[nfbmi-talk] this ain't funny no mo

[joe harcz Comcast]

Ok. This isn’t funny any more. It isn’t even close to funky either as we can see, even too  those us who are blind. The facts are that there is a perverse violation of every civil rights law regarding the Michigan Bureau of Services to Blind Persons and Michigan Rehabilitation Services in documented fashion. What the heck? This stuff is so perversely sic how can one stomached this stuff?

 

 

And now the RSA wants to give these same sickoes; same discriminatory bodies; same perverts of outright and utter discrimination more money?

 

Now, if that ain’t sick and  bovine  scatology  I don’t know what it is?



 

    July 10 2014

 

No responseRe:  to funny numbers.

 

Dear Mr. Rodgers,

 

I’ve yet to see an explanation or even a peep from you regarding the following letters amongst many others and related to your agencies affirmative obligations

to hire blind and otherwise disabled employees.

 

I remind you that BSBP is supposed to be primarily a Vocational Rehabilitation agency promoting the employment and employability of Michigander’s who are

blind.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

June 10 2014 to Rodgers on Funny Numbers from Draft State Plan

 

Dear Mr. Rodgers,

 

You’ve related that BSBP has 20 percent of its employees being blind over and over again. Yet I point out the following section from the quite late BSBP

draft state plan:

 

“Plan for Recruitment, Preparation and Retention of Qualified Personnel

 

Describe the development (updated on an annual basis) and implementation of a plan to address the current and projected needs for qualified personnel including,

the Coordination and facilitation of efforts between the designated state unit and institutions of higher education and professional associations to recruit,

prepare, and retain personnel who are qualified, including personnel from minority backgrounds and personnel who are individuals with disabilities.

 

As noted, a relatively high percentage of BSBP employees are eligible to retire and many more will be eligible within the next 3-5 years. This makes it

very important for the agency to do whatever it can to obtain and retain qualified rehabilitation professionals. Fortunately, the majority of counselors

statewide are younger and retirement is not being considered.

 

With the three graduate programs, the agency has been fortunate to have numerous applicants for many of the vacancies within BSBP. All counselors and teachers

at BSBP have a master’s degree and are very qualified to provide services. The plan is to continue to hire only those who are CRC eligible which means

they have a degree in rehabilitation counseling or counseling and guidance. So far, the agency has not had to hire people with other degrees such as social

work, special education, psychology, etc.  In the event it became necessary to hire someone with a degree other than counseling, we are prepared to have

that new person obtain graduate coursework, as needed.

 

In FY13, the agency had a headcount of 110 employees. (This does not include the contractual employees.) Of those, 16 (15%) of the persons were blind or

had a significant visual impairment. Also, 21 employees (19%) were from a minority group.  BSBP is committed to hiring persons with disabilities and/or

persons from minority groups. BSBP in its recruitment efforts contacts the three universities in the State that have graduate programs in rehabilitation

as well as Region 5 TACE  to notify them of job opportunities within the agency.  BSBP continues to prepare and retain staff by offering opportunities

for professional development pursuant to Section 101(a) (7)(A)(iv)(II) of the Act and CFR 361.18(b).

 

“

 

Now this goes to making false statements to the public and to RSA and goes to your chronic and persistent violations of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation

Act.

 

What numbers are we to believe here Mr. Rodgers?

 

Moreover, you’ve not accounted for the affirmative hiring of blind or otherwise disabled individuals in the “student assistant” hiring and I assume you

use VR funds to hire these non-blind, non-disabled student assistants.

 

Cc: MCRS

 

Cc: RSA

 

Cc: BSBP Commissioners

 

Cc: NFB MI

 

Cc: Mpas

 

Also this one:

 

June 10 2015 to Rodgers Blind Employees Dropping

 

PaulJoseph Harcz, Jr.

 

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

 

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

 

joeharcz at comcast.net

 

810-516-5262

 

To: Edward Rodgers, Director

 

Bureau Services for Blind Persons

 

Michigan Via E-mail

 

Dear Mr. Rodgers,

 

Again going to Section 503 obligations of a VR entity for the Blind I point your attention to the following segment from last year’s BSBP State Plan supplement:

 

“In FY12, the agency had a headcount of 107 employees. (This does not include the contractual employees.) Of those, 20 (19%) of the persons were blind or

had a significant visual impairment. Also, 22 employees (21%) were from a minority group. During the hiring process, BSBP seeks to recruit and hire persons

with disabilities and/or persons from minority groups. BSBP continues to prepare and retain staff by offering opportunities for professional development

pursuant to Section 101(a)(7)(A)(iv)(II) of the Act and CFR 361.18(b).”

 

Now you’ve seen a four percent drop in blind employees in your agency since you’ve assume  the directorship of BSBP. These figures don’t by the way even

count the non-blind employees (five of them) hired through a contract with SVRS either. And again it doesn’t count all of those highly paid so-called student

assistants who are not blind or disabled or even in a rehab counseling or related program. (Many of which have  been illegally staffing locations earmarked

for blind business enterprise programs. Moreover, these same student assistants, again non-disabled have been making a minimum of $13 per hour while the

former blind operators often didn’t make minimum wages!

 

Nor, does it count the non-blind Level 12 folks in the BAD-P program either.

 

Anyway I would remind you that you nominally run a Vocational Rehabilitation agency whose primary purpose is to assist in the gainful employment of people

who are blind and yet you don’t even do that within your agency.

 

This sir is simply pathetic and inexcusable upon its face.

 

Sincerely,

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

 

Cc: S. Luzenski, BSBP

 

Cc: Mike Pemble, BSBP

 

Cc: MCRS

 

Cc: BS, CAP, MCRS ET

 

Cc: MP, MCRS

 

Cc: SG, MCRS and SILC

 

Cc: RSA

 

Cc: NFB MI

 

Cc: several StateLegislators

 

Cc: BSBP Commission

 

Cc: several media