Akron, Ohio (Wisdom4Today) With the recent forced resignation of the CEO of General Moters, it is becoming more and more apparent that the present administration is determined to carry out the President's plan to nationalize industry as part of a broader plan of overthrowing capitalism. Unfortunately, when you talk to the average person on the street, there seemes to be little, if any, alarm over what is happening. Likewise, when pressed on the issue, the average person can not explain how the federal government will do a better job at running America's businesses than the experts now running them.

 

To demonstrate how the government will do a worse job at running America's businesses than the experts, I only need to look at the Summit County Ohio Department Jobs and Family Services (JFS). Without belaboring the point, I think that all would agree that if there were a government unit that has been in existence and interacting with the public for some time, JFS would be the one. JFS provides "assistance" for numerous things such as food stamps and health care for needly families. When you browse their website at the http://jfs.ohio.gov/ you find a well manicured web page with lots of links to the different services. This is where the problem begins.

 

An individual that I will identify as Ruby recently went to the JFS website for information about how to receive assistance with food and health care. Ruby's husband had been out of work for several months and they were nearing the end of their savings and needed help with food and medical care. So, Ruby filled out the required online forms and called the Summit County JFS to see if she needed an appointment. The person fielding the calls told Ruby that she could mail them or hand deliver them so Ruby chose to drive to downtown Akron to hand deliver them.

 

After looking up the address, she left to go to the JFS office. Upon arrival, she discovered that the office had moved and she had to ask people on the street where they had relocated. She found that they were not far away so she went to the new location and waited to speak to someone. After a while she was able to speak to someone and was asked if she had an appointment. Ruby told the person she was told over the phone she did not need an appointment. The person at the desk told her she would have to make an appointment to which Ruby replied she had all her paperwork, and would like to know if she could just turn it in. The person looked at her paperwork and told her that she had filled out the wrong forms. Ruby told the person that she had gotten the forms off the state website to which the person replied that the forms on the state website where the old forms and they had been changed. Needless to say, Ruby was given a whole new set of forms and had to fill them out.

 

Ruby chose to stay there and filled out the new forms. When she was done, she turned them in and the person taking the forms asked Ruby if she could stay because she might be able to fit Ruby into a standby appointment. So, Ruby stayed and after waiting for several hours was called in to see a case worker i'll call Ms. D. Ms. D started the interview process and eventually told Ruby she was definitely qualified for assistance in several areas. When Ms. D was done she handed Ruby a list of additional documentation that needed to be completed and told Ruby that when she had completed the forms, to call her directly to set up and appointment to bring in the forms to process the paperwork.

 

Ruby left and within two days had the necessary forms completed. She called Ms. D and the call went into Ms. D's voicemail box. Unfortunetly for Ruby, instead of being able to leave a message, Ruby received a recording stating the the mailbox was full. Ruby tried several times that day to leave a message for Ms. D, but kept receiving the same message. The next day, Ruby tried calling again and received the same message, so Ruby called the main line and told them the problem and they said they would transefer Ruby to someone who would help. They transferred her back to the voicemail box of Ms. D. Ruby hung up and called back to the same number and told them that that was not going to work and wondered of they could transfer her to someone to set up the appointment. The receptionist transferred Ruby to another extension.

 

This time Ruby was transferred to the section that handles unemployment claims. After speaking with someone there and realizing they could not help, Ruby called back to the original number and advised the person that they were tranferred to the wrong department. Ruby then asked to be transferred to Ms. D's supervisor and was transferred. Upon reaching Ms D's supervisor, Ms. F, she was presented with a voicemail message that Ms. F was on vacation. Frustrated, Ruby hung up and got in her car and drove to the office.

 

Upon arriving, she went to turn in her paperwork and was told she needed an appointment. After explaining she had been trying to get an appointment, but she could not reach anyone, the person told her she could not help. Ruby then explained again that she can not reach anyone to make an appointment and that she was there and wanted to turn in the paperwork as she was told to do. The person then agreed to take the paperwork and enter it into the system. After doing so, Ruby left.

 

Ruby waited until after the date listed (10 days later) on her forms as the absolute date that a determination would be made for receiving benefits and called Ms D to find out the status. This time she was able to leave a message and did so. After not hearing anything for two days, Ruby called and once again could not reach Ms. D, but after several dead end calls was able to reach somone to find out her status. The status reported was "Pending, awaiting paperwork." When Ruby asked what paperwork they were waiting for, she was told the forms she was supposed to fill out. Ruby adives that she had hand delivered the forms and had a receipt for them. Upon hearing this, the person said the would update the case and for Ruby to wait 10 days. Ruby replied she had already waited nearly two weeks, why does she have to wait another 10 days when the application said there would be a final determination by a date that was over a week ago. The person said the only thing they could do would be to send an email to Ms. D. to advise. Ruby knew that would not work because when she was with Ms. D being interviewed, Ms. D was getting upset that she was receiving emails. Knowing there was nothing else to do, Ruby went home.

 

The next day, Ruby called and left Ms. D another message. After a day without a callback, Ruby called the main number and asked to speak to Ms. F.  Ruby was greeted with Ms. F's voicemail and left her a message. After two more days of waiting with no reply from either Ms. D or Ms F, Ruby called back and asked by name to speak to the Director of JFS. After being transferred there, the Director's secretary answered and advised she would transfer her to Ms F's supervisor. Upon being transferred, Ruby again was greeted with a voicemail box. Ruby left a message and hung up and is still awaiting a callback.

 

The sad part about this scenario is that Ruby went above and beyond to make sure the application was being processed, yet the very system prevents someone from doing what they are told to do. If you are told to call and set up and appointment, yet cannot reach anyone to set up the appointment, then you can not get an appointment. Throughout this process Ruby pleaded that she needed to buy food and her daughter need to see a doctor. Ruby even tried calling doctors that accept Medicaid with the understanding that the bill would be paid after receiving approval form JFS, but no doctor will accept her based on that fact.

 

So, where does Ruby stand? Still waiting to get an appointment neary two weeks AFTER the absolute deadline for getting a determination. Needless to say, if an organization like JFS cannot even begin to process an application in twice the time allowed to complete the process, what makes the President believe government can run a bank or build a car that someone will invest in? How long will it be before we, like the citizens under the Soviet Union, are standing in line for two hours for a load of bread? Jefferson once said: "Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread." --Thomas Jefferson: Autobiography, 1821. ME 1:122

Heaven help us if things continue down this track of government incompetence, because it will only be a matter of time before the people will no longer put up with it.  How long will it be before the people say "enough already" and decide to take matters into their own hands?

Thomas Jefferson wrote:

 

Jefferson also said: "I do verily believe that..a single, consolidated government would become the most corrupt government on the earth." --Thomas Jefferson to Gideon Granger, 1800. I am afraid we are seeing the very thing Jefferson warned us about. This being said, I fear that when government becomes so corrupt and incompetent that it no longer serves the people, it will not be a bright day in the history of the nation.