Here's a lousy idea
Some town workers are proposing a four day work week for employees. The proponents claim that it will boost employee morale and save our environment. I could care less about employee morale (attention, Amanda Von Stuckle fans - "I could care less" is a sarcastic expression used by writers when in fact they couldn't care less. Ed.]. If someone with a lifetime job, big benefits and a generous retirement plan is dissatisfied, let them go to work in the private sector. And our own Peter Tesei says, "some of the virtues of helping the environment I find specious." Good for you, Peter - so do the rest of us.
Here's the real reason to oppose this plan: have you ever tried to use Town Hall during the five days it's open now? Try to get a building permit or almost any other governmental document and you'll encounter offices closed most of the day, with odd hours like 12:15 to 12:20, then 3:07 to 3: 32 [more sarcasm - Ed]. That's how things are now - we want to create a full day of inaccessibility? I think not.
2 years ago
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7 comments:
What!!
Chris, your post has got me fuming. I have ranted before about the lousy operations of our Town bureaucracy but this is outrageous. Just to give you an example of the poor customer service: I called the building inspection department and it took me 5 minutes to listen to and wade through all the automated phone prompts until I got to the actual inspectors phone line. THEN, his message took at least a minute and a half to give all the crazy hours and days he is available. Unbelievably poor service and nobody is doing anything about it.
We need to clean up town hall by reducing waste, creating more convenient hours and improving customer service. It is horrible example of unions taking advantage of a good sitaution. We, the taxpayers of Greenwich, are the big fat milk cow they keep feeding off of. And everyone simply thinks because of unions we can't do anything about it. What a disgrace.
And as a side note, any Selectman who can enforce some discipline on the Police Dept gets my vote. Has anyone taken notice of office in their cruisers talking on their cell phones, making illegal right hand turns, going way too fast, etc? They flagrantly flaunt the laws they are suppose to uphold, it is dangerous.
Thanks for getting me off to a bad start this morning Chris.
-Stanwich
You also can't count on them to answer e-mail. I found that out recently when I sent a question to the Public Works Department about why the recent repaving of Round Hill Rd. was not an improvement, but left the road with many uneven spots. I used the form on the town website but never got an answer.
I am all for a four day work week for town employees - IF they work from 7am to 7pm the other four days. Then those of us working stiffs who don't have stay at home spouses or a staff can actually conduct real business without taking a full day off from work
Wow Stanwich! So much hate for the people that protect you! There is a Greenwich Citizens Police Academy coming up in the next few weeks....why don't you apply and attend? It may give you a diffeent insight into what the officers do.
If you are worried about an officer making an illegal right hand turn and that actually got your morning off to a bad start, then I want your job and want to live in your world! HA! lol
Stanwich, my great grandfather was a builder in NYC, having worked his way up from sweeping a carpenter's floors at 10 to owning a large construction company (he's said to have built the first airshafts in the tenement bldgs he erected and was hailed as a Samaritan but that's another story). Family legend has it that around 1880, when he was in his 70's, he came to work one day and saw that his employees had organized a union and were picketing the shop. "I've worked long enough," he said and went home, permanently, without ever opening his doors again. Our family's been sort of anti-union ever since.
Anonymous, I'm probably pretty typical of Greenwich residents in my feelings toward our local cops. When we've had family emergencies (kids fall off and out of all sorts of things) and even tragedies, I was never happier to see anyone in my life as the sight of the first blue uniform. The reponders, over the years, have been competent, compassionate and, all around great folks. And the few cops I know personally are good human beings and nice people. But I, like other townies, have also run into rude, swaggering bullies who use their badge to just be assholes, one should pardon the expression. I'm a pretty polite guy, and certainly have the sense not to mouth off to a cop, so what gives?
So, back and forth. To know or to need them is to like (most of) them. Encounter a bad egg and it sucks. As for cops and unions, well, I'm no fan of unions but we all have the right to do what we have the right to do and unionizing's one of them. Besides, Tommy Keagan and I went to high school together, Tommy's pulled my kids out of a scrape or two (thanks, Tommy) and now he's head of the damn union, I think. So what ya' gonna do? Maybe I should send Amanda out on that citizen cop patrol you mention. I know that Stanwich would love to hear her report.
I think Chris explained it best, I am grateful and respectful towards our police officers but have encountered one too many instances of arrogant cops and disregard for public safety.
In general, I have found that town employees in general have a pretty low regard for the residents they serve. This attitude is pervasive, especially at town hall where customer service is downright aweful.
All I am saying is that for $350 million a year we deserve better service at all levels of government, and that includes the police following the laws they enforce. The union system has made it very difficult to enforce change or improve service...why should government be treated differently that the productivity and service gains in the private sector? The simple answer is that it shouldn't.
So your rote, simplistic, knee-jerk reaction is to say these people their lives on the line for us...while that earns my respect, I in turn pay them back by providing a lifelong carer and benefits. And let's be honest, this is Greenwich where life-threatening situations are far and few between (thank goodness).
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