Re: [UC] Tax penalties for the unconnected
Thanks, Ricky, for the reasoned response. I get tired of hearing the stereotyped, generalized, and frankly irresponsible comments (Nobody knows nothin at City Hall, City workers usually blow off citizens...). Besides being myself a City worker, I am also a citizen - someone who has to deal with the City and its bureaucracy in the same manner as any other citizen. Like you, I am sure, I have no special connection when it comes to complaints I have about City services, or expectations for any outcome from them. Like you, I'm just another voice at the end of the phone or another civilian asking a cop, a clerk, or a staffer for information or action. I often wish I had some sort of Harry Potter mark on my forehead that would instantly get me recognition and special service - turns out, it never works that way. However, I do find that speaking courteously and reasonably during such interactions, having all my facts available, and explaining my case in a firm but non-hostile manner often manage to get the job done without any kind of magic, pull, or bribery. I've had good experiences and bad with City employees. The same can be said of my experiences with British Airways, Dell Corporation, bank personnel, tradesmen, and all kinds of others. Even if (and I don't have any scientific evidence of this) there are more instances of rude or unhelpful behavior from civil servants in general than from commercial workers in general, the numbers don't, I'm sure, form a basis for the lazy hurling of vituperation that so often takes place. If I said landlords just blow you off, or lawyers never do nuthin, I would be just as guilty. Reminds me of why so I've blocked many of the more frequent posters on this list! Thanks again for speaking up. - Al Airone - Original Message - From: Richard Moreau To: campio...@juno.com Cc: univcity@list.purple.com Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 11:33 AM Subject: Re: [UC] Tax penalties for the unconnected As a City employee, I feel the need to chime in, on both sides. Mostly, I just want to ask that people be careful about making generalizations about City employees. We're as varied as everyone else in every other profession - in our work ethic, in our commitment to our jobs's missions, in our abilities to do the jobs we were hired to do, and in the resources we have with which to do our jobs (especially in tight economic times.) There are some benefits to having a unionized, civil service position (which is not true of all City jobs, including, I suspect, Marty's, plus many of our jobs have been contracted out to non-City employees whose pay and benefits tend to be much worse), at least for the person holding that position. It gives us a fair amount of the job security that many others wish they had, and which more of us should have. Of course, the downside for those we serve is that it can be difficult, but not impossible, to get rid of ineffective or wrong-doing employees. Also, we have good benefits in terms of health insurance and pensions - from my point of view anyway. I used to be a waiter for many years, without any such benefits. On the other hand, I hear and read of much better benefits at some corporate jobs: matching 401K contributions, day care allowances, annual bonuses, etc. My income is decent enough for my somewhat laid back lifestyle, but well below what most of my college friends and siblings now make. I'd also like to remind everyone that we City employees are required to live in the city, which cuts down our options (I'm dating someone from the 'burbs who is reluctant to move into the city, so we haven't been able to work out the possibility of ever living together), but which also means that there is an added incentive to do our job well as we benefit from doing so just by living here and also because, in doing our jobs, we're using our tax dollars that we pay too. I don't know anything as a City employee about any kind of program (or shady, behind-the-scene means) that let's us not pay our taxes, park wherever we want, get first dibs at this or that, get away without doing our jobs, or get any kind of look-the-other-way slide when found to be doing something wrong or illegal. On the other hand, I do see plenty of inefficiences and incompetence. More or less than in other large organizations? I don't know. As a test, I once mailed something to my house from my office, using the City's mail system, not putting it directly in a mailbox. It took 6 days (which included a weekend, but still...). Mail from my mother in Massachusetts takes two days, sometimes only one, to get to me. I also recall, a handful of years ago, maybe it has improved since, that the City was paying its vendors (including the foster parents I was working with then, all of whom are
[UC] Hedges at library tonight
Pulitzer prize winning correspondent, Chris Hedges, will speak at 7:30 at the free library tonight. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20090728_On_a_dream_deferred_to_capitalism.html Hedges says that our consumer conditioning has reduced the values of thrift, a sense of community and self-sacrifice to a need for self-gratification. Democracy is reduced to the same level as consumer choice or voting on American Idol. The discrepancy between perception and reality, Hedges argues, has generated a culture of illusions that allow citizens to hide from reality. Infantilized by advertising, the media, and celebrity culture, we have become incapable of recognizing - much less fixing - the degradation of our social, political, and economic system. We are the most illusioned society on the face of the earth, Hedges said. Oprah, the Christian right, self-help gurus, Hollywood tell us that we can have everything we want. And it's an illusion. In reality, Hedges writes in his book, we have become virtually disempowered by corporate America. As employees, we are little more than disposable commodities, and as consumers we are addicted to goods we don't need. Hedges argues that consumerism and celebrity culture have a powerful political function. The whole fantasy of celebrity culture is not designed simply to entertain, Hedges says, but to make us politically passive. Hedges says the move from managed capitalism to unfettered capitalism over the last four to six decades - accomplished with the help of government deregulation - has refashioned America as a corporate state run by and on behalf of corporations rather than citizens. When corporate needs trump those of citizens, Hedges said, the poor and the weak don't stand a chance. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] PA open records in trouble
The new PA open records law brings the best hope for accountability and transparency in PA state and local government. Here is a plea from the executive director of the new office of open records. Please consider it and help. We've recently seen how front line government employees are placed between disenfranchised and betrayed citizens and an unresponsive, secretive and often corrupt group of powerbrokers. This often leads to open animosity between front line government workers and citizens while the system itself remains unchanged. Here we see government workers giving their best efforts to restore a positive direction towards an empowered citizenry and an accountable democratic government more in line with recognized international standards. http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20090728_Open-records_threat.html The law is 7 months old. With nine people on board as of May, we've met all our deadlines while processing about 600 appeals, 2,400 e-mails, 1,200 phone calls and conducting more than 200 training sessions. Forty-eight of our decisions have been challenged in the Court of Common Pleas or Commonwealth Court, requiring nearly full-time legal attention. Our staff works 12-15 hours a day because they are committed to open government and ensuring that citizens have access to their government. Sustaining such a significant budget cut will gut the progress that this Commonwealth has made regarding open government. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Tax penalties for the unconnected
I agree Rick and Al. I can only hope people will be as empathetic when the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. There is a lot of discussion about our incompetence as well. On 7/28/09 7:11 AM, Al Airone herons...@verizon.net wrote: Thanks, Ricky, for the reasoned response. I get tired of hearing the stereotyped, generalized, and frankly irresponsible comments (Nobody knows nothin at City Hall, City workers usually blow off citizens...). Besides being myself a City worker, I am also a citizen - someone who has to deal with the City and its bureaucracy in the same manner as any other citizen. Like you, I am sure, I have no special connection when it comes to complaints I have about City services, or expectations for any outcome from them. Like you, I'm just another voice at the end of the phone or another civilian asking a cop, a clerk, or a staffer for information or action. I often wish I had some sort of Harry Potter mark on my forehead that would instantly get me recognition and special service - turns out, it never works that way. However, I do find that speaking courteously and reasonably during such interactions, having all my facts available, and explaining my case in a firm but non-hostile manner often manage to get the job done without any kind of magic, pull, or bribery. I've had good experiences and bad with City employees. The same can be said of my experiences with British Airways, Dell Corporation, bank personnel, tradesmen, and all kinds of others. Even if (and I don't have any scientific evidence of this) there are more instances of rude or unhelpful behavior from civil servants in general than from commercial workers in general, the numbers don't, I'm sure, form a basis for the lazy hurling of vituperation that so often takes place. If I said landlords just blow you off, or lawyers never do nuthin, I would be just as guilty. Reminds me of why so I've blocked many of the more frequent posters on this list! Thanks again for speaking up. - Al Airone - Original Message - From: Richard Moreau mailto:ric...@mac.com To: campio...@juno.com Cc: univcity@list.purple.com Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 11:33 AM Subject: Re: [UC] Tax penalties for the unconnected As a City employee, I feel the need to chime in, on both sides. Mostly, I just want to ask that people be careful about making generalizations about City employees. We're as varied as everyone else in every other profession - in our work ethic, in our commitment to our jobs's missions, in our abilities to do the jobs we were hired to do, and in the resources we have with which to do our jobs (especially in tight economic times.) There are some benefits to having a unionized, civil service position (which is not true of all City jobs, including, I suspect, Marty's, plus many of our jobs have been contracted out to non-City employees whose pay and benefits tend to be much worse), at least for the person holding that position. It gives us a fair amount of the job security that many others wish they had, and which more of us should have. Of course, the downside for those we serve is that it can be difficult, but not impossible, to get rid of ineffective or wrong-doing employees. Also, we have good benefits in terms of health insurance and pensions - from my point of view anyway. I used to be a waiter for many years, without any such benefits. On the other hand, I hear and read of much better benefits at some corporate jobs: matching 401K contributions, day care allowances, annual bonuses, etc. My income is decent enough for my somewhat laid back lifestyle, but well below what most of my college friends and siblings now make. I'd also like to remind everyone that we City employees are required to live in the city, which cuts down our options (I'm dating someone from the 'burbs who is reluctant to move into the city, so we haven't been able to work out the possibility of ever living together), but which also means that there is an added incentive to do our job well as we benefit from doing so just by living here and also because, in doing our jobs, we're using our tax dollars that we pay too. I don't know anything as a City employee about any kind of program (or shady, behind-the-scene means) that let's us not pay our taxes, park wherever we want, get first dibs at this or that, get away without doing our jobs, or get any kind of look-the-other-way slide when found to be doing something wrong or illegal. On the other hand, I do see plenty of inefficiences and incompetence. More or less than in other large organizations? I don't know. As a test, I once mailed something to my house from my office, using the City's mail system, not putting it directly in a mailbox. It took 6 days (which included a weekend, but still...). Mail from my mother in
Re: [UC] PA open records in trouble
As I pointed out recently, the Historic Commission decided to go in the opposite direction of open records with regards to the Register of Historic Places database. I could have challenged my rejection because the foundation for the rejection is absolutely false. I am glad I did not, as city workers seem to have their hands tied with full time legal attention to unsupportable cases. It seems now that the Department of Public Health has decided to follow the lead of the HC by removing the restaurant inspections information from the Environmental Health Services website. The city had been providing this information for several years but only very recently decided to stop. Unfortunately, my calls to EHS have not been returned, and there are no updates about the change on their website. It would be interesting to see if a request for this information would be rejected as well. The data provided by these services was indicative of the direction the city should be taking with Information Services; instead, it continues to reinforce the stereotype of being unhelpful and secretive. Bad, bad city. Regards, John Ellingsworth On Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 8:45 AM, Glenn moyerglen...@earthlink.net wrote: The new PA open records law brings the best hope for accountability and transparency in PA state and local government. Here is a plea from the executive director of the new office of open records. Please consider it and help. We've recently seen how front line government employees are placed between disenfranchised and betrayed citizens and an unresponsive, secretive and often corrupt group of powerbrokers. This often leads to open animosity between front line government workers and citizens while the system itself remains unchanged. Here we see government workers giving their best efforts to restore a positive direction towards an empowered citizenry and an accountable democratic government more in line with recognized international standards. http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20090728_Open-records_threat.html The law is 7 months old. With nine people on board as of May, we've met all our deadlines while processing about 600 appeals, 2,400 e-mails, 1,200 phone calls and conducting more than 200 training sessions. Forty-eight of our decisions have been challenged in the Court of Common Pleas or Commonwealth Court, requiring nearly full-time legal attention. Our staff works 12-15 hours a day because they are committed to open government and ensuring that citizens have access to their government. Sustaining such a significant budget cut will gut the progress that this Commonwealth has made regarding open government. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] FW: CPN Tire Roundup August 8, 9-3pm
Forwarded: From: mneeka_desi...@hotmail.com Subject: FW: Tire Roundup August 8 9-3pm Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:24:00 -0400 Dear Friends, The Cedar Park Neighbors website has been hacked, so unfortunately this is the only way to get the word out: Saturday August 8th is the date of this year's Tire Roundup. Cedar Park Neighbors will be participating within our boundaries of Kingessing and Larchwood Aveneus, and 46th and 52nd Streets. We need volunteers to help gather tires, and we need two open bed trucks. Anyone that can assist, please email me back. Also, if you know the location of abandoned tires, please let me know. I can be contacted at mneeka_desi...@hotmail.com Thanks, Monica Allison, President Cedar Park Neighbors mneeka_desi...@hotmail.com Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Celebrate the moment with your favorite sports pics. Check it out. Bing™ brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now. Bing™ brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. Try it now.
