There is difference between profiting from the deaf and profiting by providing a service to the deaf. PFH, your posts and several others infer that one company is doing "dirty business" that harms or otherwise takes advantage of deaf for their own interests. VRS is a very unique business because it serves a need of a specific group of people in a minority--users of sign language who have some degree of hearing loss. They have the power in this industry that they have in very few others, the power to choose which service best suits their needs. Therefore the service providers must understand those needs and respond to their service feedback if they wish to succeed in the business. The service is provided as a result of a federal mandate. That is why it is paid for by taxpayer money set aside for that purpose. It requires a group of workers with very specialized skills, also in a minority (compared to the entire workforce of America).
Several people on this forum have implied or stated outright that a specific company cares nothing about deaf people, only profit. If a company ignores the needs of its customers, it will fail because customers will not value their service/product and will do business with someone else. In this particular business, the more a company produces, the less profitable it becomes. And largely because of that fact only one company has consistently produced the majority of its product in the lowest-paying level. With this latest rate structure there are essentially 2 tiers. Tier I and II are only a fraction of a penny different from each other. Tier III (Tier Sorenson) is more than $1 less.
The only way to succeed (profit) in business is to give customers what they want. In this case, customers are both deaf and FCC. The company in question has been the most successful at keeping both of its customers satisfied as is illustrated by their profits and share of the VRS market. You or I may disagree with any one of their business practices or decisions. But since we are not in a position to make those decisions or even be in on the discussions leading to those decisions, our opinions don't really matter. And I believe that is a big factor in all the bashing, businesses make decisions we don't like or don't understand. And they make money doing that even though it isn't what we want. You can't seperate business success from business profit. VRS is a very expensive business to do well. There is no company that i know of who gets into the business just for joy of providing the service. If they do, they can't last no matter how good a job they do. Interpreters want paid, technology is expensive and must be maintained. Regulation compliance adds to expense.
Making broad statements about how you know what a "company" thinks or wants or its motives for doing a specific thing, like being in the business they are in, makes you look foolish or have a grudge, because you can't know those things if you aren't in a place to have that knowledge. Business people get into a business because they have an interest in the work and because they believe they can do it as well or better than the businesses already doing it. Making a profit isn't a by-product or afterthought. It is a confirmation of the decision to start/do the business.
I know several people who work(ed) for that company. Some recently lost jobs, others didn't. It is very sad news for all of them. Saying that they were let go because of something other than the company's stated reason, (a drastic cut in the company's projected income for what it produces) is your opinion, based on your beliefs about the company. Don't confuse it for fact. Remember that most businesses get to set their own prices in a competitive market. VRS has a different rate-setting method that has very little similarity to a free market system.
nice to see you around here once again! 
