Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Government

I'll never understand government. This kind of thing would happen in the US as well, but since it happened here, I'll report it.

Down St. Kilda way, we had a visitor parking permit. It was obtained in Shannon's name, but I turned in all the paperwork, and slid my credit card through the machine. No problems.

Yesterday, I went to return the permit, because we moved. You can do this if it has more than six months of validity on it. They wouldn't issue me the refund. Now, I can understand a little if it were to be a cash refund. But, the procedure is that they send a check. In the post. Six weeks later. So it isn't like Shannon wouldn't get it.

It seems short sighted. Say I had stolen or found that permit. I've got it. I'm waving it in your face. What's the value of NOT sending a check to the person it's registered to, if I'm trying to turn it in? It's free parking for me, and everyone doing the right thing gets screwed.

So Shannon has to show up at St. Kilda city hall during normal business hours. Yeah right. So long, $45.

Update: The point wasn't that I don't have faith in Shannon getting stuff done. The point was, that in the real world, people can't just cross town twice during normal business hours. There should be alternative means, such as mailing the thing in.

4 comments:

Giant Brain said...

You know, it kinda reminds me of my health care premiums. If I had been in the union, they would be tax-exempt. But since I wasn't in the union, they're not. No, this wasn't a union-negotiated item, it's US law. God knows why. My senators and representative don't care.

Sometimes things just don't work out.

How you liking those death panels?

Brendan said...

Since you seem to be unable to keep it on topic (where was health care in this post?), I'll point out that your representative is a Republican. I'll just go ahead and assume you hate both your senators.

Giant Brain said...

The topic being government (and law), I was, as we now say, "spot on," since my health care premiums and my taxes are directly related. Not to mention what the potential rationing of health care by the government will do.

Of the two Democratic Senators and one Republican Representative, Senator Mikulski (D) at least feigned interest.

Brendan said...

I find it funny that sometimes you comment here, and sometimes in my email, since I know you get this blog as a digest. Way to have an agenda.

Don't forget, your insurance company can regulate how much care you get by dropping you. That's a de facto death panel.

Further, the only people that don't want government care are the people that don't have it. Everyone on socialized medicine (VA/Medicare/Medicaid) seems pretty happy with it all.

I'd be curious to know how many people are fighting a government option and are on one of those programs.