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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I reject the claim that the training is the problem
where operator compliance is concerned. Most of the serious violations are
happening at the hands of experienced operators in the employer responsibility
area, they are willful and they happen mostly because there are no consequences
unless the operator in question has done things to anger BEP administration,
such as help protect another operator's rights. I have been penalized for
operating a business properly and for showing the financials as they were, not
as I always wished they could be, and I have seen operators receive promotion
points for "training" based on nothing more than their word and I am sick and
tired of sitting on my ass and telling myself that it will all just work out
somehow. The PAs have a job that is defined by both the Civil Service and
by our promulgated rules, yet Cannon, Zanger, Hull and god knows who else work
harder at getting their responsibilities reduced than they do at strengthening
and growing our program. Remember, the topic includes both operators and
the agency and, in my opinion, there's more than enough blame to go
around. As free as certain highly regarded operators are free to break the
law and rip off the program, the BEP administration is even more free to ignore
or break the rules and sell the program down the river, at no risk to
themselves.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is not a sheltered rehab shop, this is not a
blindy pity party, this is an employment program, one that gives blind adults
the opportunity to provide real service in exchange for real financial
compensation, consistent with applicable laws, all of which they agree to as a
condition of participation in the program. If the BEP dies, it will be
hard to distinguish between the effects of operator exploitation and BEP staff
indifference and incompetence when trying to determine the cause of
death.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=drob1946@gmail.com href="mailto:drob1946@gmail.com">David
Robinson</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=suncat0@gmail.com
href="mailto:suncat0@gmail.com">'Joe Sontag'</A> ; <A
title=vendorsmi@nfbnet.org href="mailto:vendorsmi@nfbnet.org">'NFB of Michigan
Vendors List'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 13, 2012
10:50</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [Vendorsmi] do the BEP
promulgated rules really matter?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dear Joe,
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> This is
an excellent example of the problem throughout the program. Larry does a
good job of pointing out that part of the agency’s role is to help the
operator to stay in full compliance. This is not a one sided issue
however. The agency has an obligation to adhere to the rules as
well. To carry out their responsibility as the <st1:place
w:st="on">SLA</st1:place> and to move a blind person from rehabilitation to
employment. In today’s BEP, I suspect that the problem does not mean an
unwillingness to follow the rules, but the training or lack of training, that
operators have been given. I also contend that some of the rules are outdated
and lacking any understanding of how the business world works. If the
training was good then many of the rules would not be necessary.
Finally, why is the discussion of rules only about the operator? The
agency is willing to break them when they need to do
so.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dave
Robinson<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">
vendorsmi-bounces@nfbnet.org [mailto:vendorsmi-bounces@nfbnet.org] <B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Joe Sontag<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Monday, February 13, 2012 9:18
AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> VENDORSMI
List<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</SPAN></B> Steve
Arwood<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [Vendorsmi]
do the BEP promulgated rules really matter?</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I now offer you a clue as to why
the Business Enterprise Program is so fouled up. Listen carefully to the
following discussion on the topic "Operators/Agency Staff consistently
following rules as they are<BR>written," which is one of the issues before the
ad hoc. Mr. Hull's remarks are extremely revealing, as is the vote that
was taken near the end of the session.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">This may be downloaded at the link
below:</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22266576/Ad%20hoc%20%2002032012%20excerpt1.MP3">http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22266576/Ad%20hoc%20%2002032012%20excerpt1.MP3</A></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>