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Thursday, May 19, 2011

“The world is filled with educated derelicts” Ray Kroc

The current city ( Seattle ) elected position of mayor has proven that it is occupied by a person of questionable integrity. His incompetence is of no bounds, yet he is rewarded with $159k a year. He could not even protect his wife’s bicycle. How this mess could be resolved…

Hi Mike.

Time to cut the budget alright. The city might be simply better off leaving the position of “Mayor” empty until the next election. There are many city positions that remain open to this day.

City employees retire and the position remains open while the work is redistributed to the remaining city workers in that department. After some time has passed and a bumbling mayor talks about cutting budgets, one of the things that happens is that position that was left empty for a long period of time simply goes away.

Just like the city positions that end up vacated and eventually ended, the remaining city workers are then told and expected mind you, to pick up the slack. Let the remaining staff of the mayors office pick up the slack. At current salaries of course. Just like the city workers get told to do.

The mayor is nothing more then a figure head anyway. And you/ the current one has proven to be nothing more then the person who makes the media appearances, well as long as the media is nice to you and gives you space. That is what one of your staffers wrote up for you since you could not do it.  You have made it clear that you Mr. Mayor does not want media attention anymore. It is bothersome. So why do we the people YOUR Boss, need the likes of you?

( The savings from not having to spend $159k a year could be redistributed into the public safety departments that the costly mayor is asking take 3 to 5% cuts. If he stepped down and let his salary go back into the budget he could save some face and possibly turn around his karma. )

Further more it is abundantly clear Mr. Mayor, you know not of the word accountability. You dismiss and shuffle the blame amongst your staff as it is already been shown time and time again. They can continue pushing papers as they do now. So why is the city in need of an empty suit?

Mr. Mayor please step down. Now. Your job performance has proven to be wasteful in a time where every penny counts. Any new hires that come in need to be qualified. Not somebody who you may owe some sort of political favor to...

A replacement for you there needs to be a person that understands “The Buck Stops Here.” It has been proven that as a public servant you simply are unable to perform the job duties. The staffers will continue doing what they do and they/ we wont notice or even gone.

Well except for the economic savings, and the end of a knee jerk reactionary that hires those who are known felons. Ahem in bank fraud no less. Oh lets not forget the latest team member that supports torture and violence against the citizens. You see you simply are not a public servant that meets the needs of the people of the city of Seattle. (The people YOU work for!)

You have been caught lying to the public, that along with your inability to hire people of integrity. Public service is a privilege not a right. You came into office under false pretenses, you spoke of the political machine of your opponents represented as if you were going to be different. Well you have been on some levels sadly you have proven un trust worthy.

In other words you are being terminated for cause. Save what little decency of human dignity you may have left and resign before dragging yourself thru the public humiliation. No shame in admitting failure. There is shame in not owning up to the failures and there would be shame in not pointing out the fact that you can not be trusted any further. Your private agenda has become painfully obvious. Your agenda does not represent the majority. You fail to act as a public servant for the overall public good. Hence termination for cause.

Chris…

























©2011
All rights reserved
Chris J Hutchins
Dog Hair Productions









Thursday, May 12, 2011

Day 3 of not screening the incoming phone calls.

Survey calling for cellular phone service.

Ring, ring: Hello.

Caller: Hi this is a no obligation phone survey for cellular phone service, do you have a few minutes to answer some questions?

Me: Yes, yes I do.

Caller: Great! So what type of cell phone do you currently have?

Me: I don’t have a cell phone.

Caller: Ok, great! So who is your cellular phone service provider?

Me: I don’t have a cell phone.

Caller: Great! So on a scale between one and ten how would you rate your cellular phone service and it options?

Me: Ten.

Caller: If you were to make any upgrades to your cellular phone is there a different package or provider other than your current one that you have been considering?

Me: No.

Caller: Ok, so your happy with your phone service between one and ten again please?

Me: Ten.

Caller: Again, what is your cellular phone style and the provider you are currently using?

Me: Again… I don’t have a cellular phone.

Caller: Oh??? Are we talking on your cellular phone right now?

Me: No, we are not, I don’t have one.

Caller: This is not a cell phone? Oh I thought you understood that this was about cellular services?

Me: Yes I understood right away, however I think you missed the answers in the beginning and as to why I am very happy with my cell phone and it’s service.

Caller: Oh I’m sorry to have taken up your time…

Me: You didn’t take up my time, it was interesting I hope this does not skew your findings this evening?

Caller: No it has not. Thank you for your patience and I hope you have a good evening.

Me: Thank you and same to you.

Now that was some cheap entertainment. Not to mention the caller had a tone of voice that said, “I am so tired and just want to go home.” And yet she was so positive in her tone of voice I was impressed with her determination and making sure that she had not wasted my time. Perhaps it gave her a break from the raving lunatics that yell at her about how these phone surveys are annoying.

***********



Day 3 of not screening the incoming phone calls. Here is phone call #2.

This is one that has come in a lot in the last many months. A number that I have ignored for a long time. Especially after answering it once already just to find out who it was. I saw the Florida area code the first time and thought it could be a friend of mine who I have not spoken with in about a year now. I thought the issue had been closed a while back. But noooo. I was rather abrupt in declining there offer and hung up rather rudely.

One night I invented my own personal assistant. I named him Reginald. He has been such a joy to have around. Always have your own personal assistant answer the phone for you. If you don’t have an assistant make one up. Reggie always speaks in a very pleasant tone and never gets angry.



Ring, ring: Hello?

Caller: Good evening sir. Am I speaking with Mr. Hutchins tonight?

Reginald: No sorry. I am Reginald. Mr. Hutchins personal assistant. May I ask who you are and how you obtained this number it is private you know.

Caller: I am calling in regards to the fantastic opportunity we have for Mr. Hutchins to refinance his home thru a V.A. approved home loan. May I please speak with Mr. Hutchins?

Reginald: No I’m sorry Mr. Hutchins is not taking any calls without knowing who the caller is and how they may have obtained this private number. Now if You…

Caller: Please this is a matter that we believe would interest Mr. Hutchins…

Reginald: Excuse me sir do you always interrupt those you call? Those whom you call unsolicited I might add. Is this a standard practice at your firm?

Caller: Excuse me I apologize for any interruptions. But I really think that a veteran such as Mr. Hutchins with his standing and his military service would be interested in the benefit of our offer.

Reginald: Well you have raised a few questions, but first as his assistant I have been instructed to obtain all information for his approval. Such as, how did you gather your information about Mr. Hutchins? From what data base or all them if you please. We must first have that information so that we may better understand, who is giving out this private number. It is a current assignment of mine.

Caller: We are not at liberty to discuss that matter… Is Mr. Hutchins home?

Reginald: Yes. However you must appreciate that I have been given specific instruct …

Caller may I please speak with him?

Reginald: Oh my there you go again with interruptions, we can’t continue that now can we.

Caller: Again I …

Reginald: Tut, tut, my turn to interrupt. You have been very insistent and I understand you are attempting to help the veterans of the United States, very grand indeed. But since we can’t get answers as to how you obtained this phone number, might you at least tell us what branch of the armed services Mr. Hutchins served in?

Long pause, the noise in the background was that of a call center many voices all speaking at once and some key boards clicking furiously. Finally after what seemed like about 15 seconds.

Caller: Uhh?? I, Uhh??? I don’t seem to have that information at the moment if I could speak with Mr. Hutchins I…

Reginald: You had two interruptions I shall now exercise my second one and clear this matter up for you sir.

Another short pause.

Reginald: First of all you can’t obtain information that simply does not exist. For example, the military service that never happened. He was never in the armed services. Hence our concerns as to how you obtained this information and from where. Now more importantly could you please remove this number and this name from your data base so as not to waste any further time of your loan facility. Might I add you have been most gracious on the phone and we wish you well.

Caller: What!?!? Wait, you are saying that Mr. Hutchins was never in the military?

Reginald: Precisely. That is exactly what I said. I am sure that he would be most interested as to how you thought that? Perhaps you could mail the information to us?

Caller: Thank you… Reginald? That is correct? You’re an assistant to Mr. Hutchins?

Reginald: Your most welcome and do have this number removed please. Good night sir.

Caller: Good night.

Ever since I have retained the services of Reginald I have had much more free time and less headaches and he is just wonderful. I can’t thank him enough. Good ol’ Reggie. Now if I could just get him to do all the shopping.

Chris…







©2011
All rights reserved
Chris J Hutchins
Dog Hair Productions









Friday, May 6, 2011

You get what you pay for.

It is a matter of fact that the government schooling in this country is lacking. It is not some mystery. I am living proof of that. Due to poor grades at some point, the direction given to me was that of a factory worker. In a country that began wholesaling it’s factories overseas.

Nothing wrong in factory work, except that it is currently and, was then, a dying profession. Not to mention that most factories still operating in this country barely pay a livable wage in comparison to the ever-rising cost of living. The only jobs that seem safe to be organized and have labor unions anymore are those professions that cannot be shipped overseas. Certainly most everybody has noticed that.

Many of those jobs are being attacked as overpaid and there has been a call to break up the unions. Unions that help ensure a livable wage. Hmm…like teachers? Teachers certainly should not have a livable wage. Whoops, wait a minute, that is how this mess got started isn’t it? If taxes pay the government school system and if we were to study the overall failings of that system, would it not make sense to increase the funding? Or would you prefer we pour more money into the prison system? Oh wait, we’re already doing that.

What a relief to know that those dollars we don’t spend on our education system are not wasted after all! It goes to pay for the housing of those who failed in school and, perhaps, turned to crime or food stamps or whatever other government funded program of assistance they may use. We should breathe an absolute collective sigh of relief. Find solace in knowing that the money saved by not giving it to the government school system is being better spent on undereducated adults.

In other words, the government school system in this country is preparing people for occupations that simply do not offer an exisistence much higher than the poverty level.

The public schools are failing to teach the basics. Basics that are going to be needed to obtain further education so that one can become a gainfully employed and taxed citizen.

When one looks for work, there is always this demand for skilled labor. For those professions offering a wage above the poverty line, education beyond the high school diploma is required. It would appear that the government run schools are failing to prepare the current generation for higher education. Failing in great proportions, just as they have for many, many years. Why? Funding or the lack thereof.

Teachers salaries are rather dismal; tools of the trade are lacking as well. Yet we shuffle off each generation to a government school system and expect bleeding miracles. From an understaffed government agency! If my little rant here has you wondering, instead of looking at the high school drop out rate, look further and into the college drop out rate in conjunction with student loan defaults. One might not be so quick to assess I’m just talking out my arse.

Why are there twelve years anyway? After passing the first eight, the next four years should be solely designed for career goals. In general, it is not set up that way. While we are at it, what IF (and this is a big IF) “required” schooling stop after grade eight - the same equivalent as a G.E.D. Why is this there insistence that students continue (ahem, at tax payer expense) on another four years? If they drop out after a year or two of high school and go back to pay for a G.E.D., have they not accomplished the same thing? I truly believe that high school needs to be seriously revamped and not required, but an option. In fact, with college credits available to high school students as we are currently doing, would it not make sense to offer an additional two years in a government funded (or public if you will) high school/college? The country could truly benefit from an educated workforce. Certainly we all agree on that? So why not change it, but change it in a way that benefits all.

As for the student that graduated from the eighth grade and went to work, they should have the option of returning to high school/college up to two years after their eighth grade graduation. Why? How many people have you met that, a few years after graduating high school but not going to college or who dropped out in their sophomore or junior year were talking about how the job they have sucks, is a dead end, etc. and they wanted and understood that further education was the way to change that.

Yes, age fourteen or fifteen is young but, a lot of you know someone who knows it all at that age…perhaps you were one of those yourself. “I know what I need to and nobody can tell me different!” Why can’t that person have the option to leave after eighth grade instead of subjecting themselves to four more years of “boredom”. Then, once they have come to terms with their error in judgment, let them have the option to finish their schooling in the new public high school/college.

Is it the whole eighteen and legal adult issue that started the design? Not sure and not really looking for that information at the moment. Let’s look at how things are and ways to improve them. Obviously the system is flawed and in dire need of repair, but not entirely without merit. If the public school system is to survive it needs an overhaul. Not to mention real funding.

To all the teachers that just show up for a pay check and think that you are marking your time until retirement, or those that have trouble dealing with students that might challenge you, get out; you are of no use. You are a blight on the profession. Your impact on the youth of this country is long-reaching and borders on the criminal, not to mention those of you that are behaving in a criminal manner against students. If you are one of those teachers looking for the easiest way out…Get the hell out of the profession! Nobody needs your poor excuse that gives a black eye to those dedicated teachers who run circles around you.

To all those dedicated teachers that show up every day and try, every day, to make a positive difference, I thank you. You are truly American heroes facing incredible odds and criticism. I have my personal experiences obviously; the teachers who made the positive impact are the ones that truly changed my life for the better. I thank you.

Now lets get this bickering and squabbling about school levies over with and get busy talking about how to fix a system that was designed to improve the lives of the citizens.

Chris…









©2011
All rights reserved
Chris J Hutchins
Dog Hair Productions