That’s what’s happening in New Jersey where governor Chris Christie’s new budget calls for the elimination of the state’s regional “talking books” program for blind and physically handicapped citizens. One wonders what’s next for the good governor? Maybe they can “unplug Grandma” while they’re at it. I shall have more to say about this disgraceful matter in the coming weeks but suffice it to say that if Governor Christie wants to be remembered by history as the man who stole books from blind people then he’s certainly well on the way to ignominy. Shame on the governor and on all who advise his office.
S.K.
Planet of the Blind 
Mike,
Obviously, you mustn’t blame yourself for getting me started. This is primarily a disability and poetry blog, but people with disabilities (and poets, too, I would imagine) have a great stake in promoting a government that works in the best interests of the people it serves. Think of government this way: As one individual, how much chance do you have of defending yourself against larger, more powerful forces? Do you think that you can prevent another massive oil spill from devastating our coastal waters? Can you single-handedly curb the increasing flow of wealth from the hands of the many to the hands of the few? Hurricanes? Earthquakes? Volcanic eruptions? Even small fry like Al Qaeda can be daunting for one person alone to handle (although I honestly can’t help but wonder whether this particular group would have been as virulent in its hatred of the USA if we had better controlled the excessively self-serving aspects of our citizens’ private business enterprises on foreign sands). The plain truth is that people need to work together to have the necessary power to improve our lives. That’s what government at any level is all about. The problem with the Federal government is not that it is too big, but rather that the majority of citizens still have not fully realized the incredible power that we could have if we worked with, rather than against, one another to advance our collective self interests.
My understanding of the first 10 years of the new millennium in the USA is thus:
Prior to 2001, the Federal budget had been balanced by the Clinton administration. The Bush/Cheney ticket swept into office in 2001 with the primary objective of furthering the private business interests of a very ambitious company called Halliburton. USA flags and Christian crosses were prominently displayed, and an increasingly ignorant populace grabbed the bait, and voted them into office, hook, line and sinker. While we were otherwise distracted by the meaningless, costly, heart-wrenching war that Bush/Cheney suckered us into, other business interests (primarily from the USA) capitalized on our inattention to create privately lucrative financial products that now threaten to destabilize the entire world economy.
So, Mike, how do you propose to fix this? Please don’t suggest Sarah Palin. I will need to channel my inner “mama grizzly” if you do. Future generations deserve far better. We must work smart, and we must work together is we have even the slightest chance of overcoming the obstacles we now face.
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Leslie B. is so right that “democracy depends on an educated electorate.” Those of us to whom books are as important as food and shelter must protest this attempt to alleviate New Jersey’s budget problem by isolating its blind citizens. I urge readers from all states to contact Governor Christie by either email as this Florida resident has done or by postal mail. A heartfelt thanks to all of you who care enough to write to the governor!
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Hi Mike,
The reason that democratic governments fund libraries is because democracy depends on an educated electorate. Governments, which represent the collective interests of the people in their jurisdicitions, provide libraries so that all people, regardless of economic status, have access to books. Think if those same people had to depend on private enterprises (like TV) for their access to information — We’d probably elect Tony the Tiger to be our next President! The federal government provides materials and equipment through The National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, a part of the Library of Congress. This part of the program was federalized at its inception, because it was recognized that local communities would not be able to provide even a marginally equivalent selection of books, because the incidence of people with print disabilities is relatively low compared to people who are able to access print. It’s much more cost effective for the federal government to produce these specialized materials. The NLS was originally created in response to the many armed services veterans who were visually impaired as a result of WWs I & II.
States are only able to offer NLS books to their residents with print disabilities if they assume responsibility for distribution of the materials. In most states, NLS services are distributed by state libraries. Distribution is done by mail at the state level, again because of the low incidence of disability in each community, and also because mobility is more difficult when a person has a vision impairment.
California, where I live, is unique. Because it is a relatively large state, the state library distributes books in Northern California, and Braille Institute, a private, non-profit organization serving the blind since 1919, assumes responsibility for distribution in the southern part of the state. This unique collaboration between Federal, State and Private entities is phenomenally successful. So much so that last year we were one of five libraries that received the 2009 National Medal for Library and Museum Service ( http://www.brailleinstitute.org/library and http://www.imls.gov/pdf/Medals09.pdf ), an award for which we are very proud.
I am a Low Vision Rehabilitation Specialist at Braille Institute. Vision impairment in a world designed for people with vision has the potential to be extremely isolating. Every day, I witness people who find new hope when they realize that there is a library service that is truly accessible to them. As someone who has worked almost 30 years for one of the premier private, non-profit agencies for the blind in the United States, I know that the service would not have been possible without the support of all Americans who have recognized that people with print disabilities need accessible library services like everyone else to be able to adequately participate in a democratic form of government.
If it is any comfort to your conservative heart and soul, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (rfbd.org), a private, non-profit organization provides the academic library collection for people with print disabilities in much the same way that colleges and universities maintain their own collections. Would you truly want to abolish government-funded schools in favor of private, non-profit schools? You may think the country’s in bad shape in many ways, and I would not disagree. But try to imagine where this country would be now if we all hadn’t collectively decided to invest in educating our citizenry. I envision virtually unending violence and civil war. You may think of me as a “bleeding heart liberal” but I assure you that it is my own need to live in a (relatively) peaceful country that is the foundation of my support for collectively funded social services that strengthen the fabric of the society in which I live. If private enterprises can do the job all by themselves, then I’m all for it. However, from my perspective, people in this country have realized enormous positive growth that would not have otherwise been possible by collectively pooling their resources.
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I guess if you say talking books mean so much to the blind i will go along with it and it sounds like a wonderful thing, but how in the hell did it become government’s responsibility to provide such things. This should in no way be part of the government’s duties. Mainly because by the time the government pays what it costs for salaries, health care & pensions for the people who would have to staff the program you could probably build a library the size of the clinton library and massage parlor of talking books. These sorts of programs should be left to charities or these people’s family and friends. I know if i had a family member or friend who needed such things i would be more than happy to help out. I am sure the cost to a friend, family member or charity would be a lot cheaper and more properly run than some government bureaucracy. That is the problem with you liberals, you want government to be the provider of things that should be provided by oneself.
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SK, if “grandma” has age-related macular degeneration and New Jersey eliminates their talking book program, “grandma” might greatly appreciate it if someone would have the decency to “unplug” her. Gov. Christie has no idea how much talking books can mean to people who have vision impairments. It can literally be a lifeline for so many people. This proposal is so sad — a very sad harbinger of changing values in our society — that an elected official would even consider this is so very troubling.
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Ugh, this is so typical and indicative of how negative the cultural perception of people with any sort of disability is. What’s next? Get rid of all those pesky wheelchair lifts? How about firing interpreters for the deaf? Call me naive but politicians are supposed to be concerned with the greater good of all the people they represent. I can readily think of many other areas that could be eliminated from the budget.
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