[Reader-users] Appeal to my contributers

Sun Mar 30 21:13:18 CDT 2008

Why was this posted to the Reader Users list?  Seems very inappropriate.

Cindy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Kenlawrence124 at aol.com>
To: <reader-users at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 8:27 PM
Subject: [Reader-users] Appeal to my contributers

Hi to all of those who have yet to contribute to the march for 
independence.
 This letter is designed to show how important your gift  really is now more
than ever.  Let me start with the Grim reality of the  situation politically
for the blind.  Hear in NJ, we are facing cuts and  very deep ones at that 
in
the commission for the blind.  Our summer camp  for one is being slashed as
part of a 17% cut in the commission's funding by a  governor who spent a 
total of
$100,000,000 for two elections to office, one of  which he didn't even
finish.  a governor who after the first Mandated shut  down of the state 
last year
said on national television that he'd if necessary  spend his own money to
prevent a summer camp for the blind from being shut  down.  To make up for 
the
shortfall, he's planning to lease the NJ  Turnpike, and raise our tolls on 
it.
and I haven't gotten to the highest  property taxes in our state's history. 
On
the national front it's  worse.  Our federation along with the ACB the
American counsel of the blind  who in many other situations doesn't agree 
with us
are fighting to both save the  Randolph shepherd program so that blind can 
have
both the honor and pribilige to  provide food service on Military bases, and
the upgrade to digital of the  talking book program.  What it all comes down 
to
is this.  Our  government is no longer listening to us and is not showing 
any
interest in Blind  affairs.  It's in both political parties.  On the
republican side, The  Bush administration has allowed the closing down of 
job line and
America's job  bank, and 10 regional rehabilitation services offices, and 
has
dragged it's feet  on Randolph shepherd.  The Democrats have shown that all
they want to do is  hurt the administration by doing nothing hoping they can
blame bush for  everything and get elected.  The chair of the subcommittee
overseeing  talking funding has said she'll give The Library of congress
$12,500,000 for the  program this year and that's it.  We only got that same 
amount last
year  too.  We want $19,100,000 each of the next four years so that the
program  can complete the transition away from cassettes in four years.  We 
are
also  battling to get our books to Kids in school on time in an accessible 
format
to  be translated into Braille.  This isn't happening either and we are also
working on the issue of Silent cars so that blind people walking the streets
don't come to harm by getting hit by a car they can't hear or for their 
canes
 getting run over.  Go to the federation website and listen to presidential
release 360 for details.  find it on _www.nfb.org_ (http://www.nfb.org/) 
And
take the publications link and  then the presidential releases.  This member
of the federation is sick and  tired of his friends going down to Washington
over and over again and being told  yes we support you on the same issues 
year
after year.  This is also a  problem because the Sighted aren't being 
listened
to any more than the  blind.  Hear in NJ we're trying to save what I 
mentioned
above, and trying  to get more mobility instruction too.  I won't go into 
the
corruption here  in NJ that is the biggest reason of all why this is
happening here.  Also  why a Recall petition has been started in Somersett 
County.
The point of  this is put simply, with your gift to the federation's march 
for
independence,  you can make a shout loud and clear to force the government 
to
listen to us and  to you too.  So please make that gift before May 31, and 
help
us become a  voice to loud to ignore.  I'm passionate about my work in the
federation  being worth something so please make the gift today.  You can 
send a
 message to Obama, Mccain, and all of congress that the blind aren't talking
to  hear ourselves talk.  We want to work, we want to contribute, we want 
the
earnings limit to be increased for SSDI so blind will have the motivation to
work, we want job line to be restarted, rehabilitation services restored,
Digital talking books, cars that blind can hear, blind kids to get there 
books
on time, blind people to vote independently, and we want these things not
tomorrow, but now!  Now!  Now!  We want the honor to provide food  services 
to
our brave men and women who serve in our army, fighting for Freedom,  and
fighting against the ones who want to kill all of us blind or sighted.   And 
we want
it not tomorrow but Now!  Now!  Now!  You can help  the voice of the blind 
be
heard by letting yours be heard so please in our most  important time of the
blindness movement, as a proud member of the largest  organization of blind
people in America and maybe the world, raise your voice in  protest against
those who won't do the work of protecting rights and  freedoms.  Our 
Governor
quickly abolished the death penalty, showing he  cares more about the rights 
of
convicted killers than he does the blind and is  more interested in being 
the
president than actually doing the work of the  country, so till he's 
recalled
we'll just have to settle these issues.  The  two parties are to ocupide 
with
their own political aspirations like the  Governor of NJ, so show him and 
them
that they work for you not the other way  around.
I pledge to  participate actively in the efforts of the national federation
of the blind to  achieve     equality, opportunity, and security for the
blind; to support the policies and programs of the federation; and abide by 
its
constitution.

I pledge to  participate actively in the efforts of the national federation
of the blind to  achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; 
to
support the  policies and programs of the federation; and abide by its
constitution.

**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
Home.
(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&ncid=aolhom00030000000001)

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