Re: [UC] Tax penalties for the unconnected

[Glenn moyer]

"Mostly, I just want to ask that people be careful about making generalizations about City employees. " Ricky, Thanks for such a thoughtful post.  Your explanation is right on target.  Although I knew this to be true all along, I know I recently over-generalized about city employees.  You have my sincere apology. To explain without justification, I often feel a need to be too short on list posts and probably cut out too many parenthetical disclaimers.  As you point out, I too have met excellent city employees and complete jerks. The story about handicapped permits going to many healthy city employees broke 6 months to a year ago in one of the city papers. Glenn -----Original Message----- From: Richard Moreau Sent: Jul 24, 2009 11:33 AM To: "campio...@juno.com" Cc: "univcity@list.purple.com" 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 now contracted out via private agencies) so late that many people and businesses wouldn't do business with us.  Like in other downsizing organizations I am now handling the duties which used to be handled by several people; that slows me down, but I've also used my creativity to introduce some efficiencies to my area of responsibility, which helps make up for lower staffing a bit. I'd like us to take better advantage of already-available technology than we do now. I often feel like, because of accountability concerns, I'm already having to do two jobs, even without staff shortages: my normal job activities and documenting my job activities. Like many of you, I've also been the target of a 6 month delayed weed violation, to which I also got a rude, imperious response from the official (a co-worker in some respects) who handled the matter. The couple of times I've had to deal with firefighters, I found them to be wonderful. I've had good and bad interactions with various police officers. I once had to deal with the Rec Dept for an event in Clark Park that I was helping to organize and I felt their customer service was horrendous, but, oy, maybe I just caught them on a bad day. I do wish that more City (and really, every company's) employees saw and understood the customer service aspects of their jobs.      In the end, what I see, isn't specific to City employees. Maybe I'm starting to become the stereotypical crotchety old man (I'm in my mid-40's), but throughout our society, I see a rash of me-first, gettin'-over, what's-in-it-for-me attitudes. When I'm feeling more enlightened, I see this as the natural response of people who feel that they have been cheated, who feel vulnerable, who feel a need to protect themselves the best way they know how. It's still frustrating, but I do what I can, I consider alternative explanations for what I believe, sometimes wrongly, to be wrong-doing, and I try to be patient with the rest. I hope that anyone dissing City employees, or criticizing anyone, for that matter, can do the same. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any past and future efforts to make the world a better place and to be patient along the way.  - Richard (Ricky) PS: I took a personal day today, so, no, I am not writing this on the clock or using City resources to do so.          On Jul 23, 2009, at 1:54 PM, "campio...@juno.com" <campio...@juno.com> wrote:   Glenn is reporting on an important truth. The City is slow to cash checks. They have improved. Several years ago, an Auditor found Mail Bags full of checks to the city, totaling MILLIONS. Some were so old that they were no longer valid. The City does not gain in the delay. Even though the late fees and penalties are usually not contested the City loses interest on the deposits and pays out interest on its bonds and debts. This becomes such a nightmare at Settlements that I often tell my clients not to pay Gas and Water if they are less than 21 days from Settlement. I explain that lateness of less than 30 days may not be reported. Title companies must verify Water and Gas because they are lien-able items. It is generally less frustrating to pay a small late fee than to be forced to pay the bills again, at Settlement, and than have the post-Settlement hassle of trying to get money back from the city. The City has also made Realtors and Title Clerks de facto meter readers and bill collectors. I have been at Settlements at which the City claimed THOUSANDS of Dollars in past due gas or Water fines. Twice the bills exceeded Settlement Proceeds. One time the City Solicitor suggested I cut my commission so that there would be enough money, from Settlement proceeds, to pay a PGW Bill. I refused, but it took almost three hours for the City to agree that it was better to get most of their money, while retaining the right to pursue the Seller later, than to torpedo the deal, retain the deadbeat, and cause harm to the Buyer. I never got an apology for being used by the city for:       Access,       Communication,       Collection,       Suffering the Settlement surprise of late reporting of old debts,       The attempt to extort my payment of bills not collected in any timely manner,       The higher prices I (all PGW customers) pay because the city does such a piss-poor job of collection. Glenn, keep advocating for changes that might improve the billing system. I think everyone should have reasonable heat in the winter, and I think better collection might make it more affordable for all, and could even pay for  programs that might determine situations requiring assistance. Best! Liz ---------- Original Message ---------- From: Glenn moyer <glen...@earthlink.net> To: univcity@list.purple.com Subject: [UC] Tax penalties for the unconnected Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:48:45 -0400 (EDT) Neighbors, I want everyone to be aware that the city does not cash its checks in a timely fashion. I did a test this year because i serendipitously discovered that the city had secretly levied charges against me for property taxes a year or two ago.  Like most Philadelphians outside of the old boys and girls network, I pay my property taxes in full. On April 15 of this year, I paid my city business taxes at the municipal services cashier and mailed my state and federal tax bills. (I wanted the time stamp recording the time the check was presented to the city).   The state and federal government cashed the checks in a timely manner.  The city waited so long to cash the check that it appeared on the following months bank statement! Earlier this spring, knowing that I had a zero property tax debt to the city, I discovered that I was charged small amounts on the property taxes of each of my properties in a previous year.  After the initial shock, I realized that these amounts look like interest and penalty charges, yet I had no recollection of paying late.   Clearly, if a citizen pays taxes close to the deadline, he or she is penalized because the city delays cashing the checks.   For those of you who have ever tried to correct mistakes caused by the city, you know that it is nothing but an exercise in futility. (One neighbor once remarked, "I don't bother trying, I just look for a way to cheat the city and even things out!")  Nobody knows nothin at city hall.  The city workers usually blow off citizens telling them to "go to their councilman with complaints!" It does no good to tell them that the entire councilman staff is too busy to return calls or e-mails, let alone work on the problems in government that have serious consequences for constituents! Neighbors, as long as we have two separate systems, one for the politically connected, and nothing for everyone else; the complete helplessness at the hands of our government will continue.  Like usual, I will be forced to pay more, even though I was cheated by the incompetence of the city system. Should the city place a grace period, before adding penalties, equal to the delay caused by their incompetence?  But going to the mayor's office of complaints or the offices of city council is a complete waste of time because these people don't want to change the system and view this cheating as "revenue enhancement" like the bogus trash tickets.  It's really nice that city employees get handicapped stickers, don't have to pay parking tickets, don't have to pay trash tickets, or taxes.  But when they condescendingly insist that little people should have a stiff upper lip when cheated, it doesn't allow the little people to feel good too. I don't want to see city workers cheated like the rest of us.  I want city officials who listen and respond to the real problems of ordinary Philadelphians.  They need to stop the damn photo ops and stop depending on the special perks in the old boys network, so that they have time to fix the government! Sincerely, Glenn, a cheated citizen ---- 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>. ____________________________________________________________ Workers Compensation Legal Advice. Click here ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see .