News Update

Just getting settled in my new job. The lessons keep coming. It doesn't really matte where you go, people are pretty much the same. Most are good and you can trust them, then there are the others. The get in a position of authority and it goes to their head. It certainly happened in Caldwell County, I have seen it in Greensboro (the commission chair made comments to the effect of we don't have anything happening in economic development, why do we need an economic developer).

I have what I like to think is a logical. I try to break things down into reasonable steps and then proceed down a path to a logical completion. It drives me batty when decisions are made based on faulty logic.

The regular season in college basketball is winding down. It looks like Carolina and Dook will battle for the title. I hope Tyler drops 40 on them and the Heels win by 25. Have I mentioned lately that I don't care for Dook. I believe they embody all that is wrong with our country today. Go Heels!

A-Rod and Congress

Will all issues we have to deal with as a country, why does the US Congress need to ;hold hearings on this matter? Don't you think they have their hands full in dealing with a financial system that is imploding, two wars, out of control spending and an approval rating in the teens.

Let sports take care of themselves. People know that many baseball players were juiced up and most don't care. Here is a novel approach, take care of the issues that the American people elected you for and leave sports to the players and the fans. Don't waste anymore money on congressional hearings that take us nowhere!

Just in the Nick of Time

That is how I feel about leaving my job in Caldwell County. This entire week has been dominated by news that the Caldwell County Commissioners are going to vote February 16 to effectively destroy the Planning Dept. in the county and to severely limit the ability of the environmental health department to do their jobs.

These actions, if carried out will set progress back in Caldwell for many years. Who wants to build in a county that can't or won't enforce the rules on the books? I know I wouldn't. This is not a rational act and while it is within their authority, I hope something can happen to change their minds.

Even worse than this, is their efforts to roll-back wages of about 250 of the lowest and most under-paid workers in county government. These folks have been working for significantly less money than the average pay of workers in comparable jobs in other counties. This increase just brought them to a minimum and they are still near the bottom of the wage scale. These increases were long overdue and these actions seem punitive to me. There have been several options put forth to help avoid this action, but these have fallen on deaf ears. These include a general, across the board pay decrease to employees or other cuts in government services to help make up projected budget shortfalls. These have been largely ignored. It brings to mind a favorite quote that I have heard about the how frustrating it is to have a logical discussion with an illogical person.

Now is a time to work together, not to drive a wedge between good people, trying to do a good job. If these acts take place, I hope all county employees and their families remember "Who to Trust" in 2012, when these three come up for re-election. I am, afraid that by then, the damage will already be done.

Lessons in Advetising and Customer Service

I made a visit to pick up a new cell phone today. You would think this to be a simple and trivial process. Wrong! The first store had one person working and he was having a difficult time. We waited twenty + minutes for him to finish with the people in front of us and when it was our turn, here come bad mullet hair and wants to step in. If that wasn't bad enough, they didn't have the free phone the advertised and I was in no mood to wait on a rebate.

We thanked him and left. Went to a store in another town and were told that they didn't have free phones without a plan, maybe one of our employers had a deal that would help. After finally getting access to the proper program, we were in luck, there was a free phone and for just $40 more a month, we could add another line. Not the $9.99 the advertised but 4 times that amount. I only need the phone for emergencies and I refuse to be used that way. My wife thanked the lady and we left.

Maybe I don't understand how the game is played. I am a simple person and if I am told I can add a line and it will cost XXX, that is what I expect. The old bait and switch is alive and well. It goes from the cell phone industry to the finance industry to the auto industry and I guess people accept it. I thinks it stinks and the American public should say no.

Last Day in Caldwell County Service

I just got home from my last day working in Caldwell County. It has been a wonderful experience, I have met a lot of great people and made a lot of friends. I also don't think I left a day too soon. There are some really sweeping changes on the horizon and in my opinion, not for the better. I will be thinking of my former co-workers every day and my thoughts will be with them.

Thanks to everyone who came to the reception that was held for me. I was so happy that my mother was able to be there. She asked me afterwords what it had cost me to get all those nice things said. It was truly and humbling experience and I will carry those fond memories with me forever.

Now it is on to the future. I start my new job Monday and I hope that I can in some small way help the people in Stokes County to have better lives. I hope that I am leaving Caldwell a better place and that I end up being wrong about the changes that are just around the corner.