[Nfbmo] the lighthouse situation

[robynwallen at juno.com]

very True Susan and Gary.  The former employees should try to get help thru RSB and other services but for some like Mark at the age of 58 starting a new career is not easy.  They of course will as in most companys lose insurance and other benefits.  Mark saidthey were offered cobra for over $400 a month.  Which as any of us know from losing even a mainstream job know,  is no bargain.  The insurance they had was not that good to begin with and really not worth the $400 plus a month.  I know some have blind pension and medicaid but a few have nothing.  I think was irratates me most about his situation is the lack of support from the blind community for these workers.   I think in part because the Lighthouse does fund so many social and educational programs people benefit from and the fact no one who benefits from these programs wants to lose them.  I also think that some of those laid off are really hoping to go back but in this day and age no one can count on that.  Do I think the sequester had some to do with this maybe but in the past few years the mission of the Lighthouse has changed from hiring the blind to social programs and again even when I left almost 20 years ago the new management knew the government gravy train would not last forever.  The Lightouse has hired numerous people to get commercial contracts and has gotten very few.  They are quite heavy on office and supervisory staff and even more so now with the mass layoff and no one questions it.  I would just love to see the blind community really come together and question some of this but I do not see it happening. Robyn


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