[alabama] FW: Potential Threat to blind vendors

[Joe Buck]

 [alabama] Potential Threat to blind vendors

 

I am writing to update you on a potential threat to the Randolph-Sheppard
program.  Congressman LaTourette and Senator Portman of Ohio are planning to
offer amendments to the House and Senate versions of the surface
transportation bill.  Their amendments would allow states to commercialize
rest areas on federal highways and interstates.  It appears that the Senate
is going to take the first action early next week (March 5-9), considering
amendments to the Senate surface transportation bill, S. 1813.  Senator
Portman's amendment is number 1742.  

 

Currently, many blind vendors operate vending machines at interstate rest
areas throughout the country.  If commercialization is allowed, these blind
vendors stand a great chance of losing their livelihoods.  We must educate
our members of Congress about the impact of commercialization on blind
vendors.  

 

I will be updating this issue as information becomes available; however, we
are asking you to take immediate action to defeat this threat to the
Randolph-Sheppard program.  It is essential that we make as many calls as
possible on Monday, March 5, 2012.  Please see the action items listed
below, and contact me with any questions.  I have included my contact
information at the end of this message.  Thank you all very much in advance
for your work on this issue!  

 

Please take the following action items: 

 

Call your senators and urge them to oppose amendment number 1742 to the
surface transportation bill, S. 1813.  You can be connected to your senators
by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121.

 

In Alabama:

Call Senator Jeff Sessions - (R - AL) (202) 224-4124; 

 

AND

 

Call Senator Rickard Shelby (R - AL) (202)

224-5744;

 

Call Senator Portman (202-224-3353), and urge him to withdraw his amendment
number 1742 to the Senate transportation bill, S. 1813; we must tell his
office that this would negatively impact vendors in the Randolph-Sheppard
program.  

 

Call Senator Harry Reid (202-224-3542), Senate Majority Leader, and urge him
to refuse to allow Senator Portman's amendment number 1742 to be

considered during debate on S. 1813 because of the negative impact to blind
vendors that would result from this amendment.  

 

Call Senator Barbara Boxer (202-224-3553), Chairman of the Senate Committee
on the Environment and Public Works, and urge her to oppose any amendment to
S. 1813 that calls for commercialization on federal highways and interstates
because  of the negative impact to blind vendors.  

 

~ by Issac Beavers, AIDB Huntsville Region

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