Universal health care, health care for all, whatever you want to call it or however it comes about and the logistics behind it, is long in coming.
Call me idealistic, I've been called worse in life, but yes, I DO feel it is a basic human right to have accessible health care.
Just like I feel food and water are basic human rights.
And being treated with dignity.
I hope more doctors will be able to see that this can be an opportunity for huge advancements in the health care field. I also hope that more doctors can join the grassroots efforts in seeing just how big this can really be.
There could be huge life-changing advances made for currently healthy individuals and disabled individuals alike.
A healthier society is a more productive society. More people can work and pay into the 'system' for longer. Preventative diseases could be just a minor setback in an individual's life, instead of mushrooming into devastating prognoses that end up draining the system from and for the un and under-insured.
Preventative care has always been the key.
But since money became the basis for healthcare and not the Hippocratic oath or basic human dignity, it screwed everything up. Don't think for a minute I'm forgetting about insurance companies! And that includes Medicare and Medicaid and even CBAs and CDSs (community based alternative and consumer direct services). Tho the latter two are more in line of what individuals seek for health care, (especially among disabled) they afford the user more discretion on how and where their healthcare comes from, they are still under the same broken umbrella that has holes in it.
With less restrictions, even some in our disabled community could become more productive, as long as healthcare for all is all-inclusive and takes ADA seriously.
Right now under current Medicare/government insurance programs an individual can receive a power wheelchair every 5 years.
Wow! Sounds generous, doesn't it?
But how many of you know the hoops a disabled person must jump through just to get basic maintenance on one of those power wheelchairs?
It's quite counter-productive, exhausting to a disabled person mentally and sometimes physically, and just plain un-dignified.
And it's a foreseen danger or hazard at times that is shameful!
Let me explain.
A disabled person has to fill out (or have filled out) 'x' papers proving their disability, proving that disability hasn't improved and may have even worsened. This includes visits to their primary or pain management doctor, follow-up visits with their caseworkers, nurses etc, sometimes even judges. Yes, cases need to be reviewed and updated and monitored to protect the client and to protect agencies and insurance companies from fraud. If we could have a database that follows this person maybe he/she wouldn't have to jump through so many hoops, and it would be cost-effective. And until even bigger strides (stem cell or other research) comes to be the norm, maybe a person with MD or some other disease or impairment won't have to keep showing "see, I haven't been cured overnight, I'm still sick and as is the nature of my disability it's not going away". There's always going to be unscrupulous people that try and take advantage of things, but that should not be setting precedent for how one is cared for. It should be the other way around.
Further, a person with a disability that requires a power wheelchair should not be denied maintenance on said chair. (I'm using power wheelchairs as an example in this piece because of the maintenance issues, versus a manual chair that is less complicated, thus cheaper to maintain. Plus, not all disabled people are able to use a manual chair- it depends on their DISABILITY!).
We're right back to the preventative care (maintenance ) issue.
Wanna hear something really stupid? Keep reading.
If a disabled person is too 'active' (uses their power chair too much for shopping, visiting friends etc), you know, doing things mobile people do and take for granted every day, they can be denied certain maintenance on their power chair because they are using said chair "excessively"!!!
Wait- it gets even more ridiculous!!!
I even had a client that was told by the provider of their power wheelchair that their power wheelchair was not made to take the abuses of riding over non-maintained roads! This is the same company that has made almost every service call to my client while "out on the road"! For wheels that fell off, wheels that incurred 'bigwheel-flat-tire-syndrome"- you know, where one side of the wheel goes smooth causing a "clunk-clunk, clunk-clunk" while riding. Pretty painful for the person that is disabled and in chronic pain, let alone it causes it's own pain to healthier persons in a chair. So if this chair could not take the "abuse" and you know your client is out and about alot- why was this chair recommended by YOU?!?!?!!!
Sometimes a claim for maintenance has to be denied by Medicare for it to then go through a CBA, which includes another visit to the doctor for an actual prescription for said part needed. This is such a huge waste of time, effort, paper etc. Maintenance should be a built-in cost without review or restrictions. It's a no-brainer. Client calls BEK or whatever their supply provider is tells them the dilemma they come out and they can actually SEE that said part needs to be fixed they fix it then and there or asap and they document the incident to receive their payment from Medicare or whoever. Simple.
A power chair maintained is a client maintained. A chair taken care of is a client taken care of. A client taken care of is more productive and has a higher quality of life. Quality of life and equal access go hand-in-hand.
Denying maintenance or prolonging or making it a hassle to get maintenance on a power chair is the direct opposite of the ADA Act. Unlawful and shameful.
I would like to see many changes in the way persons with disabilities are cared for, from the process to the product. (And that includes recognizing and compensating proven personal care/home health care aides as the important link they are)
Does anyone remember the big hoopla over the IBOT? It was a power chair that worked on the gyro-scope theory. It was able to maneuver stairs and also could bring the individual using it up to the height of counters to wash dishes or up to eye-level with people they were speaking to, etc. It wasn't the end-all and couldn't be used by all people with disablities, and there were still some kinks to be worked out. But it sure did a helluva lot for alot of people! And just the concept is so exciting and mind-boggling! It sort of fell by the wayside because of the expense, though each year it was in production it became more and more affordable. But so many Medicare patients and poor people were denied the use of this chair because it had too many bells and whistles!!!
Yes, it was labelled as more of a luxury item than a quality of life item! Guess the government didn't want the disabled community to get too used to having an even playing field. I mean, heck, if you're sick then act sick and BE sick, don't ask for all these other extras that might give you some dignity!!! (sarcasm)
If health care for all is to be truly inclusive it must address these issues and many more with the disabled community.
Like also changing the laws that say that only a friend, sibling, boy/girlfriend, neighbor, mother, father, or stranger can care for a disabled person and be compensated. Husbands and wives, probably THE most important and in-tune person involved in the care of a disabled person are excluded from being compensated for their care! It is expected from the husband and wife to care for that person, but to the point of exclusion. So a husband/wife will most likely have to work outside of the home for their income which is time spent away from the beloved disabled person. It should be a choice between the husband/wife and the disabled husband/wife who cares for them and not the government. There should still be caseworkers/managers etc that check in and evaluate situations their client may get into, but also depending on the nature of the disability the choice and supervision should still be in the clients' hands if they are capable for such objective evaluation.. I know, many times than not when there are abuses the family or spouse is looked at more closely than strangers, that is why I am all for some kind of evaluation/supervision even for the spouse as a caretaker.
So the field is wide open for improvement, technology, entrepeneurship. Competition can still be a driving force in health care for all. We NEED more research on diseases and impairments. We need better eqiupment.We need people to think outside the box.
Power wheelchairs need to be sturdier and be able to do more for the client to improve quality of life. Communities need to become more in-tuned and involved with improving roads, sidewalks, general accessibility. Grandfather laws denying access to the disabled should have been addressed and abolished with Obama's stimulus plans. Transition for more accessibility in our communities has been on the books for many years and the original timetable for making these improvements is long overdue.
I hope that doctors become the disabled communities biggest advocates.
And while I'm hoping and wishing, I hope that it really is 'Time for Change'.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Is It Just Me?
So Tuesday evening we had practice night over at Allen's Lounge for our pool team, league play is anticipated to start in about 2 weeks.
My friend and I are standing outside taking a break, talking and watching the lightning, when all of a sudden we see a tall skinny kid come running around the corner from the 7-11 with 2 cases of beer in his hands. Another beer run!
We 're watching this guy run and like I said, he was pretty skinny, so I guess the beer was pretty heavy for him and he was struggling a bit with it. We were laughing at him cuz his pants were slowly slipping down and I was wondering if he was going to trip or fall or what. It was the "or what" I was most scared of!
He heard us laughing and turned around to look at us, wasting valuable time in his escape. He decided to keep running but I guess the beer in both hands was a bit much for him, so he placed one of the cases behind the dumpster, most likely to retrieve later.
When we saw he was running pretty fast to jump the fence to the trailer parks we decided we were safe. He was far enough away. Hey, we're in our 40s - we do things differently now!
My friend had her poolstick in her hand and I said let's go get that case and bring it back to 7-11. My friend was hesitant but I was like hey you have a poolstick in your hand, just be my look-out and watch our backs in case the guy just threw the other case over the fence and comes back right away.
So we go around the dumpster and grab the case and bring it to 7-11. We did our good deed for the day (night).
If I was a bit younger I woulda chased the kid and tripped him and got all the beer back, just the kinda gal I was, now I'm slower and (sometimes) think things through and look for other strategies to get the same result, or close to.
This is MY neighborhood and I don't appreciate little punks and pranksters stealing. When they grow up and pay taxes and are a contributing member of society then they can call it their neighborhood, not until. They want money for stuff (not beer)- go and cut someone's grass or get a job- be productive!
Somewhere in my 30s, I'm not quite sure when it happened , it just snuck up on me- things like this changed for me. It was no longer a "whatever" reaction to a situation like this or a "well we all go thru our kid stuff" phase kinda sorta thing, I became more responsible, and more pro-active.
I grew up, sorta.
____________________
What's up with the price of cat food lately?
A while ago when we had the scare of contaminated cat and dog food Walmart dropped alot of brands they used to carry. Yes, that was the responsible thing to do at the time, but they never brought them back. So the choices are slimmer at Walmart now.
And the prices are going up up UP!
A large bag of Meow Mix used to be 21 lbs and cost under $10. A four-pak of name-brand cat food was less than $1.
Since then, the Meow Mix went down to 18lbs for the same price, then the price went up. Now it's around $12 for the smaller 'large' bag- ughhh! And it's 16lbs now- what a rip!
The wet cat food went to like $1.06, now it's at $1.42 or so- what the heck?!
I understand prices go up for many reasons, but at least give us more choices.
____________________
I went to Lowe's last week to see what they had as far as odor-eliminating paint goes- am re-decorating the house and a cheap and easy way to make a big change is to paint.
I ask the guy in the paint department what they have as far as that goes and he had no idea what I was talking about. I tried explaining that Home Depot is doing a media blitz about paint being on sale and there are brands out there that have odor eliminator in them, or can be added to the paint. What does Lowe's have?
Still no clue.
He asked me what room I was painting and I said livingroom and he asked do I want semi-gloss paint?
Huh?
Is it just me or what?
My friend and I are standing outside taking a break, talking and watching the lightning, when all of a sudden we see a tall skinny kid come running around the corner from the 7-11 with 2 cases of beer in his hands. Another beer run!
We 're watching this guy run and like I said, he was pretty skinny, so I guess the beer was pretty heavy for him and he was struggling a bit with it. We were laughing at him cuz his pants were slowly slipping down and I was wondering if he was going to trip or fall or what. It was the "or what" I was most scared of!
He heard us laughing and turned around to look at us, wasting valuable time in his escape. He decided to keep running but I guess the beer in both hands was a bit much for him, so he placed one of the cases behind the dumpster, most likely to retrieve later.
When we saw he was running pretty fast to jump the fence to the trailer parks we decided we were safe. He was far enough away. Hey, we're in our 40s - we do things differently now!
My friend had her poolstick in her hand and I said let's go get that case and bring it back to 7-11. My friend was hesitant but I was like hey you have a poolstick in your hand, just be my look-out and watch our backs in case the guy just threw the other case over the fence and comes back right away.
So we go around the dumpster and grab the case and bring it to 7-11. We did our good deed for the day (night).
If I was a bit younger I woulda chased the kid and tripped him and got all the beer back, just the kinda gal I was, now I'm slower and (sometimes) think things through and look for other strategies to get the same result, or close to.
This is MY neighborhood and I don't appreciate little punks and pranksters stealing. When they grow up and pay taxes and are a contributing member of society then they can call it their neighborhood, not until. They want money for stuff (not beer)- go and cut someone's grass or get a job- be productive!
Somewhere in my 30s, I'm not quite sure when it happened , it just snuck up on me- things like this changed for me. It was no longer a "whatever" reaction to a situation like this or a "well we all go thru our kid stuff" phase kinda sorta thing, I became more responsible, and more pro-active.
I grew up, sorta.
____________________
What's up with the price of cat food lately?
A while ago when we had the scare of contaminated cat and dog food Walmart dropped alot of brands they used to carry. Yes, that was the responsible thing to do at the time, but they never brought them back. So the choices are slimmer at Walmart now.
And the prices are going up up UP!
A large bag of Meow Mix used to be 21 lbs and cost under $10. A four-pak of name-brand cat food was less than $1.
Since then, the Meow Mix went down to 18lbs for the same price, then the price went up. Now it's around $12 for the smaller 'large' bag- ughhh! And it's 16lbs now- what a rip!
The wet cat food went to like $1.06, now it's at $1.42 or so- what the heck?!
I understand prices go up for many reasons, but at least give us more choices.
____________________
I went to Lowe's last week to see what they had as far as odor-eliminating paint goes- am re-decorating the house and a cheap and easy way to make a big change is to paint.
I ask the guy in the paint department what they have as far as that goes and he had no idea what I was talking about. I tried explaining that Home Depot is doing a media blitz about paint being on sale and there are brands out there that have odor eliminator in them, or can be added to the paint. What does Lowe's have?
Still no clue.
He asked me what room I was painting and I said livingroom and he asked do I want semi-gloss paint?
Huh?
Is it just me or what?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom of Night...
You guys are gonna looove this one!
Put down your coffee so you won't spit it out!
On my post yesterday 'Speedy Delivery' I talked about my certified letter waiting for me at the post office (Northgate Station) from the city clerk's office.
As Murphy's Law would have it, I was rushing around and got sidetracked by some unanticipated visitors etc, so needless to say I was running late.
I take "mass transit" (da bus), so I have to plan out my strategy for the day as far as times and connections. I also had to add in the heat factor.
So 12noon came by pretty fast and I had to go to my bus stop and catch 46 to NorthPark, so that I could catch 42 downtown, then caught a circulator to the Union Depot for the 2pm CAC meeting. There would be no wiggle room for hopping over to the post office after getting off 46. No biggie- I had a plan!
Attended the CAC meeting for 2 hours, and as I usually do, went over to City Hall afterwards. These visits are spent checking in with certain reps and extending a hello to others I have talked to or worked with on projects and concerns of our city, usually on transportation or accessibility issues.
Ok, I'll admit it, these visits are really just to raid the candy coffers of certain reps that are known to have some pretty good pickins'! (Wanted to stop by Robinson's office but it was almost 5pm and had 3 other rounds to make- hopefully soon I'll get a chance to meet him as he is my district rep).
Anyway, my first stop was at, you guessed it, the City clerk's office.
May I add that Sylvia is always a joy to conduct business with. She's warm and friendly and pretty much on top of things.
So I tell Sylvia my dilemma. I tell her I received a notice of a certified letter from her office that needed to be picked up by me from the post office but that I had been ill and today (Tues) was the last day to pick up that letter but there was no way I was going to make it back to the NE post office in time as they close at 5pm. And could I please check her records as to what was sent out to me via certified mail?
Of course, Sylvia was more than accomodating and pulled my file and the only thing she had on record sent out certified to me was ....................
the letter to me from her office stating I needed to fill out my financial disclosure papers for the appointment as full member of the CAC!!!!!
Remember- this letter had been sent in error as I did not need to fill out any paperwork as my info was still on file from last June.
The letter was sent out the end of March!!!!!!!!!!!!
( I did end up getting the 2 letters via regular mail that I spoke about in an earlier post regarding filling out these papers and then the one saying I had been removed for lack of such papers being filled out in the time frame, so I have to give it up to the city clerk's office for following up with the regular mail sent).
The frakalakkn post office 'misplaced' this very important letter and was JUST NOW trying to deliver it to me!!!
Isn't that a kicker?!!!
So not only did I get 'stewed' over by local government, I got a double-whammy from the federal government giving me their two-cents-worth, too!!!
....fade to some patriotic music of your choosing and a calming and assuring male voice reciting 'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these courriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds...'
disclaimer- no disrespect was intended to any mail courrier, past or present, by the above motto. It was intended for whoever works inside the post office that lost my mail for 4 months!
Put down your coffee so you won't spit it out!
On my post yesterday 'Speedy Delivery' I talked about my certified letter waiting for me at the post office (Northgate Station) from the city clerk's office.
As Murphy's Law would have it, I was rushing around and got sidetracked by some unanticipated visitors etc, so needless to say I was running late.
I take "mass transit" (da bus), so I have to plan out my strategy for the day as far as times and connections. I also had to add in the heat factor.
So 12noon came by pretty fast and I had to go to my bus stop and catch 46 to NorthPark, so that I could catch 42 downtown, then caught a circulator to the Union Depot for the 2pm CAC meeting. There would be no wiggle room for hopping over to the post office after getting off 46. No biggie- I had a plan!
Attended the CAC meeting for 2 hours, and as I usually do, went over to City Hall afterwards. These visits are spent checking in with certain reps and extending a hello to others I have talked to or worked with on projects and concerns of our city, usually on transportation or accessibility issues.
Ok, I'll admit it, these visits are really just to raid the candy coffers of certain reps that are known to have some pretty good pickins'! (Wanted to stop by Robinson's office but it was almost 5pm and had 3 other rounds to make- hopefully soon I'll get a chance to meet him as he is my district rep).
Anyway, my first stop was at, you guessed it, the City clerk's office.
May I add that Sylvia is always a joy to conduct business with. She's warm and friendly and pretty much on top of things.
So I tell Sylvia my dilemma. I tell her I received a notice of a certified letter from her office that needed to be picked up by me from the post office but that I had been ill and today (Tues) was the last day to pick up that letter but there was no way I was going to make it back to the NE post office in time as they close at 5pm. And could I please check her records as to what was sent out to me via certified mail?
Of course, Sylvia was more than accomodating and pulled my file and the only thing she had on record sent out certified to me was ....................
the letter to me from her office stating I needed to fill out my financial disclosure papers for the appointment as full member of the CAC!!!!!
Remember- this letter had been sent in error as I did not need to fill out any paperwork as my info was still on file from last June.
The letter was sent out the end of March!!!!!!!!!!!!
( I did end up getting the 2 letters via regular mail that I spoke about in an earlier post regarding filling out these papers and then the one saying I had been removed for lack of such papers being filled out in the time frame, so I have to give it up to the city clerk's office for following up with the regular mail sent).
The frakalakkn post office 'misplaced' this very important letter and was JUST NOW trying to deliver it to me!!!
Isn't that a kicker?!!!
So not only did I get 'stewed' over by local government, I got a double-whammy from the federal government giving me their two-cents-worth, too!!!
....fade to some patriotic music of your choosing and a calming and assuring male voice reciting 'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these courriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds...'
disclaimer- no disrespect was intended to any mail courrier, past or present, by the above motto. It was intended for whoever works inside the post office that lost my mail for 4 months!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Speedy Delivery
Almost forgot to mention...
I have to pick up a certified letter today before the CAC meeting.
I don't know if it's standard procedure, but my mailman has NEVER knocked on my door for me to sign for a certified letter.
Hmmmm?
Oh, and by the way...
the letter is from the City Clerk!
Can't wait to read what's in store today!
To be continued...
I have to pick up a certified letter today before the CAC meeting.
I don't know if it's standard procedure, but my mailman has NEVER knocked on my door for me to sign for a certified letter.
Hmmmm?
Oh, and by the way...
the letter is from the City Clerk!
Can't wait to read what's in store today!
To be continued...
The Kiddie Table
Ahhh the eve of another CAC meeting!
What's in store for us this time?
What little monkey wrenches will be tossed in to take the focus off our business at hand?
Last months' meeting was interesting, to say the least.
You won't read it in the minutes, but here's a few tidbits.
But first a little background...
I was nominated by the CAC members in October 2007. Due to delays and the December CAC meeting being cancelled by Sun Metro (yet another story there), I arrived at the January 2008 CAC meeting and was greeted by a laminated sign with 'Suzanne Fabian Alternate Member' at the conference table. OK- we're off to a good start here, I thought. There I go a-thinkin'!!! Lol.
I was seated next to Raymond Telles, Jr., our assistant city attorney that advised our meetings.
Mind you, everytime I go downtown my ears wreak havoc on me and I end up not being able to hear very well for at least half a day. Forget about going OVER the mountain- that's even worse!
So I'm sitting at the big conference table next to Raymond and our meeting starts and we vote on a chair and vice-chair. A couple minutes later Raymond whispers in my ear and I'm like "What? What?"- I couldn't hear him! So we go outside to talk.
Raymond tells me there's been a mistake (lol) and that my recommendation by the CAC members as an alternate was mistakenly left off the MTDB meeting so they never voted on my position yet! It had not been carried over to the MTDB by the secretary and had not been on the agenda! And I ask well why do I have a name placard? Another oversight, Raymond basically says.
So I ask "Can I still sit at the big table?" and Raymond agrees that that's okay.
And that's where I basically sat at for each meeting, unless it was too crowded at the table.
So we go back in and I sit down at the big table and place my placard face-down. Raymond explains the mix-up and we continue on with the meeting. After a couple more minutes I interrupt and ask the question that since I voted on the record and I'm not really eligible to- shouldn't we revisit that agenda item and take a re-vote without me? Raymond agrees. (Umm- why am I bringing up protocol and legalities to the assistant city attorney?- I'm just a lay person!)
Anyway... speaking of protocol and legalities, I had another incident late last year. This was in November.
I couldn't attend the CAC meeting but I called in to speak on certain agenda items. Our newly-assigned assistant city attorney (Raymond Telles Jr. moved on to other assignments) advised the CAC that I would be allowed to speak as a member of the public but only during the public comment portion of the agenda- not on items! That made no sense to me! I tried to voice my opinion but would not be listened to and was ignored the rest of the meeting!
If I was recognized as a member of the public, as I was, then I should have been afforded every right a member of the public enjoys- meaning being able to speak during public comment on non-agenda items if I so wished, and also on agenda items after the CAC discussed an item! You can't have one without having the other- that's changing the rules without the proper steps taken to change such rules!
And as the city likes to say "that's how we've always done it"- and that's how we've always done it in the CAC since I've been attending, so.....
Needless to say, I brought this up to our chair and the assistant city attorney and directed them to the CAC website where it stated at the time how and when a member of the public may speak at these meetings.
This time I DID receive an apology for the mistake, which was nice. But the damage had been already done- I was shut down from speaking.
Funny thing was- this was an agenda item I had been pushing for. Priority seating being truly 'priority'. I had spoken with Ms. Shang about being denied yet again to ride the bus with my client who is in a wheelchair because no one wanted to move from the priority seats and that the coach operators had nothing to back them up in enforcing the signage of priority seating on the buses. She couldn't believe it but investigated it and found it to be a true problem and soon we had an ordinance enforcing and empowering the coach operators to make it a priority. More on this matter on another post!
So, back to the table.
Last month I go into the conference room and I don't see my placard waiting at a spot at the table. Ok- no biggie- looks like we have a full house.
About a half hour in to the meeting a member had to leave, so there was a space open at the table, but I remained seated where I was.
Soon I wished to speak on an item and rose my hand. I was not recognized by the vice-chair. Maybe they couldn't see me? When another member was done speaking I rose my hand again. Nothing. I was overlooked again. Hmmmm.
After that other member spoke I rose my hand again- guess it was difficult to be seen.
Then someone pointed out that I wished to speak and I waited my turn as someone was already speaking.
In the meantime, 2 CAC members motioned me over to come sit at the big table. I hesitated and they kept motioning. So I scooted my chair to the table. I put down the placard that was in front of me of the absent member whose spot I took. Shortly another member went to a side table and grabbed my name placard and placed it in front of me. Suzanne Fabian Alternate Member.
After I spoke on the item I had wanted to I was told by the assistant city attorney (and I'm not quoting) that me being at the table would confuse people (what people?) and that only seated members should be at the table. This was according to the resolutions the assistant city attorney said.
WOW!
I never knew just sitting at a table would cause such a ruckus or ruffle some people's feathers!
I guess I was spoiled, even being "just" an alternate member. I almost always got to sit at the big people's table. Yes, I also almost always was part of the quorom. My placard said alternate so I thought that made things clear. And if I voted on an item I thought that made it clear if I was in the quorom. If I was silent during voting I thought it made it clear that I was not part of the quorom that day. Either way, as alternate I am allowed to speak on any item at any time- it's just kind of hard to be recognized when you're not at the TABLE!
So I scooted away from the table.
Anyway, it was a kind gesture by a couple of CAC members that tried to make a motion to over-rule the resolutions and have me come back to the table, but they were nixed by the attorney.
I looked at each resolution and I really don't interpret any of them broaching this subject. They can be viewed on the city's website on the Citizen's Advisory Committee to the Mass Transit Board/Sun Metro webpage, before you get to the list of members and alternates.
When the CAC members tried to over-rule the "resolution" they were told that this subject could be brought up in our by-laws under construction. Cool- maybe that would make things clearer. And more collegial.
So, I started this post last night and am just finishing it this Tuesday morning. Let's see what this new day holds, and if I'll be at the "kiddie table" or at the big people's table .
side note- since I had such a hard time being recognized to speak being on the outskirts of an oval table, I wonder if any members of the public that have shown up have had trouble being recognized? We need a larger conference room where the CAC members can face the public.
side note 2- it is stated that alternates will be called to attend a meeting if a full member has said they cannot show. We have always allowed our alternates to show at any meeting they wish and to participate, sometimes we even had all 3 alternates in attendance (when we had 3), and nothing was ever said. I have never been called to ensure my attendance as an alternate. Usually, we don't know if we'll have a quorom until we get to the meeting the day of. Drs appointments, illnesses, family emergencies etc are notalways scheduled, so I guess it's a good thing us alternates like to be there as much as possible!
What's in store for us this time?
What little monkey wrenches will be tossed in to take the focus off our business at hand?
Last months' meeting was interesting, to say the least.
You won't read it in the minutes, but here's a few tidbits.
But first a little background...
I was nominated by the CAC members in October 2007. Due to delays and the December CAC meeting being cancelled by Sun Metro (yet another story there), I arrived at the January 2008 CAC meeting and was greeted by a laminated sign with 'Suzanne Fabian Alternate Member' at the conference table. OK- we're off to a good start here, I thought. There I go a-thinkin'!!! Lol.
I was seated next to Raymond Telles, Jr., our assistant city attorney that advised our meetings.
Mind you, everytime I go downtown my ears wreak havoc on me and I end up not being able to hear very well for at least half a day. Forget about going OVER the mountain- that's even worse!
So I'm sitting at the big conference table next to Raymond and our meeting starts and we vote on a chair and vice-chair. A couple minutes later Raymond whispers in my ear and I'm like "What? What?"- I couldn't hear him! So we go outside to talk.
Raymond tells me there's been a mistake (lol) and that my recommendation by the CAC members as an alternate was mistakenly left off the MTDB meeting so they never voted on my position yet! It had not been carried over to the MTDB by the secretary and had not been on the agenda! And I ask well why do I have a name placard? Another oversight, Raymond basically says.
So I ask "Can I still sit at the big table?" and Raymond agrees that that's okay.
And that's where I basically sat at for each meeting, unless it was too crowded at the table.
So we go back in and I sit down at the big table and place my placard face-down. Raymond explains the mix-up and we continue on with the meeting. After a couple more minutes I interrupt and ask the question that since I voted on the record and I'm not really eligible to- shouldn't we revisit that agenda item and take a re-vote without me? Raymond agrees. (Umm- why am I bringing up protocol and legalities to the assistant city attorney?- I'm just a lay person!)
Anyway... speaking of protocol and legalities, I had another incident late last year. This was in November.
I couldn't attend the CAC meeting but I called in to speak on certain agenda items. Our newly-assigned assistant city attorney (Raymond Telles Jr. moved on to other assignments) advised the CAC that I would be allowed to speak as a member of the public but only during the public comment portion of the agenda- not on items! That made no sense to me! I tried to voice my opinion but would not be listened to and was ignored the rest of the meeting!
If I was recognized as a member of the public, as I was, then I should have been afforded every right a member of the public enjoys- meaning being able to speak during public comment on non-agenda items if I so wished, and also on agenda items after the CAC discussed an item! You can't have one without having the other- that's changing the rules without the proper steps taken to change such rules!
And as the city likes to say "that's how we've always done it"- and that's how we've always done it in the CAC since I've been attending, so.....
Needless to say, I brought this up to our chair and the assistant city attorney and directed them to the CAC website where it stated at the time how and when a member of the public may speak at these meetings.
This time I DID receive an apology for the mistake, which was nice. But the damage had been already done- I was shut down from speaking.
Funny thing was- this was an agenda item I had been pushing for. Priority seating being truly 'priority'. I had spoken with Ms. Shang about being denied yet again to ride the bus with my client who is in a wheelchair because no one wanted to move from the priority seats and that the coach operators had nothing to back them up in enforcing the signage of priority seating on the buses. She couldn't believe it but investigated it and found it to be a true problem and soon we had an ordinance enforcing and empowering the coach operators to make it a priority. More on this matter on another post!
So, back to the table.
Last month I go into the conference room and I don't see my placard waiting at a spot at the table. Ok- no biggie- looks like we have a full house.
About a half hour in to the meeting a member had to leave, so there was a space open at the table, but I remained seated where I was.
Soon I wished to speak on an item and rose my hand. I was not recognized by the vice-chair. Maybe they couldn't see me? When another member was done speaking I rose my hand again. Nothing. I was overlooked again. Hmmmm.
After that other member spoke I rose my hand again- guess it was difficult to be seen.
Then someone pointed out that I wished to speak and I waited my turn as someone was already speaking.
In the meantime, 2 CAC members motioned me over to come sit at the big table. I hesitated and they kept motioning. So I scooted my chair to the table. I put down the placard that was in front of me of the absent member whose spot I took. Shortly another member went to a side table and grabbed my name placard and placed it in front of me. Suzanne Fabian Alternate Member.
After I spoke on the item I had wanted to I was told by the assistant city attorney (and I'm not quoting) that me being at the table would confuse people (what people?) and that only seated members should be at the table. This was according to the resolutions the assistant city attorney said.
WOW!
I never knew just sitting at a table would cause such a ruckus or ruffle some people's feathers!
I guess I was spoiled, even being "just" an alternate member. I almost always got to sit at the big people's table. Yes, I also almost always was part of the quorom. My placard said alternate so I thought that made things clear. And if I voted on an item I thought that made it clear if I was in the quorom. If I was silent during voting I thought it made it clear that I was not part of the quorom that day. Either way, as alternate I am allowed to speak on any item at any time- it's just kind of hard to be recognized when you're not at the TABLE!
So I scooted away from the table.
Anyway, it was a kind gesture by a couple of CAC members that tried to make a motion to over-rule the resolutions and have me come back to the table, but they were nixed by the attorney.
I looked at each resolution and I really don't interpret any of them broaching this subject. They can be viewed on the city's website on the Citizen's Advisory Committee to the Mass Transit Board/Sun Metro webpage, before you get to the list of members and alternates.
When the CAC members tried to over-rule the "resolution" they were told that this subject could be brought up in our by-laws under construction. Cool- maybe that would make things clearer. And more collegial.
So, I started this post last night and am just finishing it this Tuesday morning. Let's see what this new day holds, and if I'll be at the "kiddie table" or at the big people's table .
side note- since I had such a hard time being recognized to speak being on the outskirts of an oval table, I wonder if any members of the public that have shown up have had trouble being recognized? We need a larger conference room where the CAC members can face the public.
side note 2- it is stated that alternates will be called to attend a meeting if a full member has said they cannot show. We have always allowed our alternates to show at any meeting they wish and to participate, sometimes we even had all 3 alternates in attendance (when we had 3), and nothing was ever said. I have never been called to ensure my attendance as an alternate. Usually, we don't know if we'll have a quorom until we get to the meeting the day of. Drs appointments, illnesses, family emergencies etc are notalways scheduled, so I guess it's a good thing us alternates like to be there as much as possible!
Monday, July 20, 2009
All Aboard El Paso to Las Cruces!
Commissioner Haggerty hemmed and hawed and voted nay, but the rest of the Commissioners and Judge Cobos pushed through the pilot program for bus service between El Paso and Las Cruces.
This will basically be an express route from downtown El Paso and UTEP to NMSU and downtown Las Cruces, 3x in the morning and 3x in the afternoon/early evening.
Considering there is no such service at the moment and that NMDot is paying for the largest chunk of it with TxDot the remainder and with no county dollars needed for the first year, it makes perfect sense to try this.
I can't wait to travel to Las Cruces!
I really hope I heard right that it would be $3 on-way! And on a coach that is wheelchair accessible and with a bathroom!
I will be first in line to be able to experience this, and if it is good I will travel to Las Cruces just for the 'halibut' as often as possible just to keep the ridership up for the trial period.
This will basically be an express route from downtown El Paso and UTEP to NMSU and downtown Las Cruces, 3x in the morning and 3x in the afternoon/early evening.
Considering there is no such service at the moment and that NMDot is paying for the largest chunk of it with TxDot the remainder and with no county dollars needed for the first year, it makes perfect sense to try this.
I can't wait to travel to Las Cruces!
I really hope I heard right that it would be $3 on-way! And on a coach that is wheelchair accessible and with a bathroom!
I will be first in line to be able to experience this, and if it is good I will travel to Las Cruces just for the 'halibut' as often as possible just to keep the ridership up for the trial period.
Justice for All?
Just finished watching Thomas Dorman at Commissioner's Court speaking on behalf of himself and citizens of El Paso regarding the CAD debacle.
Thomas says he is not a public speaker. In my opinion he did a fine job and was clear and concise.
Will he be invited to discuss this issue in Executive Session? I doubt it. But I believe he has put enough info out there for many in our government to want to take a serious look at this. The FBI sure is looking at it.
Quick synopsis-
Thomas placed an open records request with the CAD. From what I understand, he was treated with less than stellar cooperation on their behalf, delaying the process for ridiculous reasons and not abiding by protocol and constitutional rights of due process by the CAD.
Then the CAD compounded the problem by inadvertantly (?) giving him records that were confidential.
Thomas Dorman acted as a good citizen and has been transparent and more than forth-coming with this whole process and now finds himself having to deal with the FBI. Who knows what transpired with THAT meeting, but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant.
Thomas mentioned the saying his friend told him "No good deed goes unpunished"... and I say to Thomas hang in there, there are people that back you up. In my belief, "No good deed goes unseen".
You will have justice, Thomas, I just don't know how much or how fast.
Thomas says he is not a public speaker. In my opinion he did a fine job and was clear and concise.
Will he be invited to discuss this issue in Executive Session? I doubt it. But I believe he has put enough info out there for many in our government to want to take a serious look at this. The FBI sure is looking at it.
Quick synopsis-
Thomas placed an open records request with the CAD. From what I understand, he was treated with less than stellar cooperation on their behalf, delaying the process for ridiculous reasons and not abiding by protocol and constitutional rights of due process by the CAD.
Then the CAD compounded the problem by inadvertantly (?) giving him records that were confidential.
Thomas Dorman acted as a good citizen and has been transparent and more than forth-coming with this whole process and now finds himself having to deal with the FBI. Who knows what transpired with THAT meeting, but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant.
Thomas mentioned the saying his friend told him "No good deed goes unpunished"... and I say to Thomas hang in there, there are people that back you up. In my belief, "No good deed goes unseen".
You will have justice, Thomas, I just don't know how much or how fast.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Why Wheelchair-bound are not Allowed to Speak at City Council
I somehow remember the mayor mentioning something recently (last few months) about keeping items in order on the city council agenda as much as possible.
Hmmmmmm
So why is it that the Mass Transit Board meeting was changed to an earlier time Tuesday, away from it's posted 1:00pm slot?
It's almost like not even posting the meeting and this is why I say this....
From a reliable source I heard that there were 6 people from our disabled community in wheelchairs arriving to speak out on the $10,000 question on the agenda. There were other disabled people not in wheelchairs waiting to speak, too.
When they arrived for the 1pm meeting they were met with "oh well... we bumped the MTDB meeting up"- giving them NO voice on agenda items!
This subject has been brought up before to City Council and I thought they understood.
One- many in the disabled community rely on taking the bus or LIFT for transportation. So they have to plan ahead of time for travel time and can't really be changed at the last minute because City Council/mayor decides to change the order of items/meetings.
Two- this leaves a huge segment of our community out of the loop and not having the opportunity to voice their opinions and suggestions. The city's website says 1pm- why can't they stick to it? Especially knowing that some in the community may be planning on coming to the meeting and speaking- let alone just coming to hear the meeting. Doesn't the website and the sign-in sheet at city hall mention a 1pm cut-off for speaking at the MTDB meeting?
I find this extremely rude and non-transparent. And dare I say- if this is a calculated move I find it very chickenshit. And unprofessional. And a dereliction of true and honest services. And I can go on and on. I think you get the point, tho.
A little more sensitivity on the part of our elected officials should be demanded.
And an apology at the next city council meeting. But don't just talk the talk... walk the walk. I'm trying to measure our elected officials by their character and they're not helping me any!
Hmmmmmm
So why is it that the Mass Transit Board meeting was changed to an earlier time Tuesday, away from it's posted 1:00pm slot?
It's almost like not even posting the meeting and this is why I say this....
From a reliable source I heard that there were 6 people from our disabled community in wheelchairs arriving to speak out on the $10,000 question on the agenda. There were other disabled people not in wheelchairs waiting to speak, too.
When they arrived for the 1pm meeting they were met with "oh well... we bumped the MTDB meeting up"- giving them NO voice on agenda items!
This subject has been brought up before to City Council and I thought they understood.
One- many in the disabled community rely on taking the bus or LIFT for transportation. So they have to plan ahead of time for travel time and can't really be changed at the last minute because City Council/mayor decides to change the order of items/meetings.
Two- this leaves a huge segment of our community out of the loop and not having the opportunity to voice their opinions and suggestions. The city's website says 1pm- why can't they stick to it? Especially knowing that some in the community may be planning on coming to the meeting and speaking- let alone just coming to hear the meeting. Doesn't the website and the sign-in sheet at city hall mention a 1pm cut-off for speaking at the MTDB meeting?
I find this extremely rude and non-transparent. And dare I say- if this is a calculated move I find it very chickenshit. And unprofessional. And a dereliction of true and honest services. And I can go on and on. I think you get the point, tho.
A little more sensitivity on the part of our elected officials should be demanded.
And an apology at the next city council meeting. But don't just talk the talk... walk the walk. I'm trying to measure our elected officials by their character and they're not helping me any!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World!
The heat must really be frying everyone's brains here- this whole debacle now with the CAD f-i-n-a-l-l-y releasing open records to Thomas Dorman (see newspapertree.com and thestrelz.com ) has turned into an FBI and internal (lol) investigation due to the CAD releasing CONFIDENTIAL records!!!
I don't know if I should laugh, cry or pound my fist on the desk. What I DO know is I feel for Thomas. He was just being a good citizen, and dilligent at that, and now he finds himself in this whole mess!
It's about time they have their turn under investigation (if they haven't been already), but I don't know how all this mess will affect the budget hearings going on now.
We'll most likely be kept in the dark, though, as this may all be tied into the blanket investigation going on.
So what does that mean for anyone requesting open records from the CAD at this time?
Probably a whole lotta waiting!
We all make mistakes- we're all human. But like I mentioned in an earlier post- sometimes those mistakes have huge consequences.
There's people like me and Thomas who are everyday citizens trying to keep our government fair and transparent. We do our part to try and make things better, not just complain. And what do we get for all our trouble?
More trouble!
Don't worry- I still believe that no good deed goes unseen- but that's higher power... right now we're dealing with humans!
I had my own little debacle with the city making a mistake in their dealings with me on the Citizen's Advisory Committee to the Mass Transit Board/Sun Metro.
I received a letter saying that I had to contact the city clerk's office as I had not filed my financial disclosure papers as full-voting member of the CAC. I received this letter on a Friday (evening). The next day I received a letter stating that I had not filed those papers so I had been removed as a member! It being the weekend there was nothing I could do about it at the moment. This was the end of March,I believe, and I had just been nominated in February at the MTDB meeting.
Thinking that I had royally screwed up, I took it like the woman I am. Can't say it didn't sting, tho, and my ego was quite bruised for a little bit. I had been working so hard on certain projects on the CAC and had lots of plans for future projects. I had enjoyed an open communication with who became my rep even as an alternate member of the CAC and we would talk in person or on the phone or via email every once in awhile- not every week or month I must add.
Soooo.....
being the person I am, I finally dusted myself off and got to thinking... hey- something's not right here. I'm not going to give up that easily.
In the meantime, my rep nominated someone else for my position.
Then it dawns on me..... wait! I didn't do anything wrong! I had my papers on file with the city clerk's office since last year and good through June 2009! I DIDN'T have to file any papers again as it was not required! The city clerk's office made a HUGE mistake that literally cost me my position on the committee!
And I hate to say that- because I have nothing but respect for Richarda Duffy-Momsen- I think she's the hardest working lady in El Paso- but it was her signature on my letter stating I had not filed in time. It was her office that made that mistake and cost me my position!
I have to say, when all this went down I heard through the grapevine that my rep would try and do what she could for me and to contact her, but remember- I thought I had made the mistake and thought there was no way out of it and felt like a fool for overlooking such a small yet significant detail and I certainly didn't want to speak to anyone- I felt like an idiot! So I acted in accordance with what I had been told by the city clerk's office- I was no longer a member so I had nothing to say, probably wouldn't have changed things anyway.
So- I get on the horn with our assistant city attorney that now attends our meetings of the CAC and is there to advise us and Sun Metro (Raymond Telles used to attend until he went to the MPO). Upon her investigating also and realizing that the city clerk's office made a mistake, we held off on certain discussions until we had clarification from the city clerk and my reps office.
Here's where things get even more weird.
The city clerk's office never bothered to contact me with any kind of apology.
My rep contacted me and the conversation went basically like this-
She had already nominated someone else for my position because she received notice from the city clerk's office that I had been removed. Have to admit she wasted no time in doing so. I have absolutely NO record of her ever trying to contact me but ONCE via a voicemail from her assistant on this matter. She claimed she tried several times to call me and sent me tons of emails trying to sort this out. WRONG! I went through ALL my emails dating back months before and I never received one from her on this matter, nor from her assistant. Mind you, I had sent her an email when I found out she was nominating me thanking her and expounded on some things we had talked about previously- and I never received an email back from her acknowledging anything about that email. I never called her office back that one time her assistant left a vm for the reasons I stated above.
So who is more wrong? The city clerk's office for making the original mistake that led to my behavior and lack of action because of such, or the feeble attempt by my rep's office to communicate with me, or me for believing there was a mistake made on my part and thus taking the action (or inaction) that I did because of such?
My rep also stated that she was going to remain with her other nomination basically because he seemed more willing to talk with her- this really gets my goat! My rep and I had always had open communication before this incident and NOTHING was said or written or agreed upon between the two of us that she was nominating me because I was to call or email her daily or monthly or with any set schedule! She replaced me in a matter of WEEKS of being nominated by her with the sad excuse that we don't communicate!
I have to say, I did get some good backup from CAC members. I was renominated as alternate in case this whole mess did not come out in my favor. Alternate is nothing to sneeze at- last year I voted as a full member more times than not because we didn't have a quorom.
What also burns my behind is that our reps can take back their nomination of a citizen on a board or committee at will and without cause!
That fact seems hardly transparent.
So if they decide they don't like you or what you say or whatever they can dismiss you without any explanation. Yet we hear all the time that we need our citizens for the public input process- but the city doesn't want to treat us with the smallest amount of respect!
There's much more drama with this whole episode- the novella continues sin fin and I will post more on this later.
I don't know if I should laugh, cry or pound my fist on the desk. What I DO know is I feel for Thomas. He was just being a good citizen, and dilligent at that, and now he finds himself in this whole mess!
It's about time they have their turn under investigation (if they haven't been already), but I don't know how all this mess will affect the budget hearings going on now.
We'll most likely be kept in the dark, though, as this may all be tied into the blanket investigation going on.
So what does that mean for anyone requesting open records from the CAD at this time?
Probably a whole lotta waiting!
We all make mistakes- we're all human. But like I mentioned in an earlier post- sometimes those mistakes have huge consequences.
There's people like me and Thomas who are everyday citizens trying to keep our government fair and transparent. We do our part to try and make things better, not just complain. And what do we get for all our trouble?
More trouble!
Don't worry- I still believe that no good deed goes unseen- but that's higher power... right now we're dealing with humans!
I had my own little debacle with the city making a mistake in their dealings with me on the Citizen's Advisory Committee to the Mass Transit Board/Sun Metro.
I received a letter saying that I had to contact the city clerk's office as I had not filed my financial disclosure papers as full-voting member of the CAC. I received this letter on a Friday (evening). The next day I received a letter stating that I had not filed those papers so I had been removed as a member! It being the weekend there was nothing I could do about it at the moment. This was the end of March,I believe, and I had just been nominated in February at the MTDB meeting.
Thinking that I had royally screwed up, I took it like the woman I am. Can't say it didn't sting, tho, and my ego was quite bruised for a little bit. I had been working so hard on certain projects on the CAC and had lots of plans for future projects. I had enjoyed an open communication with who became my rep even as an alternate member of the CAC and we would talk in person or on the phone or via email every once in awhile- not every week or month I must add.
Soooo.....
being the person I am, I finally dusted myself off and got to thinking... hey- something's not right here. I'm not going to give up that easily.
In the meantime, my rep nominated someone else for my position.
Then it dawns on me..... wait! I didn't do anything wrong! I had my papers on file with the city clerk's office since last year and good through June 2009! I DIDN'T have to file any papers again as it was not required! The city clerk's office made a HUGE mistake that literally cost me my position on the committee!
And I hate to say that- because I have nothing but respect for Richarda Duffy-Momsen- I think she's the hardest working lady in El Paso- but it was her signature on my letter stating I had not filed in time. It was her office that made that mistake and cost me my position!
I have to say, when all this went down I heard through the grapevine that my rep would try and do what she could for me and to contact her, but remember- I thought I had made the mistake and thought there was no way out of it and felt like a fool for overlooking such a small yet significant detail and I certainly didn't want to speak to anyone- I felt like an idiot! So I acted in accordance with what I had been told by the city clerk's office- I was no longer a member so I had nothing to say, probably wouldn't have changed things anyway.
So- I get on the horn with our assistant city attorney that now attends our meetings of the CAC and is there to advise us and Sun Metro (Raymond Telles used to attend until he went to the MPO). Upon her investigating also and realizing that the city clerk's office made a mistake, we held off on certain discussions until we had clarification from the city clerk and my reps office.
Here's where things get even more weird.
The city clerk's office never bothered to contact me with any kind of apology.
My rep contacted me and the conversation went basically like this-
She had already nominated someone else for my position because she received notice from the city clerk's office that I had been removed. Have to admit she wasted no time in doing so. I have absolutely NO record of her ever trying to contact me but ONCE via a voicemail from her assistant on this matter. She claimed she tried several times to call me and sent me tons of emails trying to sort this out. WRONG! I went through ALL my emails dating back months before and I never received one from her on this matter, nor from her assistant. Mind you, I had sent her an email when I found out she was nominating me thanking her and expounded on some things we had talked about previously- and I never received an email back from her acknowledging anything about that email. I never called her office back that one time her assistant left a vm for the reasons I stated above.
So who is more wrong? The city clerk's office for making the original mistake that led to my behavior and lack of action because of such, or the feeble attempt by my rep's office to communicate with me, or me for believing there was a mistake made on my part and thus taking the action (or inaction) that I did because of such?
My rep also stated that she was going to remain with her other nomination basically because he seemed more willing to talk with her- this really gets my goat! My rep and I had always had open communication before this incident and NOTHING was said or written or agreed upon between the two of us that she was nominating me because I was to call or email her daily or monthly or with any set schedule! She replaced me in a matter of WEEKS of being nominated by her with the sad excuse that we don't communicate!
I have to say, I did get some good backup from CAC members. I was renominated as alternate in case this whole mess did not come out in my favor. Alternate is nothing to sneeze at- last year I voted as a full member more times than not because we didn't have a quorom.
What also burns my behind is that our reps can take back their nomination of a citizen on a board or committee at will and without cause!
That fact seems hardly transparent.
So if they decide they don't like you or what you say or whatever they can dismiss you without any explanation. Yet we hear all the time that we need our citizens for the public input process- but the city doesn't want to treat us with the smallest amount of respect!
There's much more drama with this whole episode- the novella continues sin fin and I will post more on this later.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Stuff That'll Fry Yer Brains
First off- damn this heat!
Everything takes longer when you throw in the heat factor. Thought I almost had heat stroke the other day, definitely had heat exhaustion. There is a difference- I've had both. Took me about two days to recover from the latter this time around.
Besides going through that and trying to keep up with the usual day-to-day activities my pc decided to go haywire. Well, actually it was just a loose connection. Thanks to my cats. Can't blame the dog- he's outside.
Did you ever wonder what your cats do when you're not around (and sometimes when you ARE around)? They're frkn sending emails and buying stuff off of ebay. Ok- a little dramatic with the ebay part, but I have had my cats send half-written emails that I left unattended and not saved to draft. It can be a little embarrassing and you can never be quite sure that the recipient believes you when you say your cats sent the email- oh well.
So ya turn your back for a minute and what happens? Darren Hunt files a lawsuit against the city for all the humiliation and pain and suffering he went through with that cop.
That in and of itself seems perfectly justifiable. What I take offense to is the amount he is seeking in damages. It is a ridiculous amount and benefits only himself.
Well, you say, isn't that what a lawsuit is about- to right wrongs and compensate for losses and to sometimes make dramatic examples to the defendant?
Yes.
And no.
Sorry- it's the Libra in me and I have to look at all the sides of an issue.
Darren Hunt is a public figure, much like the mayor is.
He is a well-paid public figure, though.
And he is sueing the city. Of which our taxes pay for these services, and lawsuits.
Before David K comes screaming out of a closet claiming I'm another one of those liberal Democrats that doesn't want to pay my share of taxes blah blah blah... let me finish.
There are questions that need to be asked and looked at here.
Darren Hunt has every right to sue for his true damages. True being the operative word here. True = fair.
Is Darren seeking such an exhorbitant amount in "pain and suffering" because he suffered extremely?
Yes, his civil rights may have been violated. But to the tune of $300,00 plus the $150,000?
Was he beat up by the cop? No. Did he suffer broken bones? No. Did he lose his fiancee because she was so embarrassed by his overly-dramatic mugging for the camera even as he was being violated by the over-zealous cop? No.
So I'm being led to the conclusion that Darren is sueing for so much to make an example of the PD because he can.
Is he doing it to pave the way for all reporters to enjoy covering stories in a more congenial manner with the police that are possibly investigating such news story?
I don't think so. Just the mere fact of a lawsuit and the media coverage of this whole event will take care of that- somewhat.
Or is he trying to act like an every-day Joe and stick it to the man? I don't think so, either.
One- he's not us- he's not your every-day Joe. Even if he secretly likes to think that about himself. He's afforded certain luxuries and perks that your every-day Joe just doesn't get privy to. Some are small and inconsequential, some are bigger. Like being able to speak with our city and county officials on certain subjects and getting a response (canned or not, it's at least a response). Some of our city reps like to THINK they have an open door policy but from my experience it really isn't at times.
Anyway- two- Darren isn't just trying to shine a spotlight on a ridiculous situation that got way out of hand- he's being greedy and his ego is running amok.
If he were taking the noble high road he could file his suit for say $10,000- it would prove his point and still afford him a little pocket change.
You see, he's not showing the every-day Joe that everybody can sue and win. He's of the privileged in this community that can afford a lawyer to sue or has found a lawyer willing to take on his case because of who he is and the circumstances. Hardly what the every-day Joe is able to do.
I've seen wayyy too many cases of people that were truly injured physically and mentally and lost their case or were awarded much less.
Example- my ex-husband was hit by a drunk driver and lost his leg. Someone ran out of gas or was having car problems on the highway and my ex pulled over to see if he could help. A cop pulled over, too, but was a little too late. A drunk teacher ran into my ex's car and pinned him between his car and the person's car he was helping push off the road. It came down to degree of responsibility- yes the guy was in the wrong that was drunk, but my ex also shouldn't have been on the road behind that car. My ex lost his football scholarship and a career in the army and never fully adjusted to losing his leg and spent the next 10 years or more deep in the throes of alcoholism. He was awarded $150,000 after medical expenses paid out over 10 years. Sounds like alot, huh? Not when you throw in the careers he lost, the future money he could have made in those careers, let alone the real pain and suffering he has to endure for a lifetime. This is just one example, there are many like this- so when I see the exhorbitant amount Darren is shooting for for his embarrassment and inconvenience it makes my stomach turn.
I'm not making lite of Darren's suit- just the amount he's seeking in damages. As a matter of fact, I side for Darren. The cop has obvious Napolean syndrome symptoms going on, let alone a real power trip problem and he SHOULD be made an example of. But Darren also has some responsibility in this, too, just like my ex. He shouldn't have been where he was and shouldn't have expected to be treated differently because he is in the media.
To what degree he shouldn't have been on the side of the road will be argued in court.
Everything takes longer when you throw in the heat factor. Thought I almost had heat stroke the other day, definitely had heat exhaustion. There is a difference- I've had both. Took me about two days to recover from the latter this time around.
Besides going through that and trying to keep up with the usual day-to-day activities my pc decided to go haywire. Well, actually it was just a loose connection. Thanks to my cats. Can't blame the dog- he's outside.
Did you ever wonder what your cats do when you're not around (and sometimes when you ARE around)? They're frkn sending emails and buying stuff off of ebay. Ok- a little dramatic with the ebay part, but I have had my cats send half-written emails that I left unattended and not saved to draft. It can be a little embarrassing and you can never be quite sure that the recipient believes you when you say your cats sent the email- oh well.
So ya turn your back for a minute and what happens? Darren Hunt files a lawsuit against the city for all the humiliation and pain and suffering he went through with that cop.
That in and of itself seems perfectly justifiable. What I take offense to is the amount he is seeking in damages. It is a ridiculous amount and benefits only himself.
Well, you say, isn't that what a lawsuit is about- to right wrongs and compensate for losses and to sometimes make dramatic examples to the defendant?
Yes.
And no.
Sorry- it's the Libra in me and I have to look at all the sides of an issue.
Darren Hunt is a public figure, much like the mayor is.
He is a well-paid public figure, though.
And he is sueing the city. Of which our taxes pay for these services, and lawsuits.
Before David K comes screaming out of a closet claiming I'm another one of those liberal Democrats that doesn't want to pay my share of taxes blah blah blah... let me finish.
There are questions that need to be asked and looked at here.
Darren Hunt has every right to sue for his true damages. True being the operative word here. True = fair.
Is Darren seeking such an exhorbitant amount in "pain and suffering" because he suffered extremely?
Yes, his civil rights may have been violated. But to the tune of $300,00 plus the $150,000?
Was he beat up by the cop? No. Did he suffer broken bones? No. Did he lose his fiancee because she was so embarrassed by his overly-dramatic mugging for the camera even as he was being violated by the over-zealous cop? No.
So I'm being led to the conclusion that Darren is sueing for so much to make an example of the PD because he can.
Is he doing it to pave the way for all reporters to enjoy covering stories in a more congenial manner with the police that are possibly investigating such news story?
I don't think so. Just the mere fact of a lawsuit and the media coverage of this whole event will take care of that- somewhat.
Or is he trying to act like an every-day Joe and stick it to the man? I don't think so, either.
One- he's not us- he's not your every-day Joe. Even if he secretly likes to think that about himself. He's afforded certain luxuries and perks that your every-day Joe just doesn't get privy to. Some are small and inconsequential, some are bigger. Like being able to speak with our city and county officials on certain subjects and getting a response (canned or not, it's at least a response). Some of our city reps like to THINK they have an open door policy but from my experience it really isn't at times.
Anyway- two- Darren isn't just trying to shine a spotlight on a ridiculous situation that got way out of hand- he's being greedy and his ego is running amok.
If he were taking the noble high road he could file his suit for say $10,000- it would prove his point and still afford him a little pocket change.
You see, he's not showing the every-day Joe that everybody can sue and win. He's of the privileged in this community that can afford a lawyer to sue or has found a lawyer willing to take on his case because of who he is and the circumstances. Hardly what the every-day Joe is able to do.
I've seen wayyy too many cases of people that were truly injured physically and mentally and lost their case or were awarded much less.
Example- my ex-husband was hit by a drunk driver and lost his leg. Someone ran out of gas or was having car problems on the highway and my ex pulled over to see if he could help. A cop pulled over, too, but was a little too late. A drunk teacher ran into my ex's car and pinned him between his car and the person's car he was helping push off the road. It came down to degree of responsibility- yes the guy was in the wrong that was drunk, but my ex also shouldn't have been on the road behind that car. My ex lost his football scholarship and a career in the army and never fully adjusted to losing his leg and spent the next 10 years or more deep in the throes of alcoholism. He was awarded $150,000 after medical expenses paid out over 10 years. Sounds like alot, huh? Not when you throw in the careers he lost, the future money he could have made in those careers, let alone the real pain and suffering he has to endure for a lifetime. This is just one example, there are many like this- so when I see the exhorbitant amount Darren is shooting for for his embarrassment and inconvenience it makes my stomach turn.
I'm not making lite of Darren's suit- just the amount he's seeking in damages. As a matter of fact, I side for Darren. The cop has obvious Napolean syndrome symptoms going on, let alone a real power trip problem and he SHOULD be made an example of. But Darren also has some responsibility in this, too, just like my ex. He shouldn't have been where he was and shouldn't have expected to be treated differently because he is in the media.
To what degree he shouldn't have been on the side of the road will be argued in court.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th of July!
Happy 4th all!
Thinking of my brother today and all the fun we had as kids, especially on holidays.
And appreciating that he served in the US Marine Corps for many years, serving in Desert Shield and Desert Storm- 1st in and last out- Go Marines!
My brother is a pretty cool guy- ok, in my book he's REALLY cool.
My brother, Captain John C. Hartnett, has done so many neat things with his life! He has truly taken advantage of all the freedoms afforded us in this country.
Right now he's in Nepal- quite the world traveler.
When we were kids we were made to dress in red, white and blue and had to have our picture taken in the front yard holding up the American flag. One pic I remember my brother's wearing a Marine camo field cap- given to him by a returned vet/neighbor from the Viet Nam war. He sure was proud to wear that and I've often wondered if that experience had any bearing on joining the Marines instead of the Army. Or other branches, for that matter.
Anyway- happy 4th to all! Sure do miss my family and hope you're all doing well!
No Good Deed....
I really hate when people say
"No good deed goes unpunished".
It's a cynical, untrue statement and a cop-out. It says more about the person saying it then they think.
It's a sad sad statement that lacks hope.
I was brought up in the Catholic church. One thing I was taught was faith, hope, and charity.
I know for a fact without faith we have nothing. There would be no belief in God or much else.
I know that without hope I wouldn't have gotten through some things in life that tried to drag me down- baaad things.
I also know that without charity we wouldn't treat our fellow man as our brother. Which is also treating him as we would like to be treated ourselves. Which is also part of Jesus' teachings.
The true way to say this saying, and the way I learned it as a child is
"No good deed goes unseen".
What a profound statement!
So full of faith, hope, and charity.
We know that if acts alone could get you into heaven we'd ALL be walking lil ole ladies across the street and what-not. That's not the point I'm trying to make.
Sometimes I joke and call it 'karma'. Just like no good deed goes unseen, the same can be said for bad deeds, and sometimes "justice" is swift- thus making it more satisfying for us mere humans, but sometimes you have to resign to the hope that bad deeds are being "tallyed" just as much as good ones and justice will prevail at some time- even if we don't get to witness it. (man, that was a looong sentence and quite improper I'm sure- sorry to all me teachers!).
And now what I am going to say is not at all trivial, though not as profound an example as other times in my life that were more dramatic.
The other day I was bitching and moaning about my grill being stolen. And that it made me mad but I was happy in the fact that whoever took it now has a defective grill (probably easily fixed but...).
So what happens?
My neighbor gives me an old grill she wasn't using any longer. Now THAT was cool!
I live in a really cool neighborhood where alot of us know each other and look out for each other. Yeah, there's some bad apples on the street, but the majority are "true neighbors".
I don't take things lightly. And I am grateful for the little things that make my life easier just as much as the big things. And when I am treated well, even if the other person doesn't know the impact of their action or the value of it, I have to raise it up for the props it deserves.
Thank you, Bobbie, for doing what may be a small thing to you but you know it was a big thing to me, it really helped me out.
And thank you to God, for giving me examples every day of your goodness, even when things look bleak.
"No good deed goes unpunished".
It's a cynical, untrue statement and a cop-out. It says more about the person saying it then they think.
It's a sad sad statement that lacks hope.
I was brought up in the Catholic church. One thing I was taught was faith, hope, and charity.
I know for a fact without faith we have nothing. There would be no belief in God or much else.
I know that without hope I wouldn't have gotten through some things in life that tried to drag me down- baaad things.
I also know that without charity we wouldn't treat our fellow man as our brother. Which is also treating him as we would like to be treated ourselves. Which is also part of Jesus' teachings.
The true way to say this saying, and the way I learned it as a child is
"No good deed goes unseen".
What a profound statement!
So full of faith, hope, and charity.
We know that if acts alone could get you into heaven we'd ALL be walking lil ole ladies across the street and what-not. That's not the point I'm trying to make.
Sometimes I joke and call it 'karma'. Just like no good deed goes unseen, the same can be said for bad deeds, and sometimes "justice" is swift- thus making it more satisfying for us mere humans, but sometimes you have to resign to the hope that bad deeds are being "tallyed" just as much as good ones and justice will prevail at some time- even if we don't get to witness it. (man, that was a looong sentence and quite improper I'm sure- sorry to all me teachers!).
And now what I am going to say is not at all trivial, though not as profound an example as other times in my life that were more dramatic.
The other day I was bitching and moaning about my grill being stolen. And that it made me mad but I was happy in the fact that whoever took it now has a defective grill (probably easily fixed but...).
So what happens?
My neighbor gives me an old grill she wasn't using any longer. Now THAT was cool!
I live in a really cool neighborhood where alot of us know each other and look out for each other. Yeah, there's some bad apples on the street, but the majority are "true neighbors".
I don't take things lightly. And I am grateful for the little things that make my life easier just as much as the big things. And when I am treated well, even if the other person doesn't know the impact of their action or the value of it, I have to raise it up for the props it deserves.
Thank you, Bobbie, for doing what may be a small thing to you but you know it was a big thing to me, it really helped me out.
And thank you to God, for giving me examples every day of your goodness, even when things look bleak.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
What Am I?
I used to just call it a 'corn plant' for lack of a better word, as its leaves somewhat resemble , you guessed it, a CORN plant/stalk.
I used to trim this as it grows extremely fast and is very hearty and drought resistant.
But this year I didn't trim it, barely even watered it and the darn thing bloomed these beautiful white flowers!
Now I want to know what it is so I can get some more!
This plant makes me look like I have a green thumb!
World Blood Donor Day
Contact any United Blood Sevices and donate today.
Do I really need to tell you why it's so important?
Do I really need to tell you why it's so important?
Happy 4th of July (weekend)!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMM- perusing the food ads and I want to get some ribs, some hot dogs, some sausages, hamburgers, hot links and steaks!
I got the charcoal and I'm gonna buy all the fixin's to make a perfect holiday feast!
Oh wait!
I CAN'T bbq this weekend!
'Cuz some IDIOT stole my grill from my side yard!
Yeah, I only paid like $30 for the thing about 4 years ago. But it's the principle. Someone STOLE from me, violated my space and sanctity.
Ahhh.... but enter karma.
Sweet sweet karma.
Almost as mouth-watering, juicy, and satisfying as anything I could cook on that grill!
You see, that grill is missing a little tab that holds up one of the four corners of the grate. It's a pain in the ass trying to flip anything without flipping the grate over.
Have fun IDIOT using my messed up grill!
I got the charcoal and I'm gonna buy all the fixin's to make a perfect holiday feast!
Oh wait!
I CAN'T bbq this weekend!
'Cuz some IDIOT stole my grill from my side yard!
Yeah, I only paid like $30 for the thing about 4 years ago. But it's the principle. Someone STOLE from me, violated my space and sanctity.
Ahhh.... but enter karma.
Sweet sweet karma.
Almost as mouth-watering, juicy, and satisfying as anything I could cook on that grill!
You see, that grill is missing a little tab that holds up one of the four corners of the grate. It's a pain in the ass trying to flip anything without flipping the grate over.
Have fun IDIOT using my messed up grill!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
CAC 101/Pt III
You're probably wondering why I left you hanging yesterday when I told you about Delta Airlines winning the 2008 Green Cross for Safety Medal and First Transit winning for year 2009?
Well, if you remember, I gathered that info straight from First Transit/First Group's website.
And it got me to thinking.
Why would First Transit even want to bother mentioning Delta Airlines on their site? What is the comparison, besides safety?
Safety IS very important and definitely should be at the top of the list. So in that sense, the medal is certainly deserved for both companies. And that, in and of itself, merits mentioning.
But what happens when you look at customer satisfaction surveys?
W
H
O
O
A
H!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You ok?
That was a sharp drop-off there.
OK, so let's look at a few sites and stats on the airline industry/Delta Airlines and see those results.
'Airline Customer Satisfaction Nosedives: Dismal" ' by Dave Carpenter, May 20, 2008.
According to the Huffington Post, the University Of Michigan conducts annual surveys of the airline industry, among other industries. The survey showed the airline industry with the worst grades since 2001. On a scale of 1- 100 here's the stats-
Southwest Airlines 79 points,
AA/Continental 62
Delta 60
Northwest 57
United 56
US Airways 54
Here's what Yahoo finance has to say-
According to the University of Michigan's annual survey for 2009-
"customer satisfaction rose 3.2% (airline industry)earlier this year, the first increase in 6 years..."
"The increase came as the number of passengers dropped and airlines reduced flying".
"Passengers checked fewer bags as luggage fees became more common, making it easier for airlines to keep track of the bags that remained..."
"And if fewer passengers are the reason for the improved satisfaction score, imagine how happy they'll be this year, when the FAA expects domestic boardings to fall 8.8%".
Claes Fornell, a University of Michigan business professor and director of the research center that compiled the customer satisfaction data on airlines and other industries, said "traffic drop-off appears to have as much to do with airline improvement as any action taken by the airlines. The study noted that even though airlines showed some improvement, their average score of 64 was good enough for a tie with newspapers but lower than other industries measured, including utilities (74), the Postal Service (82), expedited delivery companies (82), movies (70), and cellular phone service (69)".
Delta Airlines received a score of 64 for 2009 in the customer satisfaction survey.
So what does Delta have to say about themselves?
According to THEIR website, on the Awards and Recognitions page they have a list of some of their accomplishments, including-
April 2008- Green Cross for Safety Medal from the National Safety Council, outstanding achievement in safety and health, community service, responsible citizenship, and a superior record in advancing safety and health practices.
July 2008- Best Domestic airline for 1st class service, Best Frequent Flyer Program (domestic), and Best airline for Airport lounges in the world- presented by 'Executive Travel'.
So what exactly is Delta Airlines NOT getting when it comes to customer satisfaction?
I know they have a tough industry and not that many places to cut corners but....
when you start charging for pillows, up the price on drinks (remember when you used to get 2 complimentary drinks?), charge for baggage checked, take away the little "lunch bags" that we picked up for FREE in the jetway (and were handed the leftovers if available), LOSE my luggage, don't give me a free night's stay at a hotel and a meal when you overbooked the flight, don't offer me reduced fare or $$$ for going on stand-by- not to mention delays and cooling our heels for HOURS waiting in line to enter or exit the "skyway"- just WHAT exactly do you want from me?
Now I see why they advertise their safety record and mention NOTHING of customer satisfaction!
Meander back to First Transit with me...
First Transit/Sun Metro has made TREMENDOUS strides in the acquisition of new buses and parts the last couple years. The buses are more on-time and with the new ramp style the newer buses have fewer missed rides (refusals) for persons in wheelchairs. YAYYYYYYYY!
But wait...
B
L
O
O
P!
How come the customer complaints have not significantly reduced?
I'm sorry, but I DON'T believe the stats in the monthly director's report that is submitted to the Mass Transit Board meeting and Citizen's Advisory Committee (CAC) for that board.
I've seen stats showing less complaints than people I have talked to that I KNOW called in a complaint. I know this because there have been times when it was ME calling in and a couple other reliable sources- and the numbers don't match!
How come when I call in a complaint and I ask for a call back with results/solutions to their investigation I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A CALL ON ANY OF MY COMPLAINTS?!?!?!
How come I'm told to ask for a reference # to track the complaint, and other times I'm told that's not necessary as I can just use my name for reference?
Why can't we get an across-the-board policy on this simplest of tasks?
I just want straight answers.
BTW- last year I had to vote on the budget that Sun Metro submitted for FY2009. Not that that really matters because it's the MTDB's vote that really counts- but they used the CAC majority vote as a recommendation from us in their presentation to the MTDB at the budget hearings. For those that don't know- I voted "Nay", along with another member. They had just gotten the ball rolling on issues that should have been dealt with all along, went over-budget their first year under contract etc- yet they wanted a pay increase! Not on MY watch!
Soon after this they asked for extra money in case fuel prices jumped higher and STAYED that way (they didn't stay as high, plus they would have a locked-in price anyway so....), even though Representative Eddie Holguin tried to put the breaks on that.
Oh, then they raised the fares and transfers!
And us customers went from the first set of 'temporary' bus stops downtown, to another, then to where they're at right now. Yes, at least we have benches and shelters- but the sidewalk is not fit for bus loading and unloading, especially throwing in wheelchairs into the mix. I will delve into these issues in a further post.
So, I guess the moral of the story for First Transit/Sun Metro is...
In place of good old-fashioned customer service-
either have the vendors that sell chips and pop on the corners by the buses downtown sell alcohol
OR put in a really cool lounge in the Transfer Terminal for your customers. Get us good and soused. Things will look rosier all-around.
Who knows, your customer satisfaction stats might rise and you might win an award for that...
just like Delta Airlines!
Have a nice day!
Well, if you remember, I gathered that info straight from First Transit/First Group's website.
And it got me to thinking.
Why would First Transit even want to bother mentioning Delta Airlines on their site? What is the comparison, besides safety?
Safety IS very important and definitely should be at the top of the list. So in that sense, the medal is certainly deserved for both companies. And that, in and of itself, merits mentioning.
But what happens when you look at customer satisfaction surveys?
W
H
O
O
A
H!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You ok?
That was a sharp drop-off there.
OK, so let's look at a few sites and stats on the airline industry/Delta Airlines and see those results.
'Airline Customer Satisfaction Nosedives: Dismal" ' by Dave Carpenter, May 20, 2008.
According to the Huffington Post, the University Of Michigan conducts annual surveys of the airline industry, among other industries. The survey showed the airline industry with the worst grades since 2001. On a scale of 1- 100 here's the stats-
Southwest Airlines 79 points,
AA/Continental 62
Delta 60
Northwest 57
United 56
US Airways 54
Here's what Yahoo finance has to say-
According to the University of Michigan's annual survey for 2009-
"customer satisfaction rose 3.2% (airline industry)earlier this year, the first increase in 6 years..."
"The increase came as the number of passengers dropped and airlines reduced flying".
"Passengers checked fewer bags as luggage fees became more common, making it easier for airlines to keep track of the bags that remained..."
"And if fewer passengers are the reason for the improved satisfaction score, imagine how happy they'll be this year, when the FAA expects domestic boardings to fall 8.8%".
Claes Fornell, a University of Michigan business professor and director of the research center that compiled the customer satisfaction data on airlines and other industries, said "traffic drop-off appears to have as much to do with airline improvement as any action taken by the airlines. The study noted that even though airlines showed some improvement, their average score of 64 was good enough for a tie with newspapers but lower than other industries measured, including utilities (74), the Postal Service (82), expedited delivery companies (82), movies (70), and cellular phone service (69)".
Delta Airlines received a score of 64 for 2009 in the customer satisfaction survey.
So what does Delta have to say about themselves?
According to THEIR website, on the Awards and Recognitions page they have a list of some of their accomplishments, including-
April 2008- Green Cross for Safety Medal from the National Safety Council, outstanding achievement in safety and health, community service, responsible citizenship, and a superior record in advancing safety and health practices.
July 2008- Best Domestic airline for 1st class service, Best Frequent Flyer Program (domestic), and Best airline for Airport lounges in the world- presented by 'Executive Travel'.
So what exactly is Delta Airlines NOT getting when it comes to customer satisfaction?
I know they have a tough industry and not that many places to cut corners but....
when you start charging for pillows, up the price on drinks (remember when you used to get 2 complimentary drinks?), charge for baggage checked, take away the little "lunch bags" that we picked up for FREE in the jetway (and were handed the leftovers if available), LOSE my luggage, don't give me a free night's stay at a hotel and a meal when you overbooked the flight, don't offer me reduced fare or $$$ for going on stand-by- not to mention delays and cooling our heels for HOURS waiting in line to enter or exit the "skyway"- just WHAT exactly do you want from me?
Now I see why they advertise their safety record and mention NOTHING of customer satisfaction!
Meander back to First Transit with me...
First Transit/Sun Metro has made TREMENDOUS strides in the acquisition of new buses and parts the last couple years. The buses are more on-time and with the new ramp style the newer buses have fewer missed rides (refusals) for persons in wheelchairs. YAYYYYYYYY!
But wait...
B
L
O
O
P!
How come the customer complaints have not significantly reduced?
I'm sorry, but I DON'T believe the stats in the monthly director's report that is submitted to the Mass Transit Board meeting and Citizen's Advisory Committee (CAC) for that board.
I've seen stats showing less complaints than people I have talked to that I KNOW called in a complaint. I know this because there have been times when it was ME calling in and a couple other reliable sources- and the numbers don't match!
How come when I call in a complaint and I ask for a call back with results/solutions to their investigation I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A CALL ON ANY OF MY COMPLAINTS?!?!?!
How come I'm told to ask for a reference # to track the complaint, and other times I'm told that's not necessary as I can just use my name for reference?
Why can't we get an across-the-board policy on this simplest of tasks?
I just want straight answers.
BTW- last year I had to vote on the budget that Sun Metro submitted for FY2009. Not that that really matters because it's the MTDB's vote that really counts- but they used the CAC majority vote as a recommendation from us in their presentation to the MTDB at the budget hearings. For those that don't know- I voted "Nay", along with another member. They had just gotten the ball rolling on issues that should have been dealt with all along, went over-budget their first year under contract etc- yet they wanted a pay increase! Not on MY watch!
Soon after this they asked for extra money in case fuel prices jumped higher and STAYED that way (they didn't stay as high, plus they would have a locked-in price anyway so....), even though Representative Eddie Holguin tried to put the breaks on that.
Oh, then they raised the fares and transfers!
And us customers went from the first set of 'temporary' bus stops downtown, to another, then to where they're at right now. Yes, at least we have benches and shelters- but the sidewalk is not fit for bus loading and unloading, especially throwing in wheelchairs into the mix. I will delve into these issues in a further post.
So, I guess the moral of the story for First Transit/Sun Metro is...
In place of good old-fashioned customer service-
either have the vendors that sell chips and pop on the corners by the buses downtown sell alcohol
OR put in a really cool lounge in the Transfer Terminal for your customers. Get us good and soused. Things will look rosier all-around.
Who knows, your customer satisfaction stats might rise and you might win an award for that...
just like Delta Airlines!
Have a nice day!
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