From: Harvey Heagy 
Subject: Re: Why the NFB
I agree that people should think more and maybe some changes
could be made.  However, I agree that this is highly unlikely.
But you are right about people wishing to pattern themselves
after Dr. Jernigan.  Marc even tries his best to imitate him in
his voice and mannerisms.
As far as Barbara Pierce is concerned I think her combined
knowledge of broadcasting, public relations and journalism could
fit on the head of a pin with room left over.  She's a mike hog
who loves to hear herself talk.  I remember sitting in a Public
Relations meeting when she advised people that if a radio or tv
station said that they did not accept pre-recorded public service
announcements but only accepted live copy or some other method of
programming them to blanket it with letters and contacts until
they relented.  It doesn't work that way and she knows it.  I've
spent a good part of my adult life in broadcasting and first of
all, the F.C.C. has dropped most if not all programming
requirements where P.S.A.'s are concerned.  Secondly, if a
station is giving you something, you don't kick a gift horse in
the mouth; you do it the way they tell you to do it.  If they
only do 10 second announcements you write them up and give them
to the stations Public Service Director.  Very few music stations
run more than 2 commercial breaks an hour.  they don't have time
to play pre-recorded P.S.A.'s from anybody, and if they do it for
u s they have to do it for every non-profit organization seeking
air time.  So you go along with it and say, " thank you very
much," unless we want to get into buying time.
As far as being reorganized out of the N.F.B., I have very little
to do with the La. affiliate as it is because of the blatant
conflicts of interest regarding our and other training centers.
I do maintain my membership in several divisions mainly the
vendor's division, but if I am eventually reorganized out I will
at least have the knowledge of standing up for what I believe to
be right.  I do support the national leadership most of the time,
but the reason why people don't think so is because I make my
disagreements known so it looks like I never do which is not
true.  I think the pendulum has swung too far the other way and
it is time that the rank and file membership took some of its
power back.
The A.C.B. may be more democratic, but unfortunately it is far
less effective in making changes that benefit blind people.  But
on the other hand, naziism was a very efficiently run state
perhaps the most efficiently run of all time, but would any of us
like to live under it?  I think not; for while the slaughter of
innocent jews got all the attention, they weren't too nice to the
handicapped either calling us consumers of food and supplies
while giving nothing back.  So we also would not survive in such
a state.
Harvey
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