From: hheagy@delphi.com
Subject: Re: Conflict of Interest
On 1997-08-24 NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org said:
 NF>This is true, but I think Harvey's question goes deeper than
that.
 NF>It goes to the fact that he doesn't think the director of
 NF>Rehabilitation for the state of Louisiana is cutting the gig.
 NF>He feels she was given an award for supporting the louisiana
center
 NF>in Ruston, while letting general rehab for the blind go to
hell.
You hit the nail right on the head.  I think the centers do good
work and I have never said otherwise, but there are other things
that need our attention and they are being ignored.
Someday, someone who is not happy with the services they received
from any of our centers will come to us for help.  They will have
the potential of facing the very same people in there quest for
help that provided the service they are unhappy with.  If that is
not a conflict, I don't know what is.
Also, I think one important difference between the government
workings and the N.F.B. is that we are supposed to be a grass
roots consumer organization.  We go to conventions at our own
expense and do other work with money out of our own pockets
because we believe in the long term outcome of a given agenda.
Therefore, we deserve more input.  The U.S. government has never
been nor has it claimed to be a true democracy.  For that to be
the case we would all have to go to Washington, say our piece on
all issues and all vote on every one of them.  This is far too
cumbersome and no one expects that of the government or of the
N.F.B.  We elect our board to do certain things but the power of
the electorate is eroding.
I would also point out that incumbents do have an unfair
advantage and this is why term limits are being considered.  In
most states, the governor can only succeed him or herself once
before being required to sit out at least one term before being
eligible to run for that office again.  The same is true for the
mayor of New Orleans.  The President is permitted only to be
elected twice and if he or she fills out more than half of an
unexpired term they can only seek the office in their own right
once.  They cannot sit out a term and then run again.  It was
felt that after F.D.R.'s forth election that this was dangerous
and for very good reasons.
Also, it is easy for someone in the power structure to say how
democratic any organization is when they are part of the action.
Why can't our national leaders engage in dialogue without
resorting to sarcasm?  Ever since the civil war years this
organization has gone the other way and is afraid to let any kind
of disagreement be known for fear of another civil war when the
irony is that the very tactics they are using may result in just
such an event.
When a spouse wants out of a marriage usually the tighter the
other tries to hold on to them the more likely the person who
wants out will break out as they are looking for that opportunity
and will take advantage of it.
I don't want to see us loose our discipline as an organization,
but questionable tactics in the name of unity should also not be
allowed.  Further, this organization will not fall apart just
because people disagree on certain issues.  But maybe that's what
the national leadership is afraid of.
Harvey
Net-Tamer V 1.10 Beta  - Registered
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