[Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million

Eugene Coulter escoulter at centurytel.net
Mon Apr 5 04:21:16 UTC 2010


As I understand it the lawsuit would be paid out of General Revenue as the 
finding is that  basically that the State stole from the fund and used the 
money for other purposes. So, the shortfall makes a lot difference in how 
the State might respond.
However, I agree the publicity make a lot of difference but am not sure in 
the long run whether it will be negative or positive.
Gene
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bryan Schulz" <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 10:35 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million


> that shortfall doesn't matter due to how the tax was setup back in 1875.
> the thing that may matter is if there is a large amount of publicity.
> Bryan Schulz
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dewey Bradley" <dewey.bradley at mchsi.com>
> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 10:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million
>
>
>> We do have a 151 million  budget shortfall for next year, so you never 
>> know what will happen.
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Eugene Coulter" <escoulter at centurytel.net>
>> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 9:22 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million
>>
>>
>>> The United States Supreme Court ruled a generation ago that residency 
>>> requirements for any public assistance programs  this would include 
>>> Blind Pension, are unconstitutional. The only thing that resembles a 
>>> residency requirement is that recipients be of good moral character and 
>>> prove this by having  two property owners in the county in which they 
>>> apply  that have known  the blind person for at least two years attest 
>>> to this.
>>> Actually only Temporary Assistance (formerly AFDC) roles have grown 
>>> slower than Blind Pension in the last fifteen years as Food Stamp and 
>>> all types of Medicaid roles have  increased at a ever increasing rate. 
>>> So, I don't think large numbers of people have flocked to Missouri just 
>>> to get the pension (certainly there are some).
>>> Given the circumstance of the state budget and other factors it is 
>>> anybody's guess what will happen next in the case.  It could be quickly 
>>> resolved or take in excess of another year before there is final action. 
>>> We will know much more in about a month.
>>> Gene
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Dewey Bradley" <dewey.bradley at mchsi.com>
>>> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 7:12 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million
>>>
>>>
>>>> They should make something like that.
>>>> If everyone keeps coming here, there going to drain the fund.
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Bryan Schulz" <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>
>>>> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 6:05 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> maybe so but how many would have moved if you had to be a resident for 
>>>>> at least five years to be eligible?
>>>>> That says something about the person.
>>>>> that's all I'll say.
>>>>> Bryan Schulz
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "Dewey Bradley" <dewey.bradley at mchsi.com>
>>>>> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 4:27 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Same here, I can't say that I blame them either.
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>> From: "Bryan Schulz" <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>
>>>>>> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 2:42 PM
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> you want to talk hypocritical/ethics?
>>>>>>> i know several people who moved to mo for the bucks.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Bryan Schulz
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>>> From: "Dewey Bradley" <dewey.bradley at mchsi.com>
>>>>>>> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 1:20 PM
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Judge finds blind people owed 30 million
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I don't mean to be a hypocrite. But That $651 on the 10th of every 
>>>>>>>>month really is very helpful.
>>>>>>>> But we have also have people who are not disabled who can't get 
>>>>>>>> help like that.
>>>>>>>> I think that if we want to be treated like everyone else we need to 
>>>>>>>> act like everyone else.
>>>>>>>> I used to make close to 16 bucks an hour, an I took the bus for 
>>>>>>>> half price
>>>>>>>> ----- 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.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Nfbmo mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>>>>>>> for Nfbmo:
>>>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/dewey.bradley%40mchsi.com
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Nfbmo mailing list
>>>>>>>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>>>>>> for Nfbmo:
>>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglobal.net
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Nfbmo mailing list
>>>>>>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>>>>>> for Nfbmo:
>>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/dewey.bradley%40mchsi.com
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Nfbmo mailing list
>>>>>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>>>> Nfbmo:
>>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglobal.net
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Nfbmo mailing list
>>>>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>>> Nfbmo:
>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/dewey.bradley%40mchsi.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Nfbmo mailing list
>>>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>>> Nfbmo:
>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/escoulter%40centurytel.net
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Nfbmo mailing list
>>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>>> Nfbmo:
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/dewey.bradley%40mchsi.com
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Nfbmo mailing list
>> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> Nfbmo:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/b.schulz%40sbcglobal.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Nfbmo mailing list
> Nfbmo at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmo_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Nfbmo:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmo_nfbnet.org/escoulter%40centurytel.net
> 





More information about the NFBMO mailing list