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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You are both correct. Let us not forget that it was
the agency, after this ad hoc meeting that went to the EOC and then the
Commission to rubber stamp eliminating the rules on "The State Plate". And let
us not forget that Zanger herself before the Board said they've done this
before. Ad Hoc indeed!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The agency in particular "bootstraps" or acts ad
hoc, and so do some pet operators.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regardless you are both correct in that what
purpose are rules if they are not followed, or applied uniformly?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Now I do think there is a training component that
is a problem when it comes to newer operators. That is pretty
clear.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But, Joe S rightfully points out issues with long
standing operators. I hear him in that he and others who operate on the up and
up are put at a competitive disadvantage by doing so when rules are not evenly
applied across the board. That is simply a reality not unlike having any outside
competition.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Still this all ultimately goes to the
agency.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I understand the chicken and egg dilemma posited by
Joe, however.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Let us not forget there is a third element always
skulking in the background. That is other state agencies and actors like these
tyrannical building managers who think they can flout the law, and who do
because the agency sells us all out to them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Allowing a building manager to be formally on the
interview process for the State Plate with all kinds of nebulous and dictatorial
abilities is more than allowing the Camel's nose under the tent. It is telling
us all who runs the program in the mind of the agency and for whom. It is
letting the big bad Wolf in tright in the home invited and then jumping into the
oven so we might make a tasty dinner for him.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Oh, yes and he apparently will dictate the price of
that dinner too.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe H</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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=suncat0@gmail.com href="mailto:suncat0@gmail.com">Joe Sontag</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=drob1946@gmail.com
href="mailto:drob1946@gmail.com">David Robinson</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=vendorsmi@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:vendorsmi@nfbnet.org">VENDORSMI List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 14, 2012 6:02
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vendorsmi] do the BEP
promulgated rules really matter?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<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>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>Vendorsmi mailing
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