From: David Andrews 
Subject: Re: no hatchet, just confusion
There actually was some divergence of opinion in the blindness field over
the aproach to take.  The Council of State Agencies for Vocational
Rehabilitation primarily worked in the Senate, trying to get an amendment
nulifying the Gorton amendment.  The consumer organizations tended to work
on the House side, making sure it wouldn't get in there, then they would
presumably switch to the Conference Committee blocking it there.
There isn't one right way, and there were a number of fronts we could, and
did work on.  It appears that we will beat this one, although it is a stupid
thing that never should have had to come up. We had to spend time and
political currency on it, not useful things.
David Andrews
On 1997-09-19 NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org said:
 DS>On 1997-09-18 DOn Steelman said
 DS>>I support anyone who supports me.  My dear friend, this is not an
 DS>>issue for the kind of blind/org partizanship you evince.  Can't all
 DS>>of us work together when our very lives are at stake?  I would hope
 DS>>that in a dispute such as this NFB and ACB could burry the hatchet
 DS>>somewhere other than in their opponents.
 DS>As I said, no hatchet, just some confusion.  First message I see
 DS>yesterday says just a typo, nothing to worry about, they've got it
 DS>straightened out now.
 DS>Then within a span of the next twelve hours, I see three other
 DS>messages, all three showing they came from ACb leadership.  When I
 DS>read Mr. Gashel's original alert, I did my bit and Emailed my
 DS>senators.
 DS>My main point of curiosity was the silence on the part of our
 DS>national leadership barring the first alert around 48 hours ago (at
 DS>least that's when it hit my mailbox.)
 DS>When I hear something out of our national leadership, I'll govern
 DS>myself accordingly, and am sure others are doing likewise.  That's
 DS>only point I"m raising here.
 DS>If the mention of the Playboy brouhaha bothers you, or you're not
 DS>familiar with the reference I'm making, ask somebody who was around
 DS>the movement in the early '80's if your involvement doesn't go back
 DS>that far.
 DS>TO sum up, though, the congress cut funding for Playboy magazine in
 DS>alternative formats through NLS.  ACb filed suit.   Meanwhile, NFb
 DS>was working behind the scenes to restore funding without resorting
 DS>to the courts.  May not have been a good analogy to use in this
 DS>situation, but often times it's relevant.
 DS>Not that we're actually working at cross-purposes here, DOn, but it
 DS>could well be the reason we're not hearing from NFB leadership
 DS>anymore on this issue is the appropriate folks are busily
 DS>communicating with lawmakers and getting things done.  NOt that
 DS>communication from citizens hurts, but if our leadership finds the
 DS>situation is well in hand, I've no need to do further on it.  If it
 DS>isn't, well then, time to let my representative know where I stand
 DS>on the issue.  As I said, already have my senators.
 DS>Now, for the lady who's crying about her seven year old son seeing
 DS>my message, there was nothing in there a seven year old should not
 DS>see. If she's got a problem with me she can take it up with my
 DS>service provider. Otherwise, she can stick to the issue instead of
 DS>rambling disjointedly.  What her seven year old sees has nothing to
 DS>do with the conversation.  If she wants privacy what's her problem.
 DS>This is a listserv!  If she doesn't understand what this is,
 DS>especially if she's so net literate as she claims, maybe she'd
 DS>better sit down in school with her seven year old, maybe she'll
 DS>learn  something. Regards,
David Andrews (dandrews@visi.com)
or BBS: (telnet to nfbnet.org) or call (612) 696-1975
Net-Tamer V 1.10 Beta  - Registered
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