[Ohio-talk] Calls to Congress needed immediately.

[Barbara Pierce]

Richard has sent the President’s Notebook message to this list. Please read it and act on the first item. The Tax Cuts and Jobs bill as currently written will eliminate the blind tax exemption. This is the funding that many people depend upon to help defray the additional costs of blindness: taxis, access technology, readers, etc. Considering the unemployment rate and low hourly pay for many of the jobs that blind people do get, this is a very distressing loss of an entitlement program. I think that two Ohio members are on the Ways and Means Committee, which is the one considering this bill first. I am not sure who they are. I think Fudge is one, but if you call your member, you might ask if he or she is a member of this committee. We need lots of calls with the message that this is a very bad idea. It will take lots of calls to get this message across. This is not a time to presume that other people will do the job for you. The Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121. You can get the operator to send you to the members office from there if you do not have the direct number. 

Please take a moment to make this call now,
Barbara 
Barbara Pierce 
President Emerita
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com
440-774-8077
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.