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: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
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 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, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> 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 <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
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
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