From suncat0 at gmail.com Fri Sep 2 16:19:08 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 12:19:08 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] if only Michigan government cared this much Message-ID: <8DE21193412249DFA58240412BFD665A@Alphacat> I offer the following without comment at this time. Man gets jail time for false mileage claims By Kristin M. Kraemer, Herald staff writer Bookmark and Share email this story to a friend E-Mail print story Print Reprint Text Size: Like frame Like Recommend Confirm You recommend this. ? Admin Page ? Insights ? ErrorYou recommend this Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. ? Admin Page ? Insights ? Error Like frame end SPOKANE -- A 27-year-old Touchet man has been sentenced to six months in federal custody for claiming mileage costs of almost $20,500 to the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center when he lived nearby. Michael Edward Harrison received the jail time in U.S. District Court for his earlier guilty pleas to four counts of making a false claim for travel benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Once released, Harrison will be under court supervision for three years. He also must pay restitution of $20,465 for the fraudulent travel benefits. From suncat0 at gmail.com Mon Sep 19 15:54:00 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:54:00 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] FOIA/ADA request Message-ID: <6806E5415756492A81A0A3F716D6C210@Alphacat> September 19, 2011 Joseph Sontag 1204 Morris Avenue Lansing, Michigan 48917 Phone: (517) 323-8970 E-mail: suncat0 at gmail.com (Request made via e-mail) Carla Haynes, FOIA Coordinator, Michigan Commission for the Blind hanesc at michigan.gov Dear Ms. Haynes: I am writing you today to request, pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act, all audio recordings taken by or on behalf of the Elected Operators' Committee and similar recordings made by any Business Enterprise Program staff of the September 17, 2011 meeting of the Elected Operators' Committee that took place in Grand Rapids Michigan. These may be conveyed to me digitally at the e-mail address above or by any other file sharing facility with which you and MCB are comfortable Sincerely, Joe Sontag From suncat0 at gmail.com Tue Sep 20 16:00:41 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:00:41 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] YMCA bid Message-ID: <429C2F41172C4FAA92C3068F342D3F9E@Alphacat> This is to certify that I have placed a bid on the Lansing West-side YMCA facility on the telephony system at approximately 11:30 am, September 20, 2011. I am now asking for any and all available documentation showing the financial performance, customer complaint history, building management complaint history and any known delinquencies pertaining to this facility for the past 24 months. Given the deadline for bid acceptance, I will accept printed documents and will appear at the central office in person if necessary to retrieve them. I hereby grant anyone in possession of this message permission to share it with any individual or public e-mail list. From suncat0 at gmail.com Wed Sep 21 21:26:41 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:26:41 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] Response to Request for Information of 9-15-11 - FOIA References: Message-ID: <4C3C9AF6C1464BD4B8110B285E05D3AA@Alphacat> Thank you for your response and for the supplied documents. I was mistaken about the subcommittee in question and these minutes are what I was seeking, however, there was an additional meeting of the Promotions and Seniority subcommittee which took place on the evening of June 23rd, and I'd like these as well. I must say that it is my position that, strictly speaking, I did not submit a FOIA request; and I can only speculate that BEP administrative staff made this change for reasons unknown to me. The minutes of public meetings pertaining to the BEP have until recently been available at the request of any licensed or potential operator, with no need to invoke the Freedom of Information Act. As it happens, I have a vital concern about actions taken and not taken by the BEP that specifically affect me, to which these minutes apply directly. Joe Sontag ----- Original Message ----- From: Haynes, Carla (LARA) To: Joe Sontag Cc: Cannon, Patrick (LARA) ; Turney, Susan (LARA) ; Farmer, Mel (LARA) ; Zanger, Connie (LARA) ; Hull, James (LARA) ; Luzenski, Sue (LARA) Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 15:32 Subject: Response to Request for Information of 9-15-11 - FOIA September 21, 2011 Mr. Joe Sontag suncat0 at gmail.com Dear Mr. Sontag: This response in to your request for information emailed on September 14, 2011, and received by the Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) office on September 15, 2011. Please be informed that the Department is processing your request under the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq. In your email, you requested information described as follows: "Are there minutes in any form for the Locations and Repair sub, held June 7, 13 or 14, and 16 of this year and for the EOC meeting of June 18 that you can e-mail me?" Please be informed that, pursuant to MCL 15.235, Section 5(2)(c) of the FOIA, your request is partially denied and partially granted. As regards the denied portions of your request, pursuant to MCL 15.235, Section 5(4)(b) of the FOIA, this notice serves as certification that, after a search, the public records requested do not exist in the Department under the name/description you provided. Therefore, this portion of the request is denied. As regards the granted portions of your request, after a search for records, to the best of the Department's knowledge, information, and belief as regards the dates you listed, the secretary for the Elected Operators Committee (EOC) indicates that the minutes are for the Promotions and Seniority Subcommittee, not Locations and Repairs Subcommittee. There were no meetings of the Locations and Repairs Subcommittee in June. However, there were meetings of the Promotions and Seniority Subcommittee in June on the 7th and 14th (and not on the 16th). Also, there was an EOC meeting on June 25th and not on the 18th. The minutes for these three meetings (June 7th, 14th and 25th) are attached. Pursuant to MCL 15.240 of the FOIA, you may (1) submit a written appeal regarding the denial of any portion of your FOIA request to Steven H. Hilfinger, Director, Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Mike Zimmer, Ottawa Building, Fourth Floor, P.O. Box 30004, Lansing, Michigan 48909. Your appeal notice must include the word "appeal" and state the reason(s) for reversal of the disclosure denial(s); or (2) You may commence an action in circuit court to compel disclosure within 180 days after the Department's final determination denying your request. If you prevail in court action, the court shall award reasonable attorney fees, costs, and disbursements. If the court finds the Department's actions to be arbitrary and capricious, the court shall, in addition to any actual or compensatory damages, award punitive damages in the amount of $500.00. Sincerely, Carla Miller Haynes, FOIA Coordinator Michigan Commission for the Blind Attachments - Minutes of EOC Meetings dated June 7, 14 and 25, 2011 cc: Patrick Cannon Mel Farmer Constance Zanger James Hull Carla Miller Haynes DLARA Michigan Commission for the Blind 201 N. Washington Sq., 2nd Floor P.O. Box 30652 Lansing, MI 48909 Phone: 517/373-2063 FAX: 517/335-5140 www.michigan.gov/mcb -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From suncat0 at gmail.com Thu Sep 22 12:57:15 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:57:15 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] Fw: [nfbmi-talk] open inquire Message-ID: <264A347A1381411C98956D0B19D1E34F@Alphacat> I approve this message. ----- Original Message ----- From: "joe harcz Comcast" To: Cc: "James Hull BEP Temp Mgr" ; "lydia Schuck MCB Comm." ; "Steve Arwood LARA Dep" ; "Constance Zanger MCB BEP" ; "Patrick Cannon MCB Dir." ; "John Scott MCB Comm." Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 21:42 Subject: [nfbmi-talk] open inquire > Dear Ms. Zanger and Mr. cannon, > > It has come to my attention that we in MCB have not collected all set asides from sighted, non-disabled tempory operators for some > time. I'm a bit confused by this documented fact in that MCB is required by PA 260 and the Randolph Shepard Program to offer a > priority to blind folks in these concessions as the State Licensing Agency. I'm also confused in that this set aside is considered > income for federal matching purposes. > > So, correct me if I'm wrong here but don't we violate the mandates of the RS, VR and other programs when we don't require when > using federal funds the same requirements of so-called temporary operators who are not blind in the same manner as we've done for > blind operators? And aren't these inequities primae facae evidence of mass, systemic, and willful violations of the ADA, and > Section 504 in their clearcut discriminatory impact in that they clearly set and implement in fact and documented deed > discriminatory standards of practice? > > > And, moreover a practical matter here...In short aside from the clear cut misappropriations of federal funds here aren't we as an > agency losing appropriate federal match as again set asides are "income" and thus robbing the entire MCB program because of these > derelictions of duties and misappropriations of federal funds in the first instance? > > I mean think about it you clearly don't ask for the same inventory requirements as documented in fact and deed of these temporary > operators let alone the same set aside requirements . > > Shoot ALJ decisions in the public domain are rife during recent years where you all yanked licenses from operators, often > appropriately for not paying or accounting for federally funded inventories. Oh I guess these were problems because the operators > were blind? > > But you don't set the same standard, and the same accountability for sighted, non-qualified temporaries? > > Are the violations in law and equity here only obvious to an outsider likeme or even the casual observor on the seen? > > What gives here? > > I'd like some accounting let alone accountability here. > > Please remit to me the set asides of all sighted, non-disabled operators during the last fiscal year alone. I want line item > accounting and not voodoo accounting too. > > sincerely, > > Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr. > > cc: MCB Commissioners > cc: Craig McManus, RSA > cc: Steve Arwood > cc: OIG, United States Department of education > _______________________________________________ > nfbmi-talk mailing list > nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nfbmi-talk: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/suncat0%40gmail.com From suncat0 at gmail.com Thu Sep 22 16:13:39 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:13:39 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] YMCA offer declined Message-ID: <8A9C82DE908C43B2A5155996741E27AC@Alphacat> After examining carefully all available financial data and after having no success in reaching building management, I can only conclude that the YMCA facility cannot be run profitably and properly with respect to the rules of the program, as well as applicable State and Federal laws; and so I must decline the offer at this time. Sincerely, Joe Sontag From suncat0 at gmail.com Thu Sep 22 16:33:08 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:33:08 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] Fw: YMCA bid Message-ID: <25F4E7E6E8BB47B6889AB73F9DEF17FB@Alphacat> I just declined this facility. The e-mail below and the attached spreadsheet tell quite a story. Additionally, I received no follow-up to a phone call to building management, which suggests to me the strong possibility of yet another hostile situation like the so-called Hall of Justice here in Lansing, where the building fought to keep the sighted temporary operator. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Zanger, Connie (LARA)" To: "'Joe Sontag'" Cc: "Hull, James (LARA)" ; "Edmonds, Lucy (LARA)" ; "Duthie, Patrick (LARA)" Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 14:15 Subject: RE: YMCA bid Hello, Joe; Attached is the most recent spreadsheet for the Y M C A. It is for the 12 month period ending May 2010. While there is a June 2020 vending facility monthly report on the database, it is a null report containing all zeros. I presume Ms. Stine attempted to enter the report via telephone, was stymied and stopped the process. As we discussed over the telephone, Ms. Stine has been advised that she is responsible for the electric utility bill, to date she is remiss is making those payment to the Y M C A. The Commission does not expect the incoming operator to assume the temporary operator's obligation in this respect. During Ms. Stine's tenure, we have documentation of only 2 customer or management complaints. Those I will forward to you under separate cover. Marcus Kirkpatrick is the Lansing Westside Y M C A manager. He can be reached at 517/316.9622. Marge Stine can be reached at 517/402.1419. And as I mentioned, the Y is near and dear to James Chaney's heart. He would be happy to talk with you, I am sure, about his experiences there and his perception of what the facility can do. Best wishes as your consider this facility, Constance Zanger Business Enterprise Program Manager Michigan Commission for the Blind 517/335.3639 517/335.5140 (facsimile) -----Original Message----- From: Joe Sontag [mailto:suncat0 at gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 12:01 PM To: Zanger, Connie (LARA) Cc: Edmonds, Lucy (LARA); Hull, James (LARA); NFB of Michigan List; NFB of Michigan Vendors List Subject: YMCA bid This is to certify that I have placed a bid on the Lansing West-side YMCA facility on the telephony system at approximately 11:30 am, September 20, 2011. I am now asking for any and all available documentation showing the financial performance, customer complaint history, building management complaint history and any known delinquencies pertaining to this facility for the past 24 months. Given the deadline for bid acceptance, I will accept printed documents and will appear at the central office in person if necessary to retrieve them. I hereby grant anyone in possession of this message permission to share it with any individual or public e-mail list. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: SPREADSHEET thru 2010 May.xls Type: application/vnd.ms-excel Size: 22528 bytes Desc: not available URL: From suncat0 at gmail.com Sat Sep 24 00:37:08 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:37:08 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] Fw: e-mail list for Michigan's blind vendors and others who care about the program Message-ID: ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Sontag" To: "Joe Sontag" Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 20:19 Subject: e-mail list for Michigan's blind vendors and others who care about the program > Announcing an e-mail list just for you!, blind vendors and others who really care > about the Randolph-Sheppard program as it is in > Michigan. > To subscribe to the VendorsMI internet mailing list you can either go to: > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/vendorsmi_nfbnet.org > or send an e-mail message to > vendorsmi-request at nfbnet.org > and put the word subscribe in the subject line by itself. > Feel free to contact me via e-mail at > > suncat0 at gmail.com > > with comments, questions, or concerns. > Joe Sontag > From suncat0 at gmail.com Sat Sep 24 04:39:00 2011 From: suncat0 at gmail.com (Joe Sontag) Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:39:00 -0400 Subject: [Vendorsmi] Fw: YMCA offer declined Message-ID: Get a load of this! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Zanger, Connie (LARA)" To: "'Joe Sontag'" Cc: "Edmonds, Lucy (LARA)" ; "Hull, James (LARA)" ; "Duthie, Patrick (LARA)" Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 13:41 Subject: RE: YMCA offer declined Hello, Joe; I appreciate your careful examination of the available financial data, and your attempts to reach Y M C A building management. This is exactly the way an operator should consider a new opportunity. I am always saddened when an operator doesn't follow your model and take the time to do it. While we did discuss the Y M C A this past Tuesday afternoon, your bid on the facility has not yet been evaluated. It has not yet been evaluated based on your request for further research into your operator selection system points, the findings of the research Lucy and I conducted last week, and generation of your updated operator selection system points. Based on your message today (and presuming you have positive points), I will not offer the facility to you when the data is finally generated (hopefully today). We will announce you points Tuesday as well as announce you declined the facility. In the next day or two, pending generation of your updated operator selection system points, we will forward those to you. If you are in disagreement, please let me know. Best regards, Constance Zanger Business Enterprise Program Manager Michigan Commission for the Blind 517/335.3639 517/335.5140 (facsimile) -----Original Message----- From: Joe Sontag [mailto:suncat0 at gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 12:14 PM To: Zanger, Connie (LARA) Cc: Edmonds, Lucy (LARA); Hull, James (LARA); Cannon, Patrick (LARA); NFB of Michigan Vendors List; NFB of Michigan List Subject: YMCA offer declined After examining carefully all available financial data and after having no success in reaching building management, I can only conclude that the YMCA facility cannot be run profitably and properly with respect to the rules of the program, as well as applicable State and Federal laws; and so I must decline the offer at this time. Sincerely, Joe Sontag