| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Red tape rant | |
| Whacky -- 05/02/2007, 11:04:24 -- #34841 | |
| Okay this is gonna start out as a rant, but hopefully make a point and prompt some questions. This is a month of government headaches for me. I have two cars who's license plates need to be renewed. Now granted I live in Missouri, which is quite possibly the most backwards state in the union, but here's how it works. Each car has so pass an emissions test and a safety inspection. However these are not done at the same facility. There are special emissions testing stations set up around the state, but the safety inspections are done by licensed mechanics. Now if you're lucky, you may accidentally drive by a remote emissions testing van and later receive in the mail, a "drive by pass". This however does not exempt you from the $24 testing fee. You then have to mail in your check and wait for your test results to return by mail. If you do not happen to earn a drive by, you have to go to a testing station and wait in line like most government facilities. If your car is new enough, they can hook a gismo to it to get emission readings. However if you have an older car, you have to submit it to a very abusive simulated road test performed by the clerks there. They have been known to actually ruin cars doing this. Heres the funny part, if your car doesn't pass you have to spend the necessary cash to repair the problem. However, if you spend at least $500 and the problem is still not corrected, you get a waiver - go ahead, pollute the air - it's on us! I have read that since the implementation of this program several years ago there has been no change in Missouri air quality...hmmm.... Now for the safety inspection. The only licensed inspectors are mechanics. They check things like brake pads and light bulbs. If your vehicle fails, you of course have the right to make the repairs yourself or take it to another mechanic of your choice...or of course, just pay the inspector to do the job right there...hmmmm. I think it's $12 for that obstacle. Next, on to the license bureau, where you again have to stand in a long line hoping and praying you have all the necessary documents - like inspections, proof on insurance, paid property tax receipts... In addition to these headaches, I needed to buy some stamps so I stopped by the post office thinking I'll just pop in and get them from the vending machine instead of waiting in line. Nope. Two guys had the machine open and they were busy filling it with stamps - in the middle of normal business hours - so, yep, to the line I went. Now I'm thinking to myself, "I heard on the news that stamp prices will be going up...I wonder when that goes into effect???" I had checked the website ( http://www.usps.com/ ) - no info there...I guess I'll ask the clerk. Kinda worked out that the machine was down... When I got to the clerk, I asked when the new prices would be going into effect. She gave me a look, that tells me I am an idiot and pointed to a piece of pink construction paper taped to her cash register that had hand written in black marker "May 14". Now I'm sometimes good at mind reading but in this case I did not notice the sign, probably because I did not pick up on it's relevance. I'm guessing she got tired of answering the question so she just points to the sign when people ask. Maybe pointing to the sign expends less energy than actually saying the words "May 14" hmmm So why is this in the politics room?? I've been in favor of a nationalized health care program for some time now, but these experiences really cause me to question how the government could run such a program... | |
| knotty -- 05/02/2007, 12:05:32 -- #34841 | |
| bah, don't blame the lady. Think about it, she has to stand behind a booth for 8 hours a day. And who knows, maybe the guy before you went on the rant about something, and she just had enough for the day. I work for the government as a contractor (like most dc people do). Some branches are notoriously horrible to work with. People are extremely skilled at not doing anything. Where I work however, you would not expect such dedicated people in a private sector. The federal guys here really care. Those smog inspection people aren't federal employees are they? It's not all that bad... But if you want some good stories, I can tell you about evicting tenants in the district of Columbia, and why meditation could save your life (and the life of your tenants) :-) | |
| Whacky -- 05/02/2007, 12:58:17 -- #34841 | |
| The emissions testing is a classic case of wasted tax payers time and money - no progress has been made as a result of the program that most of us didn't want in the first place. I'm not dissing federal employees per se, just government run programs...mainly the prospect of nationalized health care, of which I have alway been in favor...I don't think health should necessarily be be a commodity on the open market in the "richest country in the world", but I'm not sure how happy we'd be with the government running it...oy hat to do?? | |
| Whacky -- 05/02/2007, 14:54:11 -- #34841 | |
| *what not hat | |
| sdm -- 05/02/2007, 17:21:28 -- #34841 | |
| Yet it is possible to have well run government programs. For instance, our DEQ (the emissions testing) runs very well these days. I've never waited more than about 15 minutes and the test is quick. Now, I don't know if the overall air quality has improved but I'm really more interested in the carbon emissions which just have to be reduced. I'm sure there are other examples. The questions is "what's the difference?" What makes one government program run well and another be ... well, bad (through and through)? Don't know! | |
| Whacky -- 05/02/2007, 21:06:21 -- #34841 | |
| Yeah...I guess I was just a little aggravated. I'm kind of anal about efficiency. I know a lady from Canada who claims the sys there isn't all it's cracked up to be - but I'm thinking, it's gotta be better than ours! I think the work ethic in this country has suffered overall - not just in government agencies. It's hard to find people who want to actually work... | |
| sdm -- 05/03/2007, 08:22:30 -- #34841 | |
| I agree with you on the work ethic and I say this as a certifiably lazy person! I do have to think back on the government efficiency movement under Clinton/Gore (particularly Gore – it was one of his missions) and decry the backwards movement in the last 6 years. What a waste! I have two friends with opposing views on the Canadian system. One is still there and loves it. Can’t figure out why we haven’t changed yet. The other is here and hates everything “socialist” about Canada, including the health care system. I don’t think it’s perfect by any means but, as you say, how much worse can it be? | |
| Whacky -- 11/04/2007, 09:08:50 -- #34841 | |
| just an update.... Apparently, Missouri is getting rid of the prior emissions testing, and moving toward another similar program that includes the "safety" inspection. The funny part is that cars made before 1995 (I think) are exempt from emissions inspections. In other words the tests are only performed on the newest cars. Now I realize I am an idiot, but my simple mind tells me that older cars that have ridden many miles may actually have developed some emission problems. (I had one that was actually spitting fuel out the exhaust pipe - not good for the environment)I would expect the newer cars would be tested at the factory and subsequent emission violations would not develop for several years....hmmmm | |
| Copyright © 2005 by Scot Ranney. All rights reserved. | |
| Click Here for more information about performances and clinics. Click Here to sign up for Scot's music announcements. | |