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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Just a few questions from yours truly:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Why is this meeting not more widely known, given
the importance of the subject to all operators? Why are many of the same
people who dropped the ball at the 2011 meeting with Steve Arwood being allowed
to represent us again at this most crucial meeting with Mr. Arwood's boss?
Who's going to be doing the talking for the BEP at this meeting and exactly what
will they talk about?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Other questions could be raised, but you get the
picture.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Here is what I received as I received it.
Read em and act.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message -----<BR>From:<BR>Rob
Essenberg<BR>To:<BR>Andrea Nelson<BR> ;<BR>Dale Layer<BR> ;<BR>Garnet
Prentice<BR> ;<BR>Greg Keathley<BR> ;<BR>Hazell
Brooks<BR> ;<BR>Kevin Tomczak<BR> ;<BR>Nathan
Prater<BR> ;<BR>Risa Patrick-Langtry<BR> ;<BR>Shane
Jackson<BR> ;<BR>James Chaney<BR>Cc:<BR>Rob Essenberg<BR> ;<BR>James
Hull<BR> ;<BR>Constance Zanger<BR> ;<BR>Larry Posont<BR>Sent: Tuesday,
April 24, 2012 12:37 PM<BR>Subject: meeting with Mike Zimmer<BR>To my fellow
Elected Operators,<BR>I’m writing to inform you of our latest contact with the
Snyder Administration. Last<BR>week Thursday, after a phone call from Hazell
Brooks asking me if I thought it was<BR>time to approach the governors
administration regarding the executive order concerning<BR>the Commission for
the Blind., I told her I thought it probably was time and I would<BR>check with
James Chaney to see how he wanted to proceed. After speaking with Mr.<BR>Chaney,
we decided to write a letter to Mike Zimmer asking for a meeting
between<BR>himself and Representatives from the Elected Operators
Committee.<BR>Mr. Chaney directed me to draft the letter. After several
revisions, James Chaney,<BR>Hazell Brooks and Constance Zanger approved the
content of the letter, which is attached<BR>for your reference. The letter was
sent out on Friday afternoon, April 20, 2012 and<BR>within a couple of hours we
had a response back from Mr. Zimmer. The response was<BR>as follows:<BR>Mr.
Essenberg:<BR>Thank you very much for reaching out on behalf of the Elected
Operators Committee.<BR>I think it is an excellent idea that we meet, by
teleconference or in person, to<BR>discuss where we are heading, possible
approaches, and implementation issues.<BR>With this email, I am asking my
assistant, Rita Jenks, to set something up at a time<BR>that is convenient for
you and whoever you would like to participate.<BR>Mike Zimmer<BR>Hello Mr.
Zimmer<BR>Please find attached a document with some concerns of the Elected
Operators Committee.<BR>Sincerely,<BR>Robert Essenberg<BR>Vice Chair, Elected
Operators Committee<BR>We have set a meeting date with Mr. Zimmer. It will be
Tuesday, May 1<BR>st<BR>. James Chaney, Hazell Brooks, Greg Keithley, James
Hull, Constance Zanger and myself<BR>will be attending the meeting.<BR>Further
updates on this meeting and the executive order should be forth
coming.<BR>Sincerely,<BR>Robert Essenberg<BR>Vice Chair. Elected Operated
Committee<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>April 20, 2012</DIV>
<DIV>
<P align=justify></P>
<P>Good Afternoon Mr. Zimmer,<BR><BR>I am writing to you on behalf of the Chair
of the Elected Operators Committee James Chaney, and the other ten members of
the committee, including myself. Our body has stayed relatively silent on the
subject of the Governor's order, because we were told when the initial order
came out not to contact the Governor's office regarding that topic. </P>
<P align=justify></P>
<P align=justify>We believe that given the current circumstances, we as the
leadership of the Elected Operators should be allowed to voice our opinion. This
executive order the Governor has created to facilitate a more streamlined
Commission and Business Enterprise Program is going to effect all 79 operators
substantially<B>.</B> We think that our input as the elected representatives of
these 79 folks who are running food service operations in state and federal
buildings should be allowed, so that we may voice our concerns and our wishes
before the executive order is executed. </P>
<P align=justify></P>
<P align=justify>We understand the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan,
as well as President Larry Posont, has had meetings on this topic with the
Governor's staff, as well as different legislators here in Lansing. Their
viewpoints may not be representative of all of our 79 vendors. We recognize the
excellent work the NFB does on behalf of blind consumers, although the EOC would
like the opportunity to express their views as the elected representatives of
the blind vendors of Michigan. The NFB plays an advisory role to the EOC and the
BEP through it’s presence on the Ad Hoc Committee. Our committee,<FONT
color=#ff0000> </FONT>like the operators as a whole, is also responsible for
working with the agency in developing the training programs necessary to create
good food service operations in the state and federal buildings, which we
believe is a concern of the Governor's office.</P>
<P align=justify></P>
<P align=justify>We believe it is necessary that we are involved in the
conversations to design the new model going forward between now and October 1st.
We respectfully request a phone conference between your office and the Elected
Operators Committee be established so our viewpoints and concerns can be raised
before the Executive Order is enacted and/or the final design of the structure
of the organization is completed.</P>
<P align=justify></P>
<P align=justify>Please feel free to contact me at <U><FONT
color=#0000ff>rob.essenberg@yahoo.com</U></FONT> or 231-638-2036, or James
Chaney at <U><FONT color=#0000ff>resolutioncomm@sbcglobal.net</U></FONT> or
313-213-7795.</P>
<P align=justify></P>
<P align=justify> </P>
<P align=justify>Sincerely,</P>
<P align=justify></P>
<P align=justify>Robert Essenberg</P>
<P align=justify>Vice Chair, Elected Operators Committee</P>
<P align=justify></P>
<P align=justify> </P>
<P align=justify>RLE/gmj</P></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>