[NFBMT] Action Requested

[BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER]

They are planning on taking action on Monday.  Joy

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMT <nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of president--- via NFBMT
Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2019 1:33 PM
To: 'NFB of Montana Discussion List' <nfbmt at nfbnet.org>
Cc: president at nfbofmt.org
Subject: [NFBMT] Action Requested

Hi All,

Please consider sending a message to the House Appropriations Committee
asking them to restore position cuts in Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind
Services.  The Committee will make its decisions quickly, so please take
action right away.  In a couple of days, it won't matter because the
decisions will be made.

The Joint Appropriations Subcommittee for Health and Human Services made a
decision to cut vacant positions from the Department of Public Health and
Human Services.  They did not pick certain positions.  Instead, they
established an arbitrary cut-off based on how long a position was vacant.
The idea was, if we have not needed the position for a couple of years, then
it's time to let the position go.  The trouble with this over-simplification
is that DPHHS froze hiring for Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services
over two years ago as an attempt to manage budget shortfalls.  The freeze was
never meant to be permanent, and going forward without vital positions is not
sustainable.  The work never went away.  Rather, potential clients have been
placed on wait lists, and there is still not enough staff nor money to meet
everyone's vocational rehabilitation and independent living goals.  Losing
the staff positions would damage services beyond tolerance.

To let the House Appropriations Committee know your opinion on the
controversial decision to cut Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services
staff positions, fill out the form at the link below.  Please note you can
choose to send a single message to a whole committee.  Again, this time, it's
House Appropriations, and the bill is the main funding bill for state
government, HB 2.  The NFB-MT supports HB 2, but we want the position cuts
restored.  It only takes a few moments to compose and send in your testimony.
So, here is the link, and below the link is what I just sent to House
Appropriations on HB 2.


https://leg.mt.gov/web-messaging/

>From Jim Marks to House Appropriations Committee Members:

Please restore the staff position cuts to Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind
Services.  I am a blind Montanan who received substantial services from Blind
and Low Vision Services, and I serve as the President of the National
Federation of the Blind of Montana.  Our statewide organization advocates
that blind people should live the lives we want.  Of particular note in the
proposed staff cuts are counselor and instructional staff positions in the
blind program.  Thing is, blind Montanans can go nowhere else for services.
The only option for blind adults is Blind and Low Vision Services.  There we
learn how to use the long, white cane, to read Braille and manage
information, to cook and otherwise maintain a household, to use assistive
technologies, and to become skilled at being blind.  The vocational
rehabilitation positions far exceed administrating duties.  They are, in
fact,  the services we seek.  We need the expertise and skills the staff have
built to acquire and apply all the alternative techniques of the blind.
Lastly, our employment hinges on these professional services.  Thank you for
not cutting these necessary staff positions.



Jim Marks
President, National Federation of the Blind of Montana president at nfbofmt.org
(406) 438-1421



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