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Thursday, May 28. 2009
Bureaucracy of the Damned
Bureaucracy will be the death of us all. There are people in this world for which the bureaucracy is a minor inconvenience, put aside by a few well-placed dollars. If these people actually have to interact with bureaucrats, it’s usually through and intermediary—unless of course they’re getting their drivers license.For things like unemployment and disability, the haves of the world really have no need for it. Their incomes are secured by trust funds and Swiss bank accounts.
The rest of us, on the other hand, have to deal with the unemployment people and when needed, the disability bureaucracy. Sadly, in my case, I haven’t even got as far as the state disability department. My claim, filed on March 17, sat on a bureaucrat’s desk at the V.A. for over two months before he decided to do something with it.
Then he sent it to the wrong person and she decided my claim should only be for six weeks, not the eight prescribed by the heart surgeons. Bureaucrats. What do we do with them? So, now I’ll have to spend half the day explaining what they did wrong and how they need to fix it. This is all before it even gets to the state disability office. Who the hell knows how THAT will turn out once they start processing the forms?
Actually we can guess. Since the person who gave me only six weeks disability isn’t a doctor, the state disability department will most likely reject the claim, which is why I told the bureaucrat to send the forms to the heart surgeons.
But that’s not all! The state unemployment department (EDD) was supposed to conduct a telephone interview on Friday, May 29th. Well, they called on Wednesday May 27th. Once again they changed the date and time without informing me so I missed the call. The other half of tomorrow will be spent trying to get a hold of the EDD. If you’ve ever called the California Employment Development Department, then you know there’s an 80% chance they will hang up on you due to call volume.
The bitch of it is, I’ve been without an income, a job, for four months. The last unemployment check was delivered 22 days ago and that was used up on May 18. If it weren’t for the generosity of friends I’d be truly screwed — no place to live, nothing to eat.
Conservatives like to denounce government and this would be the perfect story upon which to rest their case, but this isn’t the whole story. The V.A. gave me the finest medical care anyone could ask for, wouldn’t trade it for any other care. In many respects the Veterans Administration works great, but you have one person — just one — who doesn’t do his job properly, the system can grind an individual into the dirt.
Bureaucrats, secure in their jobs, really have no clue what it means to be without an income, unable to buy even basic essentials and quite frankly, at the end of the day they could care less. And good for them, why take the job home, but they should do their jobs.
This is just my rant against the system. It helps nothing, but it occupies my time while I sit awake at 3 a.m., stressed over the vagaries and injustice in the world. Things could be worse of course. There is plenty for which to be grateful: my friends an family who have financed me over the past few months; I am getting better and can actually go back to work—or at least actively look for a job—next week and I have access to the Internets!This of course means I can keep in touch with friends like Danielle! She is going to be the main ring card girl at an MMA event, “Best of the Best 17,” in Hotlanta, GA on June 12 at the Columbus Civic Center, the reason her photo is at the top of this page. She is not a bureaucrat.
It’s unlikely I’ll attend, but if you’re in the area, check it out! She’ll be there with two other hot bodies. Hell, you might even like the fights!
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