[Vendorsmi] Fw: Letter from NABM of Michigan

[Joe Sontag]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Terry Eagle" <terrydeagle at yahoo.com>
To: "'Joe Sontag'" <suncat0 at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 13:58
Subject: FW: Letter from NABM of Michigan


> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Merchants NFBM [mailto:merchants.nfbm at gmail.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 1:51 PM
> To: zimmerm
> Subject: Letter from NABM of Michigan
> 
> Wednesday, May 2, 2012
> 
> Dear Mr. Zimmer:
> 
> I am writing on behalf of the membership of our organization, the
> National Association of Blind Merchants of Michigan, a state affiliate
> of our national organization.  As the nation's oldest and largest of
> Randolph-Sheppard Program and other blind merchants, we have a rich
> history of supporting, advocating for, and positively enriching and
> advancing the careers and independent living of our membership and all
> persons, gained over several decades by the organized blind-the
> National Federation of the Blind.  Our activities as blind merchants
> reach across our great nation, and encompass activities from the halls
> of Congress, to the office of state legislatures and public office
> holders, to the local blind merchant networking and support groups.
> Our membership brings together collectively hundreds of years of
> business ownership and operation experience, as well as decades of
> combined public sector management and administration career
> experience.  Our members include many who are enjoying the benefits of
> retirement, after lengthy careers as merchants, to the trainee, or
> employee, to the newly blind individual and blind youth who are
> exploring their future career options.  We believe networking,
> mentoring, and advocacy are key to a fast-start and successful ongoing
> business career.  We continuously strive to bring together the
> immeasurable value of the multiple-year business owner and public
> servant, to the awe inspiring enthusiasms and creative ideas of youth.
> 
> We are under no illusion that our membership includes all blind
> merchants, or express and represent the views of all blind merchants;
> however, we believe we do represent the best interests and viewpoint
> of a vast majority of the business community of the blind.  We believe
> this is evidenced by our growing membership, record attendance at
> conventions and business seminars as well as representation on the
> Elected Operators' Committee, The Ad Hoc Committee on Business
> Enterprise Program Issues, the MCB Consumer Involvement Council, the
> Commission for the Blind Board, and our visibility and effective
> advocacy on matters having an impact on the quality of life of blind
> citizens.
> 
> Our organization understands that you met privately with a small group
> of self-selected blind individuals along with the management of the
> Business Enterprise Program, claiming to represent the official views
> and positions of the entire Elected Operators' Committee, absent any
> discussion or formulation of views and positions by the entire elected
> body.  Because our organization, including our members who are also
> members of the Elected Operators' Committee, are not privy to any view
> or position presented to you by the self-selected individuals, we are
> not in any position to evaluate or comment on  the merits of any
> information presented by them.
> 
> Because of the serious nature, and we believe genuine threat to the
> future of the careers and livelihood of blind business owners in
> Michigan, resulting from yet unresolved issues inherent in Executive
> Order 2012-2, we find it necessary to further advance our firmly held
> beliefs, and our undying dedication to preserve and advance the
> employment opportunities gained over several decades; gains hard
> fought for by our members, those such as our founding members of the
> 1940s-the Great Generation-a passing generation, many who are our
> parents, like my 92 year-old mother, and our aunts and uncles,
> grandparents, and the current generations of brothers and sisters,
> sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, cousins and grandchildren of
> several generations.  Collectively we have gone from
> institutionalized, to sheltered workshops, earning pennies on
> piece-work jobs, to begging and selling pencils on street corners, and
> from sub-minimum wages door-to-door selling of sweatshop blind-made
> products, to minimum wage entry-level dead-end jobs, to today's
> college educated business owners and employers of many--the small
> business person, whom the public are told by politicians, are the
> movers-and shakers-the backbone that supports and advances the
> economy, even during the states' and nation's best and worst economic
> cycles.  Our equal economic and employment and business opportunity
> challenges have been monumental, and our dedication and gains have
> been equally monumental.  Challenging financial periods will come and
> go, and so will political administrations come and go from the seat of
> power, but one thing will consistently and continually be present--our
> presence and dedication to preserving and advancing the quality of
> life for all blind persons, and in particular, the state and federal
> gains related to business opportunity programs for the blind.  This is
> not a Republican, Democrat, or Independent affiliation issue.  Simply
> stated, this an issue about blind persons having a significant role in
> the design and outcome of their future careers and quality of life. It
> is about quality jobs verses welfare recipients, period.  We have come
> too far and become too educated to return to a welfare status as blind
> persons.  And we are dedicated to use our vast human and other
> resources we have acquired to preserve and advance our gains over the
> decades.
> 
> Given that background and intentions, we desire to introduce our
> long-held core values, principles, and best business and program
> practices for the Michigan Commission for the Blind Business
> Enterprise Program.  Because of the relationship and focus on the food
> service business, we commonly refer to the position statements as the
> NFBMM Baker's Dozen of core values, principles, and best practices.
> 
> Along our current journey, we have been informed that a few in the
> current administration hold a belief that the blind themselves, and
> the three decade structure of administering services and programs for
> the blind, are the root of the many challenges facing the Commission
> for the Blind, and in particular the Business Enterprise Program.  We
> believe such belief is misguided.  We believe strongly that the many
> challenges and turmoil within the Commission and Business Enterprise
> Program over the past five years or so do not emanate from the blind
> and a structural framework with the Commission, but rather an
> ineffective management model and team.  Many of us have been
> associated with the program nearly four decades, and we have never
> experienced such lack of trust, lack of cooperation, and lack of
> teamwork between the blind business operators and the Commission and
> program management, as has been created over the past five years.
> Unfortunately, the administration has not turned to the blind
> community, or involved us at any point in addressing and formulation
> of solutions to the challenges that exist today. We can logically
> conclude that the decision of not involving the blind community was
> driven by the misguided belief that the blind are the problem.  As
> history has instructed, it is the passion and leadership role of those
> who are the primary stakeholders in matters most being affected, that
> have identified the root of any challenge, and have developed the most
> practical and workable solutions.  We, the blind, are no exception to
> that historical fact, as demonstrated by our achievements outlined
> above.  However, it goes without saying that we, the blind, must be at
> the table in order to offer our experience, expertise, and
> recommendations as solution to any given challenge facing the blind
> community.
> 
> Following is a sound proven model framework for effective, efficient,
> trust-building, capacity-building, and teamwork environment, for a
> vibrant business program.  Below you will be introduced to what we
> refer to as the baker's dozen of core values, principles, and best
> business and program practices, which summarize our views for the
> administration of the Michigan Business Enterprise Program.
> 
> As a collective organization of blind business persons, we envision a
> Business Enterprise Program that provides meaningful and financially
> rewarding business opportunities for the blind, including the
> following:
> 
> 1.  Program management that are qualified, and competent in business
> planning and management, financial and other resource management that
> is responsible, transparent, and accountable, knowledge and
> appreciation of the skills and abilities associated with blindness,
> the ability to inspire and build teamwork and personal achievement,
> and the ability to administer in a fair, transparent, and accountable
> manner, with uniform application and compliance with state and federal
> program laws, rules and regulations, policies and procedures;
> 
> 2.  Routinely and timely provide training materials, policy and
> procedure manuals, memorandum and letters, documents and records,
> plans and proposals, announcements, meeting agendas and minutes, and
> other printed and electronic materials in a useable format for the
> blind, including Braille and large print, according to identified
> individual preference, in compliance with applicable laws, rules and
> regulations, policies and procedures;
> 
> 3.  Business locations that offer a blind licensee a profitable
> business return and independent living income, and contributing to
> society with many talents and skills, and financially contributing to
> federal, state, and municipal treasuries, through payments of
> self-employment, income, sales and employer taxes, rather than being
> tax takers on public social welfare programs;
> 
> 4.  Innovative up-to-date facilities that reflect current trends in
> the industry and are appealing and inviting to guests and potential
> guests;
> 
> 5.  Ongoing evaluation and development of new and existing business
> locations, for the expansion of the program, and profitable business
> opportunities and independent living income generation for the blind;
> 
> 6.  Equipment for business efficiency and profitability, that reflect
> excellence in selection of appropriateness, functionality, and
> adequate for the business type and plan, with routine and ongoing
> maintenance, repair, and replacement, to achieve maximum profitability
> through emerging business innovation, industry trends, and use of
> technology in the business, that is accessible by blind licensees,
> employees, and guests;
> 
> 7.  Adequate level of inventory and profitable product mix and selection;
> 
> 8.  Appropriate, adequate, and meaningful initial and ongoing
> in-service training, including a program position dedicated for the
> sole purpose of training of blind persons as potential licensees, and
> the ongoing in-service training of licensees;
> 
> 9.  The utilization of the Business Enterprise Support Team (BEST),
> for newly placed licensees, and existing licensees experiencing
> identifiable business or personal challenges and training needs;
> 
> 10.  Supportive promotional staff that are qualified in business, and
> are appropriately, and adequately trained, including knowledge of
> skills and abilities associated with blindness, to support and timely
> respond to licensee and business location needs;
> 
> 11.  Establishment and operation of a transparent, easily accessible
> and verifiable, fair, and uniformly applied system for performance
> evaluation, promotion and seniority point award and record-keeping
> system, and program facility placement promotion and transfer policies
> and procedures;
> 
> 12.  A fair, unbiased, ethical, timely and responsive due process
> administrative review and hearing system to address, attempt to
> resolve, and adjudicate complaints and grievances of licensees and
> potential blind licensees, in the administration of the
> BusinessEnterprise Program, including providing records, documents,
> exhibits, transcripts, notices and administrative law judge
> recommended and final agency decisions, and other printed and
> electronic materials in a useable format for the blind, including
> Braille and large print, according to identified individual
> preference, in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations,
> policies and procedures, to achieve meaningful accessibility and
> substantive and procedural due process;
> 
> 13. Fairly and uniformly applied program laws, rules and regulations,
> policies and procedures, to all program licensees, trainees, potential
> licensees, and program staff, without regard to affiliation,
> viewpoint, advocacy, disability, religion, creed, national origin,
> age, race, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation.
> 
> In the past we have witnessed the success and expansion of the
> Business Enterprise Program when these concepts were openly embraced
> by management and licensees alike, and individuals are valued, and the
> diverse backgrounds, skills and abilities, ideas and opinions of each
> individual are appreciated and respected with honor, rather than an
> environment created by management of it is my way or the highway.
> 
> In closing, we wish to express our sincere appreciation for the
> opportunity to express our beliefs, and hope it may lead to future
> dialogue and constructive action for the benefit of all involved in
> this matter.
> 
> Respectfully,
> 
> Terry D. Eagle, President
> National Association of Blind Merchants of Michigan
>