[Blindvet-talk] Fwd: From Jim McCarthy - Updates from the 2008 Washington Sem...

Fri Feb 22 17:30:18 CST 2008

____________________________________
 From: dandrews at visi.com
Reply-to: blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org
To:  blindtlk at nfbnet.org, nfb-talk at nfbnet.org, nabs-l at nfbnet.org,  
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nfbespanol-talk at nfbnet.org, nh-north-country at nfbnet.org,  blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org, 
nfb-or at nfbnet.org, ncabs at nfbnet.org,  nfb-or at nfbnet.org
Sent: 2/21/2008 12:26:49 A.M. Eastern Standard  Time
Subj: [Blindvet-talk] From Jim McCarthy - Updates from the 2008  Washington 
Seminar

>----------------------------------------------------
>From:  McCarthy, Jim
>Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 5:05 PM
>Subject:  Updates from the 2008 Washington Seminar
>
>
>Fellow  Federationists,
>
>
>
>Let me begin by thanking those  of you who were able to be at the 
>2008 Washington Seminar for a very  successful time in our Nation's 
>Capitol.  Here are several  updates that will help you as you 
>continue to advocate for the agenda  we set at the Washington Seminar.
>
>
>
>-- Blind  Persons Earnings Fairness Act - Our legislation to raise 
>the amount  blind people can earn before losing SSDI benefits is in 
>both houses of  Congress.  The bill number in the House is H.R. 3834, 
>and the  bill number in the Senate is S. 2559.  Many of you received  
>commitments from your members of Congress to cosponsor this  
>legislation.  I need you to follow up with all who you believed  
>would cosponsor this legislation, to assure that they actually do  
>so.  Therefore, I will attach the latest list of cosponsors so  that 
>you know which members who agreed to cosponsor actually followed  through.
>
>
>
>-- Quiet Cars - As you now know, we  seek a minimum sound standard 
>for vehicles in order that blind and  other pedestrians can make the 
>essential judgments required to travel  safely.  While at Washington 
>Seminar, Congressman Edolphus Towns  of New York, an orientation and 
>mobility instructor prior to his  distinguished congressional career, 
>agreed to take the lead on this  legislation.  I provided him a draft 
>and his staff is reviewing  it at this time.  The chairman of the 
>Senate Committee on  Commerce, Science and Transportation pledged to 
>hold a hearing  concerning this issue and that office also has the 
>draft bill for  consideration.  I fully expect to be announcing a 
>bill number  soon for this legislation.
>
>
>
>Once a bill has been  introduced, we must make the case that it is 
>necessary.  To help  with this task, an e-mail has been created for 
>those of you who can to  send stories of your encounters with quiet 
>cars.  The email  address is quietcarstories at nfb.org.  I encourage 
>each and  every
>
>one of you who has such a story to send it to the above  address with 
>information sufficient to allow us to contact you.   If your friends 
>have stories, please urge them to send their stories  to 
>quietcarstories at nfb.org.
>
>
>
>-- Full  Funding for Digital Talking Books Conversion - The final 
>issue  considered at Washington Seminar was our push for full funding 
>of the  conversion of analog talking books to digital talking books 
>and  replacement of the cassette players and tapes with digital 
>players and  flash cartridges.  We seek the $19.1 million that the 
>library  needs for the second year of the project, as well as the 
>$6.6 million  Congress failed to provide for the first year, for a 
>total of $25.7  million.  At Washington Seminar we did not know the 
>amount the  Library of Congress would request in its budget, but we 
>believed the  library would only request the $12.5 million it 
>received last  year.  Our concerns have been confirmed, which makes 
>our job of  seeking the entire amount difficult, but by no means 
>impossible.   This is the kind of battle we relish and we will not 
>shrink from  it.  We know that full funding is necessary or blind 
>people will  certainly be left without books to read or machines on 
>which to read  them.  You can expect more information on our strategy 
>as it is  developed.
>
>
>
>Members of Congress are about to go  on their President's Day 
>recess.  As a result, many of them  should be in their districts next 
>week.  To enhance the chance  that our legislation is enacted during 
>this second session of  Congress, you need to meet the members and 
>remind them of their  commitments to you at the Washington Seminar, 
>or if you did not see  them, please get commitments from 
>them.  Meeting the members in  their districts makes a powerful 
>statement of your interest in the  issues and improves the odds that 
>they will do what is  needed.
>
>
>
>Thank you for your hard work.  To  those who were unable to join us 
>in Washington, as we dig into the  follow-up work, you can also help 
>us accomplish our objectives, and I  have no doubt that you  will.
>
>
>
>Cordially,
>
>
>
>James  D. McCarthy
>
>Government Programs  Specialist
>
>National Federation of the  Blind
>
>
>
>JDM/wmb
>
>
>
>Attachment
>
>
>
>
>
>Blind  Persons Earnings Fairness Act
>
>H.R.  3834
>
>Cosponsors
>
>110th        2008
>
>
>
>AR
>
>Representative Mike  Ross
>
>
>
>CA
>
>Representative Linda  Sanchez
>
>Representative Bob  Filner
>
>
>
>GA
>
>Representative John  Lewis
>
>Representative Sanford  Bishop
>
>
>
>IA
>
>Representative Bruce  Braley
>
>Representative Leonard  Boswell
>
>
>
>IL
>
>Representative Philip  Hare
>
>Representative Danny  Davis
>
>
>
>IN
>
>Representative Peter  Visclosky
>
>
>
>KS
>
>Representative  Dennis Moore
>
>
>
>MN
>
>Representative  James Oberstar
>
>
>
>NJ
>
>Representative  Rush Holt
>
>
>
>NY
>
>Representative  Edolphus  Towns
>
>
>
>
>
>OH
>
>Representative  Timothy Ryan
>
>
>
>PA
>
>Representative  Robert Brady
>
>
>
>TN
>
>Representative  Steve Cohen
>
>Representative Lincoln  Davis
>
>
>
>TX
>
>Representative Ron  Paul
>
>
>
>VA
>
>Representative Bobby  Scott
>
>Representative Frank  Wolf
>
>
>
>VT
>
>Representative Peter  Welch
>
>
>
>WA
>
>Representative Jim  McDermott
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Blind  Persons Earnings Fairness Act
>
>S.  2559
>
>Cosponsors
>
>110th        2008
>
>AZ
>
>Senator John  McCain
>
>
>
>CT
>
>Senator Christopher  Dodd
>
>
>
>VA
>
>Senator John  Warner
>
>
>
>ME
>
>Senator Susan  Collins

_______________________________________________
Blindvet-talk  mailing  list
Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk

**************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.      
(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/
2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
-------------- next part --------------

From: dandrews at visi.com
Reply-to: blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org, nfb-talk at nfbnet.org, nabs-l at nfbnet.org, dtb-talk at nfbnet.org, nfb-announce at nfbnet.org, cabs-talk at nfbnet.org, nfb-river-city at nfbnet.org, nfbsf at nfbnet.org, nfbc-info at nfbnet.org, nfbofncp at nfbnet.org, nfb-idaho at nfbnet.org, mt-blind at nfbnet.org, cabs at nfbnet.org, colorado-talk at nfbnet.org, nfbaz-talk at nfbnet.org, mabs at nfbnet.org, oabs at nfbnet.org, greater-baltimore at nfbnet.org, nfbf-l at nfbnet.org, 4alabama at nfbnet.org, vabs at nfbnet.org, mn-abs at nfbnet.org, nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org, mi-abs at nfbnet.org, il-talk at nfbnet.org, iabs-talk at nfbnet.org, nebraska-students at nfbnet.org, tn-talk at nfbnet.org, arizona-students at nfbnet.org, nfb-nv-l at listserv.tmcc.edu, nfbv-announce at nfbnet.org, nfb-kzoo at nfbnet.org, nfb-db at nfbnet.org, nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org, nfb-seniors at nfbnet.org, nobe-l at nfbnet.org, teachvib at nfbnet.org, ccb-alumni at nfbnet.org, la-students at nfbnet.org, nfb-hi at nfbnet.org, nfbkabs at nfbnet.org, nfbkpbc at nfbnet.org, nfbofncp at nfbnet.org, tabs at nfbnet.org, njabs-talk at nfbnet.org, fabs at nfbnet.org, blindlaw at nfbnet.org, nfbv-leadership at nfbnet.org, nabs-presidents at nfbnet.org, new-hampshire-students at nfbnet.org, nfb-new-hampshire at nfbnet.org, nfbespanol-talk at nfbnet.org, nh-north-country at nfbnet.org, blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org, nfb-or at nfbnet.org, ncabs at nfbnet.org, nfb-or at nfbnet.org
Sent: 2/21/2008 12:26:49 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: [Blindvet-talk] From Jim McCarthy - Updates from the 2008 Washington Seminar

>----------------------------------------------------
>From: McCarthy, Jim
>Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 5:05 PM
>Subject: Updates from the 2008 Washington Seminar
>
>
>Fellow Federationists,
>
>
>
>Let me begin by thanking those of you who were able to be at the
>2008 Washington Seminar for a very successful time in our Nation's
>Capitol.  Here are several updates that will help you as you
>continue to advocate for the agenda we set at the Washington Seminar.
>
>
>
>-- Blind Persons Earnings Fairness Act - Our legislation to raise
>the amount blind people can earn before losing SSDI benefits is in
>both houses of Congress.  The bill number in the House is H.R. 3834,
>and the bill number in the Senate is S. 2559.  Many of you received
>commitments from your members of Congress to cosponsor this
>legislation.  I need you to follow up with all who you believed
>would cosponsor this legislation, to assure that they actually do
>so.  Therefore, I will attach the latest list of cosponsors so that
>you know which members who agreed to cosponsor actually followed through.
>
>
>
>-- Quiet Cars - As you now know, we seek a minimum sound standard
>for vehicles in order that blind and other pedestrians can make the
>essential judgments required to travel safely.  While at Washington
>Seminar, Congressman Edolphus Towns of New York, an orientation and
>mobility instructor prior to his distinguished congressional career,
>agreed to take the lead on this legislation.  I provided him a draft
>and his staff is reviewing it at this time.  The chairman of the
>Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation pledged to
>hold a hearing concerning this issue and that office also has the
>draft bill for consideration.  I fully expect to be announcing a
>bill number soon for this legislation.
>
>
>
>Once a bill has been introduced, we must make the case that it is
>necessary.  To help with this task, an e-mail has been created for
>those of you who can to send stories of your encounters with quiet
>cars.  The email address is quietcarstories at nfb.org.  I encourage
>each and every
>
>one of you who has such a story to send it to the above address with
>information sufficient to allow us to contact you.  If your friends
>have stories, please urge them to send their stories to
>quietcarstories at nfb.org.
>
>
>
>-- Full Funding for Digital Talking Books Conversion - The final
>issue considered at Washington Seminar was our push for full funding
>of the conversion of analog talking books to digital talking books
>and replacement of the cassette players and tapes with digital
>players and flash cartridges.  We seek the $19.1 million that the
>library needs for the second year of the project, as well as the
>$6.6 million Congress failed to provide for the first year, for a
>total of $25.7 million.  At Washington Seminar we did not know the
>amount the Library of Congress would request in its budget, but we
>believed the library would only request the $12.5 million it
>received last year.  Our concerns have been confirmed, which makes
>our job of seeking the entire amount difficult, but by no means
>impossible.  This is the kind of battle we relish and we will not
>shrink from it.  We know that full funding is necessary or blind
>people will certainly be left without books to read or machines on
>which to read them.  You can expect more information on our strategy
>as it is developed.
>
>
>
>Members of Congress are about to go on their President's Day
>recess.  As a result, many of them should be in their districts next
>week.  To enhance the chance that our legislation is enacted during
>this second session of Congress, you need to meet the members and
>remind them of their commitments to you at the Washington Seminar,
>or if you did not see them, please get commitments from
>them.  Meeting the members in their districts makes a powerful
>statement of your interest in the issues and improves the odds that
>they will do what is needed.
>
>
>
>Thank you for your hard work.  To those who were unable to join us
>in Washington, as we dig into the follow-up work, you can also help
>us accomplish our objectives, and I have no doubt that you will.
>
>
>
>Cordially,
>
>
>
>James D. McCarthy
>
>Government Programs Specialist
>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>
>
>JDM/wmb
>
>
>
>Attachment
>
>
>
>
>
>Blind Persons Earnings Fairness Act
>
>H.R. 3834
>
>Cosponsors
>
>110th       2008
>
>
>
>AR
>
>Representative Mike Ross
>
>
>
>CA
>
>Representative Linda Sanchez
>
>Representative Bob Filner
>
>
>
>GA
>
>Representative John Lewis
>
>Representative Sanford Bishop
>
>
>
>IA
>
>Representative Bruce Braley
>
>Representative Leonard Boswell
>
>
>
>IL
>
>Representative Philip Hare
>
>Representative Danny Davis
>
>
>
>IN
>
>Representative Peter Visclosky
>
>
>
>KS
>
>Representative Dennis Moore
>
>
>
>MN
>
>Representative James Oberstar
>
>
>
>NJ
>
>Representative Rush Holt
>
>
>
>NY
>
>Representative Edolphus Towns
>
>
>
>
>
>OH
>
>Representative Timothy Ryan
>
>
>
>PA
>
>Representative Robert Brady
>
>
>
>TN
>
>Representative Steve Cohen
>
>Representative Lincoln Davis
>
>
>
>TX
>
>Representative Ron Paul
>
>
>
>VA
>
>Representative Bobby Scott
>
>Representative Frank Wolf
>
>
>
>VT
>
>Representative Peter Welch
>
>
>
>WA
>
>Representative Jim McDermott
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Blind Persons Earnings Fairness Act
>
>S. 2559
>
>Cosponsors
>
>110th       2008
>
>AZ
>
>Senator John McCain
>
>
>
>CT
>
>Senator Christopher Dodd
>
>
>
>VA
>
>Senator John Warner
>
>
>
>ME
>
>Senator Susan Collins
_______________________________________________
Blindvet-talk mailing list
Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk
Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598 Watch the video on AOL Living.
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