Letters to the Editor 08-19-1997
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- UPS Driver - Packerton Thanks - Technology - Prosecutor's Decision - Foreign Aid - Good Job, Tigers
UPS Driver
Editor, Times-Union:In response to your News Views article Saturday, Aug. 16, I agree that good service is definitely the exception these days. I don't know how that tied in with the Teamsters being on strike against UPS.
To even suggest a UPS driver or part-timer would not give UPS an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, is an insult to every worker at UPS. If you know a UPS driver or part-timer that isn't flat out busting his hump every minute he's on the clock, 9-12 hours a day, please let the rest of us know who he or she is. If you've noticed I also said part-timer 9-12 hours a day, but at a lower rate of pay because of his title, not his hours.
Also, our pension plan is the Teamsters' pension plan, UPS has no business touching it. How many businesses do you know that pay their retirees a pension of $2,500 to $3,000 a month? I can safely guess you know of none. This is what the Teamster pension fund pays, and UPS wants to control that money instead of the Teamsters. If UPS gets control of it, they will borrow from it like most other companies have borrowed from their plans. Then when you retire you are told, "Sorry, but the pension fund was already spent on your health and welfare," which they can legally do. The problem here is trust. We work for these people - we know them.
It just occurred to me, that you have tied this issue to the service issue because you've tried to get a package through lately? If so, you've discovered that UPS is the only company able to provide top flight service in this area. It would take a manager to think that management is the reason for this level of service.
You get that kind of service from Teamster member UPS drivers and part-timers. They move the packages many times in spite of management.
Did anyone catch James Kelly's (UPS CEO) blink rate on "Meet The Press" Sunday when he was saying they would improve the pension fund?
Amy Harding
Warsaw
Packerton Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:We have accomplished some things this summer at the Packerton Cemetery. Thanks to those who contributed, 14 stones have been repaired so that mowing should be more efficient. Thanks to the Clay Township trustee, a lot of brush has been grubbed out so that when mowed, the grounds look really nice. Yes, there is more to do, but we have accomplished a lot this summer.
Carla Lucas Dutchess
Rochester
Technology
Editor, Times-Union:Does it seem we are spending more time on the phone with computers than people and getting no better service? Everything is going automated customer service.
My bank now has automated customer service: Press "1" for checking or "2" for savings, followed by my account number, my Social Security number and then another list of options.
Even the phone company. I went to order a new service. I had to select a number to order service, select a number for the service I want, followed by my phone number. After a five-minute sales pitch, I was told to enter "1" to order. I was then told I would have to wait for a service representative. I was then told they were all busy, doing what I do not know, and I would have to wait about 15 minutes.
I went to make a long distance credit card call. Eleven digits to get my long distance company. Press "1" for a credit card call, followed by the 10-digit phone number, plus my 16-digit card number.
The last straw was on a Saturday. I went to check on my credit card bill. After pressing the 11-digit 800 number, I had to enter "1" for touch-tone phone. "1" again to get billing information. This was followed by my 16-digit card number, four-digit expiration date, five-digit zip code, four-digit security code, repeat security code just to be told I would have to call Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We have automated personal ads, psychic services or hear about your favorite soap opera. Get the latest scores, news or weather. Order merchandise or voice an opinion, all by pressing some buttons.
What is next, automated fast food: "1" for burgers, "2" for sodas or press "3" for large fries. Buy a car: "1" for domestic, "2" for foreign. How about voting: "1" for Republican, "2" for Democrat or "3" for none of the above. The police: 911 followed by "1" for murder, "2" for robbery, etc.
I am on the phone with computers so much I would order voice-mail to take my calls but my index finger is too cramped.
So what do you think? Is automated phone service getting out of hand? Press "1" if you agree, "2" to disagree, "3" no opinion "4" ....
Robert Stevens
Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Prosecutor's Decision
Editor, Times-Union:I have never written a letter to the editor before, but I am alarmed. I wish someone could explain to me how anyone could (according to the article on the front page of the Times-Union on Aug. 12, 1997):
1. Disregard a stop sign, slam into a vehicle, killing the driver.
2. Drive with a suspended driver's license.
3. Have expired plates on your vehicle.
4. Have no insurance on your vehicle, and then have the charges against you dismissed. Something has to be very wrong here. I fail to see where you and I, the public, were served justly.
Mrs. J.C. Campbell
Warsaw
Foreign Aid
Editor, Times-Union:I just learned about a foreign aid program titled Campfire, which I think all American taxpayers should be made aware of. This is a foreign aid program that funnels our tax money to Zimbawe to promote big game hunting.
The Campfire Program (Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources) subsidizes the hunting and killing of elephants, leopards, lions, baboons, hippos and zebras.
Congress has already funneled $7 million of our tax dollars into this program through the U.S. Agency for International Development and the agency is asking for $21 million more.
The Campfire Program uses American taxpayers' money to pay for advertising to lure wealthy European "trophy" hunters to Zimbawe, where they spend up to $30,000 for a license to kill a bull elephant.
Politicians are using our tax money to persuade wealthy Europeans to go on an elephant hunting safari in Africa. How can they justify that? How can a single American benefit from this?
This is just one more totally outrageous way our government is spending our tax dollars and keeping us trillions of dollars in debt. This must be stopped.
Deanna Newton
Warsaw
Good Job, Tigers
Editor, Times-Union:I want to congratulate the WCHS football team for a well-played scrimmage game against Clay Saturday.
You can take state this year!
Amy Harding
Warsaw
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- UPS Driver - Packerton Thanks - Technology - Prosecutor's Decision - Foreign Aid - Good Job, Tigers
UPS Driver
Editor, Times-Union:In response to your News Views article Saturday, Aug. 16, I agree that good service is definitely the exception these days. I don't know how that tied in with the Teamsters being on strike against UPS.
To even suggest a UPS driver or part-timer would not give UPS an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, is an insult to every worker at UPS. If you know a UPS driver or part-timer that isn't flat out busting his hump every minute he's on the clock, 9-12 hours a day, please let the rest of us know who he or she is. If you've noticed I also said part-timer 9-12 hours a day, but at a lower rate of pay because of his title, not his hours.
Also, our pension plan is the Teamsters' pension plan, UPS has no business touching it. How many businesses do you know that pay their retirees a pension of $2,500 to $3,000 a month? I can safely guess you know of none. This is what the Teamster pension fund pays, and UPS wants to control that money instead of the Teamsters. If UPS gets control of it, they will borrow from it like most other companies have borrowed from their plans. Then when you retire you are told, "Sorry, but the pension fund was already spent on your health and welfare," which they can legally do. The problem here is trust. We work for these people - we know them.
It just occurred to me, that you have tied this issue to the service issue because you've tried to get a package through lately? If so, you've discovered that UPS is the only company able to provide top flight service in this area. It would take a manager to think that management is the reason for this level of service.
You get that kind of service from Teamster member UPS drivers and part-timers. They move the packages many times in spite of management.
Did anyone catch James Kelly's (UPS CEO) blink rate on "Meet The Press" Sunday when he was saying they would improve the pension fund?
Amy Harding
Warsaw
Packerton Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:We have accomplished some things this summer at the Packerton Cemetery. Thanks to those who contributed, 14 stones have been repaired so that mowing should be more efficient. Thanks to the Clay Township trustee, a lot of brush has been grubbed out so that when mowed, the grounds look really nice. Yes, there is more to do, but we have accomplished a lot this summer.
Carla Lucas Dutchess
Rochester
Technology
Editor, Times-Union:Does it seem we are spending more time on the phone with computers than people and getting no better service? Everything is going automated customer service.
My bank now has automated customer service: Press "1" for checking or "2" for savings, followed by my account number, my Social Security number and then another list of options.
Even the phone company. I went to order a new service. I had to select a number to order service, select a number for the service I want, followed by my phone number. After a five-minute sales pitch, I was told to enter "1" to order. I was then told I would have to wait for a service representative. I was then told they were all busy, doing what I do not know, and I would have to wait about 15 minutes.
I went to make a long distance credit card call. Eleven digits to get my long distance company. Press "1" for a credit card call, followed by the 10-digit phone number, plus my 16-digit card number.
The last straw was on a Saturday. I went to check on my credit card bill. After pressing the 11-digit 800 number, I had to enter "1" for touch-tone phone. "1" again to get billing information. This was followed by my 16-digit card number, four-digit expiration date, five-digit zip code, four-digit security code, repeat security code just to be told I would have to call Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
We have automated personal ads, psychic services or hear about your favorite soap opera. Get the latest scores, news or weather. Order merchandise or voice an opinion, all by pressing some buttons.
What is next, automated fast food: "1" for burgers, "2" for sodas or press "3" for large fries. Buy a car: "1" for domestic, "2" for foreign. How about voting: "1" for Republican, "2" for Democrat or "3" for none of the above. The police: 911 followed by "1" for murder, "2" for robbery, etc.
I am on the phone with computers so much I would order voice-mail to take my calls but my index finger is too cramped.
So what do you think? Is automated phone service getting out of hand? Press "1" if you agree, "2" to disagree, "3" no opinion "4" ....
Robert Stevens
Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Prosecutor's Decision
Editor, Times-Union:I have never written a letter to the editor before, but I am alarmed. I wish someone could explain to me how anyone could (according to the article on the front page of the Times-Union on Aug. 12, 1997):
1. Disregard a stop sign, slam into a vehicle, killing the driver.
2. Drive with a suspended driver's license.
3. Have expired plates on your vehicle.
4. Have no insurance on your vehicle, and then have the charges against you dismissed. Something has to be very wrong here. I fail to see where you and I, the public, were served justly.
Mrs. J.C. Campbell
Warsaw
Foreign Aid
Editor, Times-Union:I just learned about a foreign aid program titled Campfire, which I think all American taxpayers should be made aware of. This is a foreign aid program that funnels our tax money to Zimbawe to promote big game hunting.
The Campfire Program (Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources) subsidizes the hunting and killing of elephants, leopards, lions, baboons, hippos and zebras.
Congress has already funneled $7 million of our tax dollars into this program through the U.S. Agency for International Development and the agency is asking for $21 million more.
The Campfire Program uses American taxpayers' money to pay for advertising to lure wealthy European "trophy" hunters to Zimbawe, where they spend up to $30,000 for a license to kill a bull elephant.
Politicians are using our tax money to persuade wealthy Europeans to go on an elephant hunting safari in Africa. How can they justify that? How can a single American benefit from this?
This is just one more totally outrageous way our government is spending our tax dollars and keeping us trillions of dollars in debt. This must be stopped.
Deanna Newton
Warsaw
Good Job, Tigers
Editor, Times-Union:I want to congratulate the WCHS football team for a well-played scrimmage game against Clay Saturday.
You can take state this year!
Amy Harding
Warsaw
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