[Dtb-talk] House Subcommittee mark up of Digital Talking Book Appropriation

Fri Jun 8 12:42:05 CDT 2007

I would agree also, Pratik>

I don't know why the timing issue was brought up in the first 
place.  Some people insist on making something partisan when it isn't 
a part of the whole thing.

Dave

At 05:37 AM 6/8/2007, you wrote:
>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
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org
> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk
> >>
> >>
> >> --
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> >>
> >>
> >
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David Andrews and white cane Harry.