[NFBMO] Fwd: Fw: Fwd: Rest Commercialization Letter

Mon Jun 4 21:10:54 UTC 2018

Thank you for your thoughts Gary.

As it is, it will cost millions of dollars to rebuild each roadside rest
area. Only large commercial
companies will have the financial backing needed to submit a qualifying bid
even for
one location let alone the millions more for each succeeding location.
There is no way a blind
person could afford to even submit a qualifying bid let alone try to
compete. Even the  State
Licensing Agency that oversees the Business Enterprise Program does not
have the funds
to compete with a qualifying offer. At least the staff person in Sen.
McCaskill's indicated
that it does not appear that this will be an issue this year.  But that
does not mean that it won't
come up again next year. So we will have to be vigilant and be ready to
write letters or whatever
is needed to protect our priority if this or any other potential
legislation threatens it in the future.

Gene Fleeman, Second Vice President
National Federation of the Blind of MO
http://www.nfbmo.org/
President, MO Assoc. of Blind Merchants
*http://www.nfbmo.org/node/65 <http://www.nfbmo.org/node/65>*
(573)-855-9667
gfleeman55 at gmail.com

Live the life you want

On Mon, Jun 4, 2018 at 9:17 AM, Gary Wunder via NFBMO <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hello, David. It has been a while since you posted this question, and I've
> been giving it a lot of thought. It probably deserves a full-length Monitor
> article, and it may take more brains to write it than I have.
>
> My initial thoughts are these: there is a difference between an
> aspirational goal and a goal that has a particular timetable to go along
> with it. One day I want our country to get rid of affirmative action. But
> before that happens, I want us to work on a lot of other issues. I want us
> to work on the inequality that exists between schools and the difference in
> funding depending on where you live and your tax base. Before we do away
> with programs that try to help underprivileged people, I want to see that
> people come to school with a good breakfast under their belt, and that they
> go home with the expectation that the homework they are given will be done.
> I want the reality to be that they will be supervised by parents. Until
> this happens, I'm going to support programs such as head start and programs
> that provide afterschool activities that keep people off the streets.
>
> The same logic applies to blind people. Until we see substantial change in
> how easy it is for a blind person to apply for a job relative to a sighted
> person, blind people are going to have a harder time becoming employed.
> Until the technology that we use as employed blind people is accessible, we
> are going to have a hard time being efficient. We will put in more time in
> order to reach the same results. Some of us will successfully do it, but
> some of us cannot. I think that until society stops discriminating against
> blind people both in the things that it does in the things that it fails to
> do, having some argument for preferential treatment and programs is
> absolutely necessary. You can't say that you want equality but then stop
> all efforts to put blind people in a place to take advantage of it or
> society in a place to offer it.
>
> These are my initial thoughts. Maybe other people have views on this as
> well.
>
> Warmly,
>
> Gary
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBMO [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of david hertweck
> via NFBMO
> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2018 4:48 PM
> To: Carol Coulter; NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> Cc: david hertweck
> Subject: Re: [NFBMO] Fwd: Fw: Fwd: Rest Commercialization Letter
>
> Maybe not but why should blind get special treatment if one of the ideals
> of
> the NFB is that blind people can and should be treated no differently than
> other people.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carol Coulter
> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2018 3:52 PM
> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> Cc: david hertweck
> Subject: Re: [NFBMO] Fwd: Fw: Fwd: Rest Commercialization Letter
>
>
> There is no way a blind individual could compete with the large companies
> that set up these rest stop plazas.
> Carol Coulter
>
>
> On Sun, May 20, 2018 at 10:35 AM, david hertweck via NFBMO
> <nfbmo at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Think this maybe a good thing why should not blind people compeat on a
> level
> playing field.  In this way true respect is earned.
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Gene Fleeman via NFBMO
> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2018 7:23 PM
> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> Cc: Gene Fleeman
> Subject: [NFBMO] Fwd: Fw: Fwd: Rest Commercialization Letter
>
> Please read the email below and go to the link to fill in your name, email,
> and phone no. to send to your Senators and Representatives in Congress.
> Remember to ask send this to your friends and ask them to do so as well.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Gene Fleeman, Second Vice President
> National Federation of the Blind of MO
>
> http://www.nfbmo.org/ fsPresident, MO Assoc. of Blind Merchants
> *http://www.nfbmo.org/node/65 <http://www.nfbmo.org/node/65>*
> (573)-855-9667
> gfleeman55 at gmail.com
>
> Live the life you want
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Gene Fleeman <hero.diningservices at yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu, May 17, 2018 at 6:28 PM
> Subject: Fw: Fwd: Rest Commercialization Letter
> To: Sharon Fleeman <gfleeman55 at gmail.com>
>
>
> *National Association of Blind Merchants*
>
>
> *Let Congress Hear From You: Just Say No to Rest Area Commercialization*
>
>
>
> President Trump has asked Congress to pass legislation that will allow
> states to create private / public partnerships to commercialize the
> interstate rest areas. If Congress does pass such legislation, several
> hundred blind entrepreneurs will lose their livelihoods as travel plazas
> with fast food establishments and other retail outlets replace their
> vending machines. The National Association of Blind Merchants joins other
> national organizations such as the National Association of Truck Stop
> Operators, National Association of Convenience Stores, and National
> Automatic Merchandising Association in opposing such legislation. Congress
> needs to hear from every blind entrepreneur in the country as well as their
> friends and families. Congress needs to know how such legislation will
> impact the lives of blind people. Click on https://nfb.constituentvoice.
> net/alert/us-nabm_online_letter_to_congress_commercialization/message/
> congress/write, fill in your contact information, and hit “Submit.” A
> letter from you will be generated and sent to both of your U.S. Senators
> and your member in the House of Representatives. Then ask your friends and
> families to do the same. Post it on social media. Let’s generate thousands
> of letters.
>
>
>
> *The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
> characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
> expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
> between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
> blindness is not what holds you back.*
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