aimed at any member of the NFB Board, or of any member. But as I stated yesterday we simply have a lot of unfinished business going on to improve the lives and opportunities of Michigander's of all ages who are blind.



And we have the so-called lead agency, publicly funded for the express purpose of rehabilitation directly violating its very core mission and in documented fashion, over and over again.





 

Sincerely,

 

Joe Harcz

 

Attached FOIA response:

 

 

 

 

November 15, 2013

 

Mr. Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

 

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

 

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

 

Re:  AMENDED - FOIA Response to Request for Information on Expenses for Edward Rodgers II for Attendance at the NFB MI Convention

 

Dear Mr. Harcz, Jr.:

 

This email is in response to your October 23, 2013, email request for information, received by this office on October 24, 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.  An

extension was taken to November 14, 2013.

 

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

 

“I am writing you today to send me the “group billing” for lodging and other expenses (including personnel) for your attendance at the recent NFB MI State

convention.

 

I also wish to know who was the driver of the state car used for this important convention.”

 

In an email to you on November 13, 2013, your request was partially granted and partially denied as to existing, nonexempt documents pertaining to your

request.

 

FOIA Response – P.J. Harcz, Jr.

 

November 15, 2013

 

Page 2 of 3

 

As to the denied portion of your request, regarding information on “the driver of the state car used for this important convention”, it has come to my attention

that we do possess information regarding this issue and so I am granting this portion of your request.  This information will be included with the portion

of your previously granted request, regarding information on “lodging and other expenses for attendance at the recent NFB MI State convention”.  We estimate

that the time to process this total request is 2 hours.   Section 4(1) of the FOIA, MCL 15.234(1), provides that a public body may charge a fee for public

record search, including the mailing costs, the cost of duplication or publication including labor, the cost of search, examination, review, and the deletion

and separation of exempt from nonexempt information.

 

Please note that nothing within the federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA), as amended, or the

state’s FOIA (MCL 15.231 et seq.) requires a public body to process FOIA requests free of charge.  Further, while the ADA and Section 504 of the RA may

mandate that, upon request, material be produced in an accessible format without charge, neither the ADA or Section 504 of the RA preclude a public body

from charging costs under the state’s FOIA. Thusly, please note that no labor fee charges have been, or will be, assessed to convert existing, nonexempt

public records responsive to your requests into an accessible format to forward to you.

 

In order to complete the processing of your request, and based on the hourly wages and benefits of the lowest paid Department employee capable of performing

the necessary tasks to process your request, we are requesting a payment of $62.12 in order to begin the processing of this request.  An invoice is attached

that outlines the costs.

 

Once payment is received, we will process your request.  Once the process is complete, we may request payment for an additional amount if the actual cost

of the request exceeds $62.12.  Once we receive total payment, we will send the information either to you via email or to you in the U.S. Mail on

 

FOIA Response – P.J. Harcz, Jr.

 

November 15, 2013

 

Page 2 of 3

 

a USB flash drive (depending on the amount of material responsive to your request).

 

Sincerely,

 

Carla Miller Haynes, FOIA Coordinator

 

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

 

Attachments -2:  Invoice & Email Request for Information

 

cc:     Edward F. Rodgers II

 

          Sue Luzenski

 

          Mike Pemble

 

Katie Belknap

 

Elsie Duell

 

Rob Essenberg

 

DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS

 

BUREAU OF SERVICES FOR BLIND PERSONS

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT INVOICE

 

NAME AND ADDRESS OF REQUESTER:

 

Mr. Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

E-mail: joeharcz at comcast.net

 

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

 

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

 

REQUEST RECEIVED:  October 24, 2013

 

TYPE OF REQUEST:  Email

 

REQUEST PARTIALLY DENIED:  Yes

 

EXEMPT INFORMATION WITHHELD/REDACTED:  To be determined

 

EXTENDED RESPONSE NOTICE ISSUED:  Yes to November 14, 2013

 

REQUESTED INFORMATION WILL BE:  Emailed/Invoiced For Payment

 

ACCOUNT CODE:  Index:   36200        PCA: 11343

 

DLARA CONTACT:  Melvin Farmer, Central FOIA Coordinator

 

(517) 373-0194, Ottawa Building, 4th Floor, 611 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI  48909

 

The FOIA provides that the department may charge a fee to comply with requests for public records.  The processing fee is composed of hourly wages and benefit

costs of the lowest paid employee(s) capable of processing the request; the duplication of records at assessed costs per page; mailing costs; and other

related special costs.  Prior to searching and copying requested records, the department may request full payment or 50% of the estimated costs exceeding

$50.00 with the balance required before mailing the records.  Assessed costs are related to your request for:

 

“I am writing you today to send me the “group billing” for lodging and other expenses (including personnel) for your attendance at the recent NFB MI State

convention.

 

I also wish to know who was the driver of the state car used for this important convention.”

 

INVOICE CALCULATIONS

 

LABOR

 

          Locating and Duplicating Cost:

 

Number of Hours:  1.5 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $31.06 = Amount:   $46.59

 

          Examining and Extracting Cost:

 

                   Number of Hours: .5 hrs. x Hourly Rate: $31.06 = Amount:                          $15.53

 

TOTAL LABOR:           $62.12

 

POSTAGE (estimate):           To be determined based on the amount of information

 

DUPLICATING:  Number of Pages (0) times Copying Rate of $0

 

OTHER (overtime, audio tapes, discs, photos, security, etc.):  $0

 

SUBTOTAL:  $62.12

 

Less waived indigency fee under FOIA Act MCL 15.234 Section 4(1)

 

INVOICE TOTAL:        $62.12

 

DEPOSIT* $0

 

TO BE PAID*:     $62.12

 

Make check or money order payable to:         STATE OF MICHIGAN

 

Remit to:              Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

 

Office Services Mailroom

 

7150 Harris Drive, PO Box 30015

 

Lansing, MI  48909

 

RETURN ORIGINAL COPY OF THIS INVOICE WITH YOUR PAYMENT

 

*Please note that if a deposit is requested, the indicated amount is an estimate of the cost of complying with your request.  The actual cost may vary somewhat

from this amount.

 

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

 

Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:49 AM

 

To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)

 

Cc: nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org

 

Subject: group billing request nfb mi convention

 

October 23 2013 to Rodgers Group Billing NFB MI Convention

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

 

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

 

joeharcz at comcast.net

 

810-516-5262

 

To: Edward Rodgers, Director BSBP

 

Dear Sir,

 

I am writing you today to send me the “group billing” for lodging and other expenses (including personnel) for your attendance at the recent NFB MI State

convention.

 

I also wish to know who was the driver of the state car used for this important convention.

 

You may send this to me in accessible format which by now you are quite aware of.

 

Thank you, by the way for attending and for your responsive and enlighten comments to all.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

-Ninety-nine  Percent of lawyers give the other one percent a bad name…Steven Wright

 

Cc: NFB MI

 

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