Part II: the price of victory

Part II of III

 

THE PRICE OF VICTORY

by

Carl Jarvis

To a large degree it was we, the blind, who brought an end to the Washington State Commission for the Blind, and nearly lost the hard-won separate status for Services for the Blind.

In 1977, when Governor Ray signed the Commission Bill, and we had raised our champagne glasses in victory, Al Fisher reminded us that, "The price of victory is eternal vigilance". Yet, with the ink barely dry, and Al's words still ringing in our ears, the state affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind(NFB) became embroiled in a philosophical disagreement with its National Office. Soon the disagreement exploded into open hostilities accompanied by lawyers and court appearances, concluding with the expulsion of the state affiliate from the national organization.

While the Washington Council of the Blind(WCB) stayed out of the fight, the Commission was dragged into the fracas by the feuding factions. Within the Commission for the Blind, personnel issues, normally dealt with internally, were taken public by self-serving opportunists. Soon, TV and newspapers were having a field day. Subsequently, in 1980, Ken Hopkins resigned as Commission Director.

Following a nation-wide search, the Commission Board hired Bill James from Pennsylvania. It didn't take long to discover that James was in over his head. Proclaiming to be politically neutral, he succeeded in losing the confidence of both blind organizations and the Commission Board, in less than one year.

The Commissioners gathered one more time and hired their third, and final director, Paul DzieDzic. DzieDzic headed the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, and had the reputation of being politically well connected. DzieDzic came on board in what most certainly was the Commission's darkest hour. Staff morale was at an all time low and client referrals were far below normal. Worse yet, the 1982 Legislature was about to convene, and while the Media had moved on to new topics of public interest, the damage had been done. A proposal to move the Commission back under the Department of Social and Health Services(DSHS) was gaining favor among legislators. The Commission was up for its five year review and DzieDzic was convinced that the Legislature would not allow it to continue in its current form. He advocated for a Department of Services for the Blind(DSB), thus preserving the separate status, but allowing the Governor to appoint the director. The organizations of the blind, in no position to mount a campaign to save the Commission, joined DzieDzic and, in 1982 DSB was established.

The Governor appointed Paul DzieDzic as the Departments first director, and the Commission Board was replaced by an Advisory Council. To the general public, and even within the blind community, these changes appeared to be of little consequence. In fact, they were most significant. Under the Commission, the five member Board, appointed by the Governor, had wide-ranging powers. They hired and fired the director and had final approval of all programs, policies and procedures. As a Board, the Commissioners had far more latitude than an agency director appointed by, and answerable directly to the Governor. As a result the Commission could be more responsive to the needs of the consumers.

The new Advisory Council to the Department of Services for the Blind, consisted of nine members, all Governor appointees. The majority were blind. Both of the consumer organizations had two of their members placed on the Council. Primarily the Council reviewed such things as budget and program requests, changes in the Washington Administrative Code(WACC), new policies, etc., it could also bring forward issues and concerns from the community.

In practice, Director DzieDzic(1982-1988), and his successor Shirley Smith(1988-1999), used the Council to endorse issues that had been carefully prepared for presentation before it. The consumer organizations never really learned to use the Council to bring their concerns and issues before the Department. With a few notable exceptions, the public Council meetings, held quarterly, drew little public interest.

The retirement of Shirley Smith brought an extended nation-wide search for a new Director. Gary Haug, recently retired Director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind was selected. Highly regarded, Haug arrived amid great expectations. Within months his personal affairs forced him to return to New Mexico. Someone said, "He left so fast I never learned how to spell his last name." Another voice said, "What was his last name?"

Bill Palmer, who had filled in as acting Director prior to the Haug appointment, and now acting Director of the Art Commission, was quickly selected to fill the vacant post.

Beginning during Smith's administration and carrying on into Palmer's, the Advisory Council was undergoing a face lift. The name was changed to the Rehabilitation Council for the Department of Services for the Blind. Federal guidelines greatly expanded the Council's duties, responsibilities, and membership.

In our final article we will look at the Rehabilitation Council as it has evolved, and its potential as a major player in developing services for the blind.