[Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million

[Gary Wunder]

It will be an interesting time to be a Missourian given we have a 7% 
shortfall in expected revenue and a big dip in property values. The court 
findings are important because the law should be followed. The tough part is 
making things right and in what timeframe.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 10:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million


> Can I be a "back dated" honorary Missourian?
>
> Dave
>
> At 04:26 PM 4/2/2010, you wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Posted: Friday, 02 April 2010 12:12PM
>>
>>
>>
>>Judge awards $30 million to blind Missourians
>>
>>
>>
>>KMOXNews at kmox.com
>>
>>
>>
>>ST. LOUIS (AP)  -- Missouri owes $30 million to 3,300 blind residents to 
>>make up for years of shortchanging payments to them through the Blind 
>>Pension Fund,
>>
>>a judge has ruled.
>>
>>
>>
>>Cole County Judge Patricia Joyce determined the Missouri Department of 
>>Social Services miscalculated benefits dating to 1992. She awarded nearly 
>>$19 million
>>
>>in unpaid benefits and more than $11 million in interest.
>>
>>
>>
>>It wasn't clear Friday whether the state would appeal Thursday's decision. 
>>A Social Services spokesman referred questions to the Missouri Attorney 
>>General's
>>
>>office. A spokeswoman for the attorney general did not return messages 
>>seeking comment.
>>
>>
>>
>>Pensioners were underpaid for more than a decade, said attorney Deborah 
>>Greider, who filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of the St. 
>>Louis-based Missouri
>>
>>Council of the Blind and seven blind Missourians. After the lawsuit was 
>>filed about five years ago, Missouri recalculated the pension and now pays 
>>a fair
>>
>>amount, she said.
>>
>>
>>
>>The average blind pensioner now receives about $651 a month from the 
>>state, and for many, that is their only income.
>>
>>
>>
>>"Most of these people are poor and unemployed, many are elderly," Greider 
>>said. She recalled testimony from one blind woman who was asked what an 
>>additional
>>
>>$40 a month would mean to her.
>>
>>
>>
>>"She said, 'I could feed my guide dog better, I could get a pizza once in 
>>a while,'" Greider said. "It was really heartbreaking."
>>
>>
>>
>>Denny Huff, president of the Missouri Council of the Blind, said the state 
>>shorted people who were already on tight budgets.
>>
>>
>>
>>"To be denied even a percentage of what they should have been receiving 
>>may not seem like much to some people," he said, "but for a lot of 
>>recipients, it
>>
>>affected them a great deal."
>>
>>
>>
>>The Missouri Constitution has required the General Assembly since 1875 to 
>>levy an annual property tax to fund the Blind Pension Fund. But starting 
>>in 1992,
>>
>>the state began using some of the money for other expenses, Greider said.
>>
>>
>>
>>For example, some of the money goes to rehabilitation services for the 
>>blind. But Greider said the pensions should be fully funded first, with 
>>leftover
>>
>>money going for rehab services.
>
>
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