I am writing to ask your help in an employment matter because my supervisor is continuing to threaten me with more reprimands, and will not tell me or the union what there are for. I hope that you will be able to assist me. I am a disabled government employee with over 30 years of services with the National Weather Service (please see my resume of my awards and my achievements on a web site at http://www.universalc.com/herbprofile.html ). During the last 4 years, NOAA, NWS and the Dept. of Commerce has gone the wrong direction in terms of hiring disabled persons. Under your leadership, many military retirees have taken high positions in DOC, NOAA, and NWS. These people have no understanding of disabled people and of diversity (please see http://www.universalc.com/employvid ). Under the leadership of Secretary Daley, the Department of Commerce set up a diversity committee which was empowered to train supervisors (the founder of VID, Herb Hoffman, was on the board and developed a training program for supervisors). In 2000, Secretary Evans, discontinued the committee. Because of this, many officials act as if they are on a mission from God, developing policies that help themselves. They do not even hire disabled vets who return from the war seeking employment. When Jack Kelly visited our office a few years ago, I hired a driver to drive me to the office on my own time (30 miles from Chicago --- I don't know why its still called the Chicago Weather Service). Dr. Kelly will not even talk to me. He only waved at me on his way out. I feel he should at least talk to me since I am the only disabled employee at the office and he was the new director. How can he hire other disabled persons if he is not concerned about the employees he already has. Furthermore, this office is isolated from the public and has no public transportation that runs by the office.
Two years ago I got a new supervisor, and I feel that he is causing me
trouble to make me retire. He says that I do not do enough work to support
my grade (GS-9) --- I had to fight for every promotion I ever got and because of
my disability they told me that I could never be promoted above a grade 9.
Under my old supervisor, I was able to find new climate information which made
us able to do more research. I even received cash awards for my efforts;
however, under my new supervisor, I had to abandon my project and do some work
that he wants done. My new supervisor has given me a reprimand because I
did not complete my project as he wanted. He does not understand that
because I type with my foot, I type slow. Even though I try to make
deadlines, I was unable to have completed my work at the deadline. He told me
that my work had to be completed for his web site. However, after 4 months, he
still has not put my work on his web site. The regional director now says that
he will close my small accessible office in Chicago (the only office in Chicago
that can give climate information to the public). GSA now charges $5,000 for my
office space (under the former President it was free at the FEB office, but they
took it away under your leadership). The regional director told me that I
must travel to the Romeoville office twice a week now, and 5 days a week
starting May 1, 2004 (I have to travel 30 miles by bus and train which
takes 5 hours). The director suggested that I move by the office, but so
far I have not found an affordable, accessible house with the PA support that I
need. I am thinking about building a house in the area; however, seven
years ago, LaSalle Bank made an error in my bank account and they took all my
money (please see the information on the web at http://www.universalc.com/lasalle
). Besides that, they sued me causing me some of the worst times of my
life. In fact, my mother and my brother tried to take away my half of the
house where I live because of this. Therefore, I do not have the money to
build a house unless my mother lets me sell the house where I now live. I
was thinking about rehabbing an old house and possibly getting funds from the
Olmstead mandate to rehab a house. We are about to rehab some homes in the
Chicago area with the Olmstead mandate.
Under my old supervisor, I was allowed to work on an Olmstead project as you
outlined in your executive order. I feel very strongly about the Olmstead
issue, and I commend you on your foresight. However, my supervisor along
with the regional director do not share the same views as my old
supervisor. I was even able to have some disabled foundations support the
web site that we founded at http://www.ablehomraides.com/congress_of_disabled_persons_against_exploitation.htm
, and http://www.universalc.com/chiolmstead.html
. I also hope you will take time to take a look at the web site and give
me some direction as how I can go about obtaining funds to build accessible
housing for the elderly and the disabled. One of the ideas is to train
homeless people to act as personal assistants to the disabled and the
elderly. Some of the companies even donate some of their profits so we are
able to build accessible housing. My new supervisor makes me feel
that I have done something wrong. He has even tried to break into my
office to spy on me. Please see attached memo (see http://www.universalc.com/lasalle.
He even copied the CASHE memory in my computer in order to give me two more
reprimands (he put my hard drive in his pocket instead of filling out the proper
paper work for the building management). Please see memos attached in
mailing.
During the last eight years, I have been involved with the FEB program in my
area. We were able to set up a diversity day every year; however, the
director of the FEB decided that I was becoming too popular so she took it upon
herself to spy on me during the worst years I have lived thus far. During
this time, I was trying to set up my own business with Able Home Aides.
One of my bank accounts received a large wire from someone I did not know.
When I asked the bank where the money came from, they told me that it was my
money and I was able to use the money any way that I see fit. In the past,
I occupied an office space with the FEB. I called people about my bank
problem during my lunch hour. This is what the FEB director did not like;
however, I felt she had no right to spy on me. She would go back and tell
things to my old supervisor. Now after seven years, she is telling my new
supervisor all about my past employment positions and my personal
business. She does not understand about Olmstead and how having an
accessible home would enable me to keep my job. I wish she would allow the FEB
Diversity Committee to address the Olmstead issues, and I wish that I could once
again be on the committee. Maybe you can direct your FEB staff to work on these
issues.
At one point in my career with the National Weather Service, I was allowed to
set up a climate office at Northeastern Illinois University which is in the
Chicago area. I found many people like to stop by to ask questions about
the climate of Chicago and to get information. The students of NEIU were
able to develop research projects and we were about to ask NOAA for some grant
money; however, the National Weather Service allowed the project to be
terminated. While I was there Ii help set up a "weather law" department
which is now at the Midwest Climate center in Urbana, IL (they make more than
$70,000 per year from attorneys because of my idea. I even asked the attorney
general in 1993 if it was a conflict of interest if I wok for Weather Law
department during my off hours from NWS. A waiver was granted because of my low
position at NWS. They even agreed to donate part of their profit to the Olmstead
project. Last year I also help found the Institute on Energy, Climate and
Weather with the idea of conducting research into the harnessing of different
types of energy. This would allow me to prove to everyone that I am able to do
higher levels or work once I retire from NWS. Several months ago I had
talked to the president of NEIU and she expresses a desire to develop another
project with the Weather Service. This would allow me to have an office
close to my house and it would also allow me to hire students to help me.
At one stage in my life, my mother decided that I would be better off in
a nursing home. If I did not have the "know how" to hire a personal
assistant, I would probably be wasting away in a nursing home. This is why
the Olmstead issue has a such deep meaning in my life. In the past 55
years, I have seen many disabled and elderly people waste away and die in
nursing homes because no one wants them. I feel this is the most selfish
act that our society justifies. I sincerely hope that in your next
four years as president you will be able to allow elderly and disabled people to
live where they choose and not waste away in a nursing home. Nursing home
facilities only want to make a profit and appear not to not care about the well
being of their clients. When I retire from the National Weather Service, I
want to devote the rest of my life to seeing that the elderly and the disabled
are able to live out the rest of their lives with dignity. I would like to
ask your Department of Human Services if any grant money is available for
rehabbing houses. We are trying to work with Mayor Daley to buy abandoned
buildings, rehab them and turn them into housing for the elderly and
disabled. This would contribute to helping the neighborhoods and the city
come alive.
Below are some questions that I would like to ask you: