March 16 2016 Comments on BSBP FOIA
Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.
Mt. Morris, MI 48458
joeharcz@xxxxxxxxxxx
810-516-5262
Re: Incompetent Outreach to Legally Blind Flint Area Water Crisis
To Whom It May Concern:
Yesterday, I received lots of FOIA related to how the Michigan Bureau of
Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) has, or has not informed persons who are
blind about resources, including in accessible formats related to the Flint
water crisis. Please note after my signature line some very revealing e-mails
which included BSBP Director Ed Rodgers, some of his staff, and Mike Zimmer
Director of LARA.
First, of all nothing seems to have been even looked at on this issue until
late January. Then Rodgers et all had a hard time locating consumers. And
debated whether or not there were 11 or 36 “clients” in the Flint water system.
This is ludicrous and shows the total lack of outreach and understanding that
has been going on with BSBP for years. Rodgers knows that legal blindness
impacts roughly 2 percent of the population. This would mean that at a minimum
there are 2,000 persons who are legally blind in Flint alone. Moreover, since
blindness impacts minority populations at a much higher rate than caucasian
populations that number, or estimate should be much higher.
Another point is that this is a county wide issue and in fact many students who
are blind attend Flint Schools such as Southwest Academy, and Durant Touri
Mott. It doesn’t appear that BSBP used any of its own information on students
under its low vision program or those with IPEs in Flint Schools, but that is
likely because they are so incompetent in identifying these students.
Moreover, Rodgers points out that he was meeting with the Braille and Talking
Book Library about an award. Does he not understand that the BTL has its own
list of subscribers in this county, which by the way includes me? And does he
not realize that BTTL is a resource for producing audio and Braille information
for blind persons including on this issue?
In fact these resources aren’t used at all and outreach doesn’t occur on a
daily basis in Flint and Genesee County. This is displayed quite nicely in
these FOIA releases as BSBP personnel in the Flint office, located on Union
Street, which had water coolers on January 7, 2015 apparently, did nothing to
inform clients of resources and for the most part can’t even find e-mails
concerning the issue? I suppose that is because the likes of Debbie Wilson and
Angela Mason were too busy committing fraud and tamperring with records like
they did, in documented fashion with me, rather then doing outreach and their
jobs.
These things said our Vocational Rehabilitation programs, ourIndependent Living
Programs, and our Older Blind programs have failed us in this county from BSBP
every day and they continue that during disasters.
I’m certain that the other VR and IL agencies in this county have failed others
with other disabilities on a similar scale.
And the problems began in earnest when Governor Snyder destroyed all consumer
control, transparency, and accountability with Executive Order 2012-10. He
destroyed the Michigan Commission for the Blind. He destroyed and perverted
with agency hacks the Statewide Rehabilitation Council with that order which is
suppose to monitor BSBP. He functionally destroyed the Statewide Independent
Living Council as well with that order.
The results and impact on people with disabilities in this county alone are
testament to the deadly aspect of that order. By the way the State of Michigan
tried to bill me $746,000 for FOIA related to that and the prior EO 2012-2
which shows how out of control and how abusive this Administration has been to
consumers and consumer advocates and citizens with disabilities.
Sincerely,
Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.
Citizen with Disabilities
Cc: Lt. Gov. Brian Calley
Cc: Ed Rodgers, BSBP
Cc: NFB
Cc: ADAPT
Cc: MPAS
Cc: MSILC
Cc: ACL
Cc: RSA
Cc: MCRS
(Attached e-mail chain from FOIAJ
From: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2016 11:12 AM
To: Zimmer, Mike (LARA) <zimmerm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Luzenski, Sue (LARA) <LuzenskiS@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; Towne, Karen (LARA)
<TowneK2@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; Burton, Diane
(LARA) <BurtonD2@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; Belknap, Katie (LARA) <BelknapK@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: BSBP/Flint
Good morning Mike,
As I indicated at the library this morning for the Scott Norris award, I have
talked to
Beth White to get a status report. Beth has indicated to me that she has
contacted
either directly, or by telephone, all 11 blind clients who were identified as
living in the
water district. I will follow up with her indicating that we would now like her
to contact
the remaining 26 blind clients that were originally identified.
If you need anything else please let me know.
Ed
From: Zimmer, Mike (LARA)
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2016 7:36 AM
To: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)
Cc: Luzenski, Sue (LARA)
Subject: BSBP/Flint
I know you staff (Elizabeth White) is doing home visits to blind clients in
Flint to check if they have supplies/need
information/etc. This is wonderful.
Can you check with her and tell me by COB today how far she has progressed? I
heard she had hoped to have all home
visits done by the end of the week. Is it just the 11 or so on Flint water or
is she visiting all 36 clients?
1
Mike Zimmer, Director
Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
611 W. Ottawa Street
Lansing, Michigan 48909
517-241-7124
Luzenski, Sue (LARA)
From: Towne, Karen (LARA)
Table with 2 columns and 5 rowsSent: Friday, January 29, 2016 8:46 AM To:
Rodgers, Edward (LARA) Cc: White, Elizabeth (LARA); Belknap, Katie (LARA);
Luzenski, Sue (LARA); Zimmer, Mike
(LARA); Burton, Diane (LARA) Subject: Re: Flint Blind Residents Table endThanks
Ed.
Sent from my iPad
On Jan 29, 2016, at 8:43 AM, Rodgers, Edward (LARA) <rodgerse@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Good morning Karen,
Please find attached the list of our clients who are in the Flint water system.
You can reach Beth White, our regional manager directly at 517-335-5521,
she has volunteered to help our clients. I will let you and Beth work out the
details as to what you want her to do.
Thanks,
Ed
From: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2016 3:28 PM
To: Burton, Diane (LARA); Zimmer, Mike (LARA)
Cc: Luzenski, Sue (LARA) (LuzenskiS@xxxxxxxxxxxx); 'Belknap, Katie (LARA)
(BelknapK@xxxxxxxxxxxx)';
'White, Elizabeth (LARA) (whitee2@xxxxxxxxxxxx)'
Subject: Flint Blind Residents
Hi Diane,
Please find attached the list of the names and addresses of BSBP clients
who live in the Flint water system area. If you need a notice printed in
braille please send it electronically to me and Katie Belknap and we will get
in brailled for you. Remember, Beth White from our office is willing to help
coordinate serving the blind homes. Her number is 517-335-5521.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Ed
Director
Bureau of Services for Blind Persons
1
<Flint names.xls.xlsx>
Luzenski, Sue (LARA)
From: Rodgers, Edward (LARA)
Table with 2 columns and 3 rowsSent: Friday, February 05, 2016 9:12 PM To:
White, Elizabeth (LARA) Subject: Re: Flint calls Table endThank you
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 5, 2016, at 3:53 PM, White, Elizabeth (LARA) <whitee2@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi Ed,
I’ve finished with the calls to our Flint clients. Indicated how they were
contacted on the spreadsheet attached. Have a nice weekend!
Elizabeth White MA, CRC, LPC
Central Region Manager
Bureau of Services for Blind Persons
(517)335-5521
<Copy of Flint names-response.xlsx>
