Teacher Teacher

Dear teachers as you start your school year please remember that some of the children that you are teaching have parents who care deeply about their children and their children's education. We want to be your partner in building an intelligent human. Respecting a student who deserves and give respect is not a sign of weakness it is a sign of strength. Please treat them as individuals and not as a your collective burden.

You are a coward Bruce

I will repeat, you are a coward. A man who threatens a woman through her 69 year-old father is a coward. You took it upon yourself to drive to his home and tell him that you would kick the shit out of her. You are a coward. Because you and your criminal son won't take responsibility for his actions. He is the one who perpetrated a crime on our family and you think you have the right to threaten us. You are a coward. I have an idea coward, come to me threaten us directly. I will always be prepared and I will do what is necessary to protect my family. I just can't say it enough. You are a coward. A yellow, hot-headed cowardly child. I am certain you don't have the balls to take this up in person so this writing is more or less mute. Please challenge me I'll be waiting.

Allentown police department and the uninsured driver

Once again I feel impelled to sarcastically thank out local police department. Two weeks ago my wife's car was rear-ended by another at a stop sign. My wife did what she should have. She pulled the car to the side of the road made sure no one was hurt and then called the police department. The police then told her that they would not come out to the accident scene because there were no injuries and cars didn't need to be towed. Agitated but understanding my wife took down every piece of information the other driver had, which by the way did not include an insurance card (he left it at home). The other driver said he would call her with his insurance information. Now we are both more than a little suspicious at this point but wanting to give humanity the benefit of the doubt. We waited about an hour. I suggested that if he doesn't call in an hour we should call the police. An hour passed and we did call the police for the second time. They informed her that she should bring the car down to the police station and fill out a report. The next day the other driver called to give us his insurance information. Our faith in the honesty of our fellow man will come through right? Wait a minute! Upon our return from a weekend in DC, we call the other drivers insurance company to find out why we haven't heard from them with a claim number. They told us that the policy number we gave them was put into effect the day after the accident. Now it's time for the police. The next day we head down to the police to fill a report. They ask why we waited so long to report it and we told them we called when it happened and when we found he had no insurance. They said it happens all the time and they were not going to do anything about it. Driving without insurance is illegal everywhere but Allentown, Pennsylvania. "The city without limits" is the slogan they adopted last year. It should be "The city without laws". The other driver said he was looking for the insurance information that was active and gave us another policy number from Safe Auto. I know nobody will be surprised to find out that policy expired in December 2010. Now I have to pay a $500 deductible so my insurance can pay to fix my car. And go through the process of haunting the other driver for the rest of our lives trying to recover our costs. This blog combines three of my favorite rants insurance companies, police departments and irresponsible human beings. When these three come together It Just Ain't Right!

Allentown police department!

Once again I feel impelled to sarcastically thank out local police department. Two weeks ago my wife's car was rear-ended by another at a stop sign. My wife did what she should have. She pulled the car to the side of the road made sure no one was hurt and then called the police department. The police then told her that they would not come out to the accident scene because there were no injuries and cars didn't need to be towed. Agitated but understanding my wife took down every piece of information the other driver had, which by the way did not include an insurance card (he left it at home). The other driver said he would call her with his insurance information. Now we are both more than a little suspicious at this point but wanting to give humanity the benefit of the doubt. We waited about an hour. I suggested that if he doesn't call in an hour we should call the police. An hour passed and we did call the police for the second time. They informed her that she should bring the car down to the police station and fill out a report. The next day the other driver called to give us his insurance information. Our faith in the honesty of our fellow man will come through right? Wait a minute! Upon our return from a weekend in DC, we call the other drivers insurance company to find out why we haven't heard from them with a claim number. They told us that the policy number we gave them was put into effect the day after the accident. Now it's time for the police. The next day we head down to the police to fill a report. They ask why we waited so long to report it and we told them we called when it happened and when we found he had no insurance. They said it happens all the time and they were not going to do anything about it. Driving without insurance is illegal everywhere but Allentown, Pennsylvania. "The city without limits" is the slogan they adopted last year. It should be "The city without laws". The other driver said he was looking for the insurance information that was active and gave us another policy number from Safe Auto. I know nobody will be surprised to find out that policy expired in December 2010. Now I have to pay a $500 deductible so my insurance can pay to fix my car. And go through the process of haunting the other driver for the rest of our lives trying to recover our costs. This blog combines three of my favorite rants insurance companies, police departments and irresponsible human beings. When these three come together It Just Ain't Right!

The wisdom of a teenager, the price of freedom

As a misguided teen I vaguely remember the day I wished I had more freedom. Back then, myself being the teen, of course I was right. Now, being much wiser and unfortunately much older, I am reminded of my own youth through my children and their desire for freedom. My first thought is " I wonder how much freedom costs these days?" We'll start with the freedom to be on your own, while maintaining the comforts of home. Let us all do some math.

1 bedroom apartment outside of downtown =$750
Basic cable= $60
cell phone with text = $70
electric = $125
Food = $300
transportation (car) $350
Insurance = $125
clothes, hygiene products = $100

Total expenses = $1880 per month

Really good starting wages for high school graduate $14.00 per hour
40 hour week.
Total gross wages per month $2240
Total net pay per month $1792

Total versus expense = negative $88 per month

I guess it's safe to say freedom has a price and most can't afford it. And It Just Ain't Right

Tax Increases Equal Service Cuts I don't get it

Why is it that the first thing Taxing authorities cut is services to the people who pay taxes.  It seems to me to be counter-productive.  Who wants to buy a house and live in a community where taxes are constantly being raised and services are being cut?  About 10 years ago our county, which will remain nameless(because they're all the same), raised property taxes 70%.  This year they are proposing a 17% increase.  Yet every year since the 70% increase, services have been cut, reduced or downsized.  The government has not downsized, cut or reduced their payroll or staffing.  We have lost funding in Parks and Recreation, police, trash removal, human services, the Arts and economic development.  I long for the day when we get what we pay for.  I know i'm not blameless in this becuase I hired them when I voted, but why do I have to wait so long to fire them and hire someone who will do the job right? Taking away services while increasing taxes and fees, making new taxes when you're not allowed to raise them anymore or calling it a "fee" when in reality it is just another tax well, you know, It Just Ain't Right!

On A Warm And Blustery Day, My Rip On The Insurance Industry

After 12 years in our family's home, each year faithfully keeping up our home-owner insurance, we had the unfortunate occasion of having to use it.  The insurance company, which shall remain nameless because they are all the same, saw fit to give us a multi-policy discount because we also insured our automobiles through them.  Thus begins my story.  On a warm and blustery day a very strong wind blew the roof off of our house.  The roof tumbled like a Chinese acrobat across our front lawn slamming into our new car, at that point just 4 months old.  The car only slowed the progress of the tumbling structure as it clipped the front of my neighbor's car across the street until finally coming to rest in his front yard.  The next morning my telephone call to my insurance agent went kind of like this.

Me:  Yes, our roof blew off during the storm last night and hit our car.

Agents assistant(because agents sell they don't do the messy stuff):  Well sir your home owners deductible is $750 we'll have an adjuster come out to estimate the damages and write you a check ASAP.

Me:  What about my car?

Agent:  Your automobile deductible is $500.

Me:  Wait, my car was parked when my roof hit my car.

Agent:  Yes, your roof is covered by your homeowners policy and your car is covered under auto.  They are two different deductibles.

Me:  What about my neighbor's car?

Agent:  That is his problem, you're not responsible for his damages.

Me:  That doesn't seem right.

Agent:  That's just the way it is.

So here is the hard math.
Roof damage estimate $1600 actual cost $2400 .  Insurance payment $850. My out of pocket $1550.
Car Damage $1250.  Insurance payment $750.  My out of pocket $500.
12 years of homeowners insurance without a claim $5700
12 years of Car insurance without a claim $8100

Drum roll please  My cost $15850  Insurance company pay out $1600
And you have to know that both insurances went up the following year due to the claims.  Claims where i paid more than they did.  The vicious cycle of an industry that you are required to purchase from.  Use it and pay more, don't use it and pay more anyway because they need the money, it just ain't right!