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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Advocates to protest Snyder's
shake-up of services for the blind | Detroit Free Press | freep.com</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">By</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Paul Egan</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Detroit Free Press Lansing
Bureau</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">LANSING – Gov. Rick Snyder’s
ordered shake-up of services for the blind violates federal rules and puts at
risk nearly $15 million in federal rehabilitation</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">and training funds, say advocates
who plan to demonstrate outside his office today.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Snyder’s plan, announced last
week in an executive order, would move services for the blind out of the
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">split them between two other
state departments. The Department of Human Services would be responsible for
vocational rehabilitation services and the Department</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">of Technology, Management and
Budget would be responsible for licensing blind vendors who operate in state
buildings and highway rest areas.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">But regulations to the federal
Randolph-Sheppard Act related to licensing of blind vendors say only the state
agency responsible for providing vocational</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">rehabilitation services can apply
to be the state licensing agency for blind vendors.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Members of the National
Federation of the Blind of Michigan and other advocacy groups plan a
demonstration against the executive order at noon today outside</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">the Romney Building in Lansing,
where Snyder’s offices are located. They also object to Snyder’s plan to disband
the Michigan Commission for the Blind</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">and replace it with an advisory
committee.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">“This whole thing was
ill-conceived,” said Fred Wurtzel, a spokesman for the federation. “They did not
do their homework. There are a number of other items</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">that we believe will unravel
fairly soon.”</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Mario Morrow, a spokesman for the
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, said today “we are currently
researching and evaluating the concerns that</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">have been brought forth.”</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Snyder said earlier the shake-up
would promote efficiency and improve services, but advocates for the blind
complain about a lack of consultation.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">“Given the governor’s emphasis on
open, transparent, and data-driven decisions in state government, we are
astonished by the poorly-thought-out executive</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">order and the potential negative
consequences it brings to blind people and the citizens of Michigan,” said Larry
Posont, president of the National Federation</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">of the Blind of Michigan and a
member of the Commission for the Blind.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">About 40 blind vendors are
licensed by the state of Michigan.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660
or</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A
href="mailto:pegan@freepress.com">pegan@freepress.com</A></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Source:</P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">http://www.freep.com/article/20120301/NEWS06/120301021/rick-snyder-services-for-blind</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>