[Vendorsmi] FLAGRANT INJUSTICE IN THE Michigan CommissionfortheBlind Business Enterprise Program!
joe harcz Comcast
joeharcz at comcast.net
Tue Jun 19 13:55:03 UTC 2012
Any fans of Star Trek out there? Remember the Borg? This Administration is
feeding on the incom[petencies of the past as an excuse to relentlessly
destroy our programs and services. It makes it so difficult for advocates
like myself to fight for systems and structures so poorly managed in the
first place, to say the least.
Regardless technocrats, including this administration are like the Borg and
they want to absorb anything in their path replacing on ineffecient and
corrupt system with another one. That isn't the answer to this mess.
I say, "Fire the goofball's who've violated law and equity for cause!"
I'm an old union guy and have fought for the rights of workers all my life.
But I never have fought for incompetents, frauds and outright abusers of the
public trust.
That, ladies and gentlemen is corruption at its core.
It is a social evil that makes attempts for social justice look like a joke.
The worst thing in a democracy with a small d here is that there isn't the
transparency and ultimate accountability promised by this administration. It
is just patronage by another Borg entity. It is relentless. It is insidious.
Recently, Terry the Commissioners called your case: "The elephant in the
room." True enough to a certain extent.
But, the real "elephant in the room" is the utter incompetence, corruption,
waste, fraud and abuse and lack of transparency of the "borg" system.
It makes me sick to my stomache.
To hear and see outright clowns like Cannon and Jones who can't even follow
Rehab Act basics while getting paychecks from the taxpayer fit for kings
makes me sick.
To see the likes of Zanger, et al who run these programs but cannot account
for anything makes me sick
And the corporate/statists masters at DTMB and other relentless scofflaw
entities are even worse.
They are the Borg! Resistence is futile in their minds.
I'm of the mind that we need to blow the whole bloody system up and start
over again, except that I've seen that sort of thing in other states and
that which is destroyed is never regained in my experience.
Thus I'm anguished as to where to turn and what to do. And the BEP program
is only the tip of the iceberg in the overall corruption and incompetence of
our VR and IL services here.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry Eagle" <terrydeagle at yahoo.com>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Vendors List'" <vendorsmi at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 9:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Vendorsmi] FLAGRANT INJUSTICE IN THE Michigan
CommissionfortheBlind Business Enterprise Program!
> Right on target Mary Ann!
>
> Might I add the lack of adequate training for a BEP career, and the
> corrupt
> passage of trainees who obviously don't and can't exhibit the basic skills
> of blindness and business management; the failure to promote the BEP
> through
> through the hiring of blind individuals as employees in BEP operations;
> the
> practice of licensing sighted persons to operate BEP facilities, with the
> misappropriation and misuse of funds intended for employment of the blind,
> and resulting in the loss of inventory and set-aside funds taken away by
> the
> sighted licensees, without any legal ramifications for either the sighted
> persons or the state employees who violated the law, ripping-off blind BEP
> licensees of set-aside fees and other set-aside benefits.
>
> And yet, the sighted leadership of the current administration believes it
> knows best what is efficient and most beneficial for the blind for their
> futures and business program. That's just what we need--a new and
> additional level of incompetent non-business bureaucrat types running our
> programs, businesses, and future lives. All this under the banner of the
> governor's attempt at more efficient government. Well Mr. Government work
> to welfare for the blind is not efficient by any stretch of the
> imagination.
> I understand, Mr. Governor, that you and your administrators and advisors,
> cannot possibly imagine the abilities and true performance balue of of
> blind
> individuals in the workplace, but the reality is your vision of blind
> persons iscolored by the fact that you and your associates have not been
> exposed and surrounded by the well-trained and competent blind individuals
> in their respective fields. All we need as blind persons is the
> "opportunity" to demonstrate our abilities, without interference of those
> persons, sighted and blind alike, who believe they "know" what is in our
> best interest. I and my fellow blind citizens want WORK not WELFARE.
> Give
> us a fair "opportunity", free of discrimination and pre-judgment based on
> our physicaltraits and affiliation, and I guarantee we as blind citizens
> will wow and amaze you as partners in achieving a new culture and
> efficiency
> in government.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Terry Eagle
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vendorsmi-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:vendorsmi-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On
> Behalf Of joe harcz Comcast
> Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 7:24 PM
> To: Mary Ann Robinson; NFB of Michigan Vendors List
> Subject: Re: [Vendorsmi] FLAGRANT INJUSTICE IN THE Michigan Commission
> fortheBlind Business Enterprise Program!
>
> Right on!
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Mary Ann Robinson <mailto:brightsmile1953 at comcast.net>
> To: rick.snyder at michigan.gov
> Cc: l schuck <mailto:laschuck at juno.com> ; NFB of Michigan List
> <mailto:nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org> ; vendorsmi <mailto:vendorsmi at nfbnet.org>
> ;
> zimmerm at michigan.gov ; john scot <mailto:jcscot at sbcglobal.net>
> Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 6:17 PM
> Subject: [Vendorsmi] FLAGRANT INJUSTICE IN THE Michigan Commission
> for theBlind Business Enterprise Program!
>
> Dear Governor Snyder, Mr. Zimmer, Commissioners, and
> Fellow List Members:
>
> I believe that there is a time and a place for righteous anger and
> indignation; and I am experiencing these feelings for the following
> reasons:
>
> #1. Since Fred Wurtzel left as manager of the Michigan Commission
> for the Blind Business Enterprise Program (BEP), several years ago, there
> have been about thirty grievances/lawsuits. Several hundred thousand
> dollars and by now perhaps close to a million dollars have been spent in
> legal settlements or to seek assistance in addressing legal issues
> resulting
> from inappropriate or incompetent BEP management decisions made by
> Constance
> Zanger and/or James Hall.
> #2. Program staff frequently fail to appear at legal hearings when
> subpoenaed. In one recent case alone, six court ordered subpoenas were
> ignored.
> #3. Management has not had the fortitude to support and defend
> operators when illegal caterings have taken place in state buildings
> resulting in thousands of dollars in lost income for operators. One of
> the
> most blatant examples of this is at the State Capitol.
>
> #4. Management seriously violates promulgated rules as set forth in
> Public Act 260. The latest case in point is the State Plate fiasco.
> #5. BEP management often takes the side of the building manager when
> a complaint comes to their attention without even consulting with the
> operator.
> #6. BEP management often uses intimidation when dealing with
> operators - many of whom have lost trust and respect for management and/or
> are afraid to speak up out of fear of retribution and/or retaliation.
> .#7. Of great concern is the fact that BEP management exhibits
> prejudice and discriminates against National Federation of the Blind
> members. In October of 2011, an announcement about the National
> Federation
> of the Blind of Michigan's state convention was deliberately not placed on
> an information line than announces items and resources of interest to
> operators. Members of the Federation have also been targeted
> unjustifiably.
> Competent, knowledgeable, qualified, honest, committed, dedicated,
> respected, and trusted BEP employees have lost their jobs unfairly due to
> these behaviors
>
> It is incomprehensible to me that nothing has been done or is being
> done by those who have the means to do so to put an end to these abhorrent
> and unacceptable behaviors and practices.Further, I don't understand why
> those responsible have not been held accountable and disciplined. What
> will
> it take for these abominable activities to stop? How much more needless
> suffering must operators' endure? How many more of tax payers dollars
> must
> be squandered? How many more blind people must go without services
> because
> money is being spent on legal fees that can be avoided? When will those
> who
> have been grievously wronged receive the justice they deserve?
>
> The Michigan Business Enterprise Program was once top rated and
> among the most respected in the country. Today, it is viewed as one of
> the
> more problematic programs. Allowing the above mentioned behaviors and
> practices to continue will ultimately result in the destruction of the
> Business Enterprise Program in Michigan as well as in the loss of numerous
> jobs for blind people.
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Mary Ann Robinson
>
>
> ________________________________
>
>
>
>
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