[Dtb-talk] House Subcommittee mark up of DigitalTalkingBook AppropriationAppropriation

Fri Jun 8 12:15:22 CDT 2007

Hello Lynn and listers,

And while you're lamenting over the relationship between the two
organizations of the blind we stand to lose our talking book program as we
know it. Perhaps we would all do better to leave this junk alone and get
busy writing our congressional members. Mary and I will be doing that this
weekend.

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lynn Evans" <evans-lynn at comcast.net>
To: "Discussion of Digital Talking Books" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 8:37 AM
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] House Subcommittee mark up of DigitalTalkingBook
AppropriationAppropriation

I fully agree. How sad it is that two organizations are unable to unite
under one common goal that would help so many people.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barry Levine" <barry at functionaltherapy.net>
To: "'Discussion of Digital Talking Books'" <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] House Subcommittee mark up of Digital TalkingBook
AppropriationAppropriation

:
: Thank you, Pratik.
: So often the real issues take a back seat to the organizations'
: chest-thumping.  Even when issues, tailor-made for cooperation, are placed
: on our plates we can't get beyond organizational affiliation.  Tis a pity.
:
:
: --Barry
:
:
:
:
: -----Original Message-----
: From: dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
: Behalf Of Pratik Patel
: Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 5:38 AM
: To: 'Discussion of Digital Talking Books'
: Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] House Subcommittee mark up of Digital Talking Book
: AppropriationAppropriation
:
:
: I don't want to start a partisan debate here.  But, does it really matter
: who got the message out?  Frankly, I didn't think that the NLS program and
: its eventual improvement was a race between the two organizations.  The
: point is, the information got out.  And the question is: what are we all
: going to do about it.  Let's not sit here and criticize either one
: organization or the other..  We spend too much of our energy doing that
and
: so much gets lost in between.
:
: Pratik
:
:
: -----Original Message-----
: From: dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
: Behalf Of David Andrews
: Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 12:50 AM
: To: Discussion of Digital Talking Books
: Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] House Subcommittee mark up of Digital Talking Book
: Appropriation
:
: There is a second message coming -- I was traveling back from Canada
today,
: so things did not get out as quickly as they sometimes do.  NFB is on top
of
: it -- we were working on it months ago when the ACB was silent.  It is
they
: who have jumped on the bandwagon at the eleventh hour.
:
: Dave
:
: At 11:41 AM 6/7/2007, you wrote:
: >Just wondering why this had to come from an ACB list, and why the NFB
: >wasn't
: >on top of this issue, providing their members with up-to-date
information,
: >and urging our action.
: >
: >Sure, there was a press release from the NFB office, but I feel this
: >release
: >was reactionary, and not some breakthrough, or show of creativity, and
: >effective leadership.
: >
: >Just my thaughts.
: >
: >Antonio Guimaraes
: >
: >----- Original Message -----
: >From: "David B Andrews" <David.B.Andrews at state.mn.us>
: >To: <dtb-test at sun8.loc.gov>; <dtb-talk at nfbnet.org>
: >Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 2:09 AM
: >Subject: [Dtb-talk] House Subcommittee mark up of Digital Talking
: >BookAppropriation
: >
: >
: >>I am passing this information along for your information.  It comes
: >>from an ACB list, and represents all I know about this at this  point.
: >>If true, and successful, it probably wouldn't kill the  digital
: >>program but it would delay its full implementation and cause  other
: >>problems as its effects would cascade through the system.
: >>
: >> Dave
: >>
: >>
: >> ----- Original Message -----
: >> From: "Melanie Brunson" <mbrunson at acb.org>
: >> To: <leadership at acb.org>
: >> Cc: <acb-l at acb.org>
: >> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 4:14 PM
: >> Subject: [leadership] House Subcommittee mark up of Digital Talking
: >> Book
: >> Appropriation
: >>
: >>
: >>> Hello All,
: >>>
: >>> Just wanted to give you a quick progress report.  The House
: >>> Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch marked up its funding
: >> bill
: >>> today.  Their recommendation to the full Committee on
: >> Appropriations
: >>> will include $7.5 million to the Library of Congress for the
: >>> implementation of the digital talking book program by NLS.  This
: >> is
: >>> less than half of the amount requested by NLS.  The subcommittee
: >>> chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, (d-fl) stated that the bill
: >> will
: >>> also include language giving the Librarian discretion to move
: >> some
: >>> funds from other sources if it is deemed appropriate to fund
: >> this
: >>> program.  However, it is not clear whether this discretion would
: >> also
: >>> allow the Librarian to take funds from NLS to fund something else.
: >>> As of this writing, the actual legislative language is
: >> not
: >>> available, but this is a question we will have to look into.
: >>>
: >>> The full Appropriations Committee will probably consider this
: >> bill
: >>> within a week or so.  That means we have some work to do.
: >> Members of
: >>> Congress, especially House members on the Appropriations
: >> Committee,
: >>> need to know how important the talking book program is to the
: >> blind
: >>> community.  Please contact your representative if you have not
: >>> already done so.  The transition to digital talking books is not
: >> just
: >>> a nice thing to do to provide more bells and whistles that appeal
: >> to
: >>> techies.  It is a necessity because the cassette players
: >> currently in
: >>> use are no longer being manufactured.  The entire industry is
: >> phasing
: >>> out the cassette.  It is only a matter of time before something
: >> has
: >>> to be done anyway that will enable NLS to adapt to industry trends.
: >>> Please help us support the continued availability of
: >> talking
: >>> books for the blind.  If you have any questions, please contact
: >> me
: >>> either by email, or by calling the ACB national office.
: >>>
: >>> Melanie Brunson
: >>>
: >>>
: >>>
: >>> --
: >>> Join the Monthly Monetary Support program (MMS) and help improve
: >> tomorrow
: >>> today in ACB.
: >>> For details, contact Dr. Ron Milliman, MMS Program Committee
: >> Chair, by
: >> e-mail:
: >>> rmilliman at insightbb.com or by phone at 270-782-9325 and get
: >> started making
: >>> tomorrow look brighter today in ACB!
: >>>
: >>> This message has come to you from the ACB Leadership List:  a
: >> special
: >>> List for use by the leadership of the American Council of the
: >> Blind.
: >>> This communication is privileged and may contain confidential
: >>> information intended only for the person(s) to whom it is
: >> addressed.
: >>> Any unauthorized disclosure, copying, other distribution of this
: >>> communication is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate
: >> removal
: >>> from the List.  If you have received this message in error,
: >> please
: >>> notify ACB immediately by writing to support at acb.org.
: >>>
: >>
: >>
: >> David Andrews
: >> Chief Technology Officer
: >> Minnesota State Services for the Blind
: >> 2200 University Ave. W., #240
: >> St. Paul, MN  55114-1840
: >> (651) 642-0513  Office
: >> (612) 730-7931  Cell
: >> (651) 649-5927  Fax
: >>
: >> _______________________________________________
: >> Dtb-talk mailing list
: >> Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk
: >>
: >>
: >> -- 
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: >> 1:10 PM
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: >>
: >
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