Comcast Service Still Not Comcastic: Where in the World are Tom Karnishak and Rick Germano?

Good afternoon and Happy Holidays, Blogvillers and Avid Readers! It’s been a long time! I’ll bet you thought I was gone. I’ll bet there were many who were very grateful!! Hopefully there were one or two who missed me.

“What”, you may ask, “has prompted this sudden return?”

That, Blogvillers and Avid Readers, I can answer with one word. . . COMCAST!

Believe me, Comcast’s woeful level of customer disservice remains as Comcastic as it was in my June 15, 2012 blog, “Comcast’s Comcastic Unadvertised Features”. In answer the other question that I’m sure has been plaguing some you, “No! After more than two years, I still do not know “Where in the World is Comcast's Rick Germano”! However, an anonymous commenter did post what the commenter believes to be Mr. Germano’s home phone number and address. I don’t believe that I’ve yet reached the point at which I’ll call or drop by to ask Mr. Germano to Sunday brunch, but I’m beginning to think such a step does not sound as crazy as it once did.

As is so often my sentiment when considering Comcast…where do I begin?

Let me take a route that I’ve never before explored in a blog. Let me offer my sincere compliments to two Comcast employees.

The first noteworthy Comcast employee is Will Osborne II. Mr. Osborne has worked with me on several occasions to resolve the repeated unrequested changes to service and rates that I experience with my Comcast bill every other month on average. He has been gracious, professional, and - until the most recent billing debacle - very responsive. One has to wonder if his excellent customer service skills have caused Comcast to let him go or if he has just become so mired down in addressing Comcast’s errors that he can no longer respond in a timely manner. Either way, allow me to say that Will’s good faith efforts at fixing Comcast’s broken system are both appreciated and admired.

The second Comcast employee deserving of praise is Chris in Executive Customer Relations. I’ve had the pleasure of reaching Chris twice in the past week. I first spoke with him on December 5, following two promised return calls that never materialized. Chris, like Will Osborne II, was gracious, professional, and attempted to escalate my concerns. Unfortunately his attempts failed. Having received no response to my phone calls or emails and only an acknowledgement email for my comments to the Senior Vice President of Customer Experience, Tom Karinshak’s “Hear from Tom” link, I called Executive Customer Relations on December 8. It was my sincere pleasure to speak with Chris. He again offered to escalate my concerns and I believe that he did. Unfortunately, his efforts – like mine – seem fruitless.

If you can’t tell from my good Comcast employee awards, I suppose that I’ve mellowed a bit. I’ve also become more savvy about the inner workings of Comcast. So when the most recent errors appeared in my Comcast bill, I did not waste time arguing with the utterly inept customer service drones at 1-800-COMCAST who tend to offend rather than address or correct billing errors. Instead, I e-mailed Will Osborne II and Bill Gerth. Both of these gentlemen have resolved other billing errors for me over the past nine months.

When I received no response, I called the corporate offices at (215)286-1700. I left several voicemails for Will Osborne II and Bill Gerth. I then asked to speak their supervisor but was, instead, transferred to Executive Customer Relations. I was assured by the first representative (Shereka L.?) that I would receive a call within 24 hours. Not so! Is anyone at all surprised?

I called back 24 hours later. Is anyone at all surprised? I spoke with Jim. Jim notified me that the first representative had given me incorrect information (a Comcastic surprise, right?) and that the timeframe for a return call was 48 to 72 hours. I decided to give Comcast the benefit of the doubt. Having already waited 24 hours, I waited an additional 48 hours before calling Executive Customer Relations and speaking with Chris (of “I can’t believe he’s a Comcast employee” fame!).

I also found Tom Karinshak’s - Senior Vice President of Customer Experience - “Hear from Tom” web link and provided him the following comment on December 5.

          “Tom,

          I am contacting you regarding my exceptional dissatisfaction with the billing processes at      
          Comcast, which result in inaccurate billings on a regular basis, and the inefficient, protracted,
          and substandard customer service process that must be tackled in order to correct the
          inaccurate billings.
  
          Over the past 3 years, I have suffered through consistent billing errors by Comcast. On
          average, my bills are incorrect every other month. Corrections of inaccurate billings normally 
          require multiple, often protracted yet unsuccessful, phone calls and/or emails to resolve.

          In April 2014, I began contacting Will Osborne II and Bill Gerth regarding the issues I was 
          encountering. Will Osborne II has certainly made a valiant effort to resolve the problem but
          the problem continues.

          Approximately two and half years ago, I worked with customer service personnel to design a
          package with a set billing amount for a one year period and received written confirmation of
          the agreement. Although I still had to make calls to correct the billing errors, I finally had a
          written agreement to present to expedite the infernal process of having the billing corrected.

          I have continued to make written arrangements to decrease the incredible imposition on my
          time and energy that Comcast's persistent incorrect billings cause.

          Currently the terms of my written agreement are:

          The monthly rate is $136.89/month plus tax. Services to be provided for that rate:

          1. Starter video bundle
          2. Premium channels - HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax, Streampix,
             1 HD Digital  Converter, 1Standard Def Digital Converter, 1 Voice Modem,
             1 Internet Modem

         The rate and services listed above (the "Bundle") will remain in place through May 1, 2015
         (the "Service Year"). No changes will be made to the rates or the Bundle without the express
         consent of the account holder or his designee.

         Since the inception of the current written agreement ("Agreement"), I have experienced at
         least five incorrect bills that resulted from changes being made to the rate or the Bundle
         without the express consent of the account holder or his designee. Will Osborne II has
         addressed most of these issues. We discussed extending the term of the current agreement 
         through September 1, 2015 as a result of the multiple failures by Comcast to bill correctly
         but I do not have written confirmation of that extension.

         The bills for service in October and November were both incorrect. I paid the higher rate
         on the October bill without closely reviewing it and am owed a credit. I contacted several  
         different Comcast personnel on December 2, 2014 when I realized that my November bill
         was even higher than my October bill. Despite leaving multiple voice mails, sending an
         e-mail to Will Osborne II and Bill Gerth, and an assurance on December 2, 2014 from
         Shereka L of the executive customer service team that I would hear from an executive          
         representative within 24 hours, I have had no response to my repeated request to contact me
         and correct my bill. On December 3, 2014, I called the corporate office again and spoke to
         a Jim. Jim notified me that the information provided by Shereka L was incorrect (a common
         situation when speaking to different personnel at Comcast) and that I would be contacted
         within 48 to 72 hours. The deadline draws nigh on a Friday afternoon and still I have not
         heard from anyone from Comcast.

         I will not be paying this bill until I speak to someone in a high enough position of authority to 
         provide assurances that the terms of the current agreement will be extended through
         September 1, 2015 and that the October and November bill will be corrected. I also expect a
         large credit for the continued failure by Comcast to maintain consistent rates and services in
         accordance with the agreement.”

At the end of my “Hear from Tom” missive, I provided my contact number. Apparently that was an utterly wasted effort. At 4:20 pm on December 5, I received the following e-mail:

         “My name is Tamatha and I am one of the agents assisting with the Office of Tom Karinshak.
         I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced and I will be working to address your 
         concerns.

         I want to sincerely apologize that you had to reach out to us again because a service 
         representative did not contact you in the time frame provided to you. Providing customer
         service in a timely manner is a priority to us, and I apologize that we fell short of this. Please
         know I will do everything I can to make sure your issue is resolved as quickly as possible. I
         have updated our records with this e-mail. Your matter has been forwarded to a special team
         that is dedicated to resolving service issues such as yours and they are working on the issues
         that you have addressed. You should expect to hear from a representative soon.

         Ms._____, thank you so much for taking the time to contact us. Again, I truly apologize for
         any frustration or inconvenience you experienced. If you have any questions or concerns,
         please respond directly to this e-mail so we can immediately assist you. We value your
         business and thank you for choosing Comcast.

         Sincerely,
         Tamatha K.
         Office of Tom Karinshak”

Apparently, in Comcast-speak, “Hear from Tom” means get an e-mail from a person in his office - who does not even provide a last name - notifying me that I will hear from someone “soon”. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! How valued can I be if I have not received any further communication from Tom five days later? What does Comcast mean by "soon"? Why do employees of Comcast seem think they are all Cher or Prince? The normal business world uses last names!!!

But I digress...

“Soon” is a very loosely defined term in Comcast-speak. Further along in this blog, I’ll discuss the substantially higher level of importance that Comcast places on the word “late”.

So, the new question for this blog becomes “Where in the World is Tom Karinshak?”

         This is the now-infamous Tom Karinshak - Senior Vice President of Customer Experience

                                                          Have you seen this man?

Apparently he is busy offering a Comcastically Bad Customer Experience to some other poor Comcast victim and has not found a minute to contact me and allow me to "Hear from Tom" in the last five days.

Bear with me, my tale of Comcastic woe has almost reached the end – though clearly not a resolution or I wouldn't be writing this blog!

On December 8, I called Executive Customer Relations again. I had the pleasure (sincere sentiment for a change) of speaking to Chris again. He promised to escalate the issue. I believe that he did as he promised. Still no call from Comcast.

On December 9, I called Executive Customer Relations again again. No, that’s not a typo. I am trying to make a point here. Should I use “more again”? I spoke with a female representative and received the by-now-familiar promise of a return call “soon” along with the explanation that Comcast overhauled its billing system and is swamped with calls from customers.

Warning to all Blogvillers and Avid Readers: CHECK YOUR COMCAST BILL! I suspect that with a new billing system, the billing errors will become even more Comcastic!

One more thing. Let’s discuss the importance of the word “late” to Comcast. While Comcast applies a Comcastically relaxed definition to “soon” as that word applies to returning customer calls, meeting customer needs and curing breaches of customer contracts, it has an absolutely draconian definition of “late”.

Comcast has decided that, despite its abysmal billing record and its lackadaisical responsiveness to customer needs, COMCAST ALLOWS NO GRACE PERIOD ON BILL PAYMENTS. The $9.50 standard late fee represents an astronomical percentage of the basic bill and is levied the day after the bill is due. What next? Will Comcast hire enforcers to collect those late fees? Maybe Comcast would do better if it decreased its demand on customers for timeliness while raising its own standard of timeliness in service. Just a thought, Tom Karinshak and Rick Germano…

Rick Germano

Tom Karinshak

Now, let me turn this blog over to you. What do you suggest should be my next step? Should I try Rick Germano’s home number? Should I stop by the address I was given to see if he wants to have Sunday brunch and talk? Should I just take a ride down to Comcast’s plush center city Philadelphia corporate office and stage a good old fashioned sit in? Should I just keep blogging each day that my requests to cure the breach of our written agreement (read “contract”) continues to be ignored?

You decide! How can I most Comcastically share my holiday spirit with Comcast?

Where in the World is Comcast's Rick Germano?

Good morning, Blogvillers and Avid Readers! In my June 15, 2012 blog, Comcast’s Comcastic Unadvertised Features, I talked about the frequent overbillings and subpar customer service that I have experienced as a Comcast customer. I explained that I wanted the opportunity to speak with the Senior Vice President of Customer Operations, Rick Germano.

On the day I posted my blog, a comment was posted by Mark Casem from Comcast’s National Customer Operations. I wonder if Mark is related to the famous radio personality Casey Casem of the Countdown? Oops, I think I just dated myself! Ah, who cares? I loved Casey Casem’s Countdown! Sorry, I digressed! Mark Casem of Comcast’s National Customer Operations gave an e-mail address, we_can_help@cable.comcast.com, and asked me to send him contact information. I did as Mr. Casem asked on June 15, 2012.

Good evening. In response to your comment on my blog, Are You Kidding Me? at http://enigma-areyoukiddingme.blogspot.com/2012/06/comcasts-comcastic-unadvertised.html#comment-form, I can be reached to arrange an appointment with Rick Germano at (xxx)xxx-xxxx.

When I looked for a response the following morning, there wasn’t one. I looked at my original email and realized the address I emailed showed as we_can_help@comcast.net. I assumed that I had entered the wrong e-mail address, so I copy/pasted my message into a new e-mail and copy/pasted the email address in Mark Casem’s comment in my blog into the address line. When I hit “send” the email address I copy/pasted again showed as we_can_help@comcast.net. I realized that I had not made an error. I also wondered why Mark Casem would post his e-mail address as we_can_help@cable.comcast.com when it is then converted by the email system to we_can_help@comcast.net. While I realize that it does not make a big difference, it is certainly in keeping with the overbillings and inconsistent, inept customer service that I’ve experienced.

As of June 25, 2012, I received no further communication from Mark Casem. I guess his interest in resolving my concerns did not extend beyond a post making a gratuitous statement of interest on a public blog. Again, this behavior is consistent with generally slipshod, and often rude, customer service practices I’ve experienced as a victim – oooops, I mean customer – of Comcast.

However, I tend to be a bit tenacious when I find that a disservice is being done to the general public. Some have even said I’m a pitbull! I personally prefer the phrasing used by a colleague who wrote a letter of reference for me, “amicably aggressive”, but I’ll accept pitbull! I sent another e-mail to Mark Casem of the magically converting e-mail address.

Good morning, Mark,


On June 15, 2012, you posted a comment on my blog at http://enigma-areyoukiddingme.blogspot.com/2012/06/comcasts-comcastic-unadvertised.html#comment-form asking that I email you my contact information and a link to the blog. Nine days have passed since I emailed you the requested information and I have not heard from anyone at Comcast. I am beginning to believe that you have no intention of contacting me. I will wait another 48 hours before proceeding with additional activism about the lack of customer service and accountability at Comcast. I hope that you will abide by your blog comment and contact me before then.

Mark Casem still did not deign to respond. Nor was I provided any opportunity to speak with Rick Germano. However I did receive a call from Rajen “Raj” Joshi, an Executive Support Analyst at the Voorhees Call Center. Raj was one of the few professional customer support personnel to whom I’ve spoken at Comcast.

I explained to Raj that I have had to make multiple calls to Comcast, which take hours to complete, to correct Comcast's billing errors almost every month over the past two years. I also explained to Raj that, having become exhausted by being forced to constantly rectify Comcast’s overbillings, I demanded that I be sent a written rate agreement. After having been told in the past that Comcast did not issue written rate agreements, I finally got an Executive Support Analyst to agree to provide the same protection that most vendors willingly provide to customers. I received that written agreement by email on May 30, 2012 and a few days later via the U.S. Postal Service.

Dear Ms. Daly,

Please be advised the Triple Play Bundle rate $119.99 on your account expires on 2/15/2013. This rate will increase by $15.00 once the promotion ends.
Due to previous conversations with our office advising the above rate will last until 4/2013. We have applied a $15.00 per month credit to the account for 1 year that will insure you will still have the $119.99 rate until 4/2013.
Your monthly rate $141.19 with this credit of $15.00 per month is $126.19.
Please do not hesitate to contact me directly at (302) 504-2019 if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Michael Brown
Executive Support Analyst, Freedom Region
302-504-2091

Despite having received this written rate agreement, the following month’s billing contained extra charges! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? I explained to Raj that I spoke with another Comcast employee, Ms. Parks, who told me that the additional fees were to be considered taxes despite a statement on Comcast’s bill related to the “new fee” that I was being charged in excess of the written rate agreement. “The regulatory recovery fee is not a tax or government mandated charge. It defrays regulatory costs such as state universal services, relay services, and certain state/local utility fees.”

Again, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Why are Comcast’s customers “defraying” the costs for Comcast to do business in addition to paying the bill that constituted their original agreements with Comcast? I also have to wonder how Comcast can offer the services for which I'm being charged $119.99 a month to new customers for $89.97 a month. Is it less expensive for Comcast to offer new customers service than it is to offer the same service to long-term customers? Or is Comcast adding "new fees" to long term customer's bills to "defray" the costs of providing service more cheaply to new customers to rope in the new customers before incorrectly billing them and having Ms. Parks yell at them for questioning the overbilling and cost defrayments? Sorry, I digressed again!

Ms. Parks assumed a boorish attitude during our call because I became angered and demanded that Comcast abide by the written rate agreement and not try to find loopholes to permit additional billings not included in the rate agreement. I wonder if Ms. Parks would be angered if a vendor of hers breached a contract? I wonder if Rick Germano would be angered if a contract to which he were a party had been breached? Eventually, after threatening to hang up on me, Ms Parks did agree to issue credit for the “new fee” that she continued to maintain should be considered a tax despite the fact that it isn’t.

Additionally, the $15.00 credit clearly provided each month in accordance with my written rate agreement had not been issued for the current bill – the one showing the “new fee”. The credit had been issued for the prior two month’s bills after the issuance of the prior month’s bill. Therefore, those two month’s credits were reflected on the current bill. Unfortunately, the credit for the current month had not been issued. Ms. Parks  tried to convince me, in an overbearing tone, that one of those previously issued credits applied to the current bill. After her boorish bullying, she did issue the $15.00 credit for the current month…in accordance with the recently issued written rate agreement.

After explaining my trials and tribulations to Raj, including Ms. Parks’ attempts to skirt a written rate agreement, Raj issued full credit for the balance of this month’s bill. Raj also apologized for Ms. Parks’ rather slimy behavior and acknowledged that she should not have argued with me at all in light of the written rate agreement. Ms. Parks' horrific customer service practices, combined with the clear breach of the written rate agreement, cost Comcast over $50.00. Maybe removing personnel who are blatant failures at customer service, like Ms. Parks, would be a more efficient method for Comcast to make money than consistently overbilling customers? Hey, Rick Germano, if we ever get to speak I'll be sure to offer that suggestion!

Raj also assured me that next month’s bill will be correct. I am waiting with bated breath to experience the exceptionally rare event of receiving a correct Comcast bill! Of course, I’ll let you know if that actually occurs!

Despite this partial resolution of the immediate problem, I still have not been given the opportunity to speak to, or meet with, Rick Germano, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations for Comcast. I wonder if Rick Germano would become more accessible if more customers called and requested written rate agreements from Comcast? I wonder if Rick Germano would become more accessible if customers forced compliance with the written rate agreements? I wonder if Rick Germano would be more accessible if more customers had to be given credit on their accounts as a result of poor billing practices and the “customer service” provided by employees of Ms. Parks’ ilk?

Blogvillers and Avid Readers, if your Comcast bill is consistently showing new fees to which you did not initially agree, call Comcast and request a written billing agreement! Fight your way through the layers of customer disservice and Executive Support Analysts until you find one that will issue a written rate agreement. Then hold Comcast to the terms of that written rate agreement! I will continue to demand compliance with the written rate agreement I received and await contact from Rick Germano while I ponder the burning question . . . “Where in the World is Rick Germano”?

Comcast’s Comcastic Unadvertised Features: Overbillings and Incompetent Customer Service into XFinity

Comcast appears to have invested gargantuan amounts of money to advertise the vast array of services and functionality which it provides its customers under its new branding of Xfinity. Yet it seems that Comcast has neglected to advertise two of the features that its customers notice most: (1) fluctuating, inexplicable, consistently increasing bills and (2) careless, inconsistent, untrained, bordering-on-rude customer service. This winning combination should be sufficient to put this Goliath out of business. Sadly, it continues to plod forward.

I have experienced the “unadvertised features” offered by Comcast many times over the past two years. I am consistently overbilled, even if only by $5 to $20 per month. I have begun calling to address the overbillings. I frequently have to make several calls a month to customer service and the executive offices. I receive inconsistent responses. However, if I am persistent enough, I can get the incorrect billing resolved although it requires a huge time investment.

If I am consistently experiencing overbilling, it must be happening to more of the 24 million customers to whom Comcast provides this “unadvertised feature”. Think of it this way, if my overbilling pattern is an indicator of the experience of other Comcast customers, Comcast likely overbills between $120,000,000 and $480,000,000 a month! If even one tenth of those 24 million customers call to argue about the overbilling, Comcast stands to lose between $1.2 million and $4.8 million dollars per month!

Despite the frustration and sense of futility which result from the need to make frequent, repetitive bill correction calls to Comcast, I continue to make the calls. I call and call and call ad infinitum, into Xfinity even!

I also began to research Comcast on the internet. My goal was to find an individual in a position of authority at Comcast with whom I would be able to discuss my growing concerns. I naively believed that major executives of a successful corporation would want customers to be satisfied and would be distressed to learn about the incredible inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and incompetence which appeared to be the standard in the Comcast customer service division.

During my investigation, I learned that Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, has a salary that is over 2.5 million dollars annually. When coupled with additional benefits, Mr. Roberts earns over 31 million dollars annually. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I realized that it was highly unlikely that Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, would have the time or inclination to meet with a dissatisfied customer to discuss overbillings by Comcast. It seems possible that a decrease in Comcast’s income derived from overbillings would result in a decrease in Mr. Roberts’ annual income. How could he possibly live on just the money earned from correct billings?! It would seem counterintuitive that Mr. Roberts would wish to, or could afford to, correct the overbillings.

Next I stumbled upon the name Rick Germano. Rick Germano is the Senior Vice President of Customer Operations. There is a little posting on the Comcast website that is credited to Rick Germano (http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/RickGCustCare.html?SCRedirect=true). In the posting attributed to him, Mr. Germano talks about changes in Comcast that have been introduced since Comcast committed to its customers in 2007 that it would improve. One of changes Mr. Germano discusses is the implementation of the Customer Guarantee. Item 6 on the Customer Guarantee states:

We will offer easy-to-understand packages and provide you with a clear bill.


Our packages are designed to be straightforward. A call or visit to our website makes it easy to find a package that’s right for you. We aim for the same clarity with our bills. You can view your monthly statement and service details anytime by visiting Comcast Customer Central.


http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/CustomerGuarantee.html?SCRedirect=true


Mr. Germano’s little blurb on the Comcast website, in combination with his provision of the Customer Guarantee information, made me feel confident that Rick Germano was the right person to contact at Comcast to discuss my experiences with the “unadvertised features” of consistent overbilling and incompetent customer service. Mr. Germano even included a link to e-mail him in his little blurb at Send an e-mail to Rick Germano. I was so excited! I e-mailed him immediately! “Here,” I said to myself, “is an upstanding executive who wants to provide truly excellent service to Comcast customers!”

Needless to say, my hopes were decimated. Not only did Mr. Germano not respond to my e-mail after inviting me to write to him but I have spoken to numerous staff members at the executive offices of Comcast (215)665-1700 - including Mr. Germano’s secretary, Jackie - only to be informed that Mr. Germano is not available and will not be available! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I truly thought that if I politely waded through the quagmire of departments of disinterested, incompetent staff that I would eventually have paid my dues and be given access to the Senior Vice President of Customer Operations, the one, the only, Mr. Rick Germano! Imagine my dejection when I learned that the Senior Vice President of Customer Operations is not, and will never be, available to speak to a customer who has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and not received the guaranteed “easy-to-understand package” and “clear bill” from Comcast! SHAME ON YOU, Mr. Rick Germano!

I was unable to find any reference to the salary paid to Mr. Germano. I would have to assume it is less disgracefully hedonistic than Brian Roberts’ salary or someone would have written an article about it but it must be substantially more than the rank and file salaries since Rick Germano has earned a place among the cable executives whose photos are displayed at http://www.comcast.com/corporate/about/ pressroom/corporateoverview/cableexecutives/cableexecutives.html?SCRedirect=true.

Here is Rick Germano

I’m hoping that Mr. Germano, or one of his rank and file employees, stumbles across this blog. Maybe finding this blog will prompt the amazing purveyor of the Comcast Customer Guarantee to deign to make an appointment to speak with me by phone or in person. I’ll give Mr. Germano a few days to “do the right thing” before I begin sharing my recent Comcastic experiences with other members of the public.

I can only imagine the number of hours that poor Mr. Germano and his staff have to work to convince the portion of those 24 million customers that call to complain about overbillings that Comcast has a valid reason for unilaterally changing an agreed price without notice! It can’t be easy for poor Mr. Germano and his minions to convince 2.4 million customers to overpay $1.2 million to $4.8 million dollars a month. If Mr. Germano and his customer service folks can’t defend those overbillings and convince Comcast customers that they are receiving Comcastic service, poor Mr. Roberts might not be able to continue to rape (I mean reap) 31 million benefits from 24 million Comcast customers. It wouldn’t be very nice of Comcast’s customers to expect Mr. Robert’s to live with less than a princely income generated by overbillings, now would it?

I realize that there are numerous blogs and forums that exist simply to give Comcast’s mistreated, overbilled, underserved customers an arena in which to voice their rage against this Goliath and share their miseries with other victims. I want this blog to be different. I want this blog to serve as an olive branch between Comcast and its customers. I want this blog to begin the process of enabling customers to be involved in discussion with executives capable of achieving real change. I can only imagine the number of outraged customers that are desperate to speak to someone in authority at Comcast.

So, in this blog, I’ll give poor overburdened Mr. Germano (doesn’t he just look like a nice guy?) the opportunity to leave me contact information on the blog that will enable me to schedule an appointment with him by phone or in person. I’d rather speak to him than begin sharing my Comcast stories with other customers (read victims), spewing vile wrath at Comcast all over this cozy little blog, and reaching out to other resources and agencies to force Comcast to deliver on the Comcast Customer Guarantee.

Can’t wait to hear from you, Rick!

Planting seeds......of friendship, peace, and learning

I told this story to a dear friend (and avid Blog follower) immediately after it occurred.  She told me, in no uncertain terms, that I better Blog it.  This is the first opportunity that I've had to do so.  I hope all of you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed being a part of it.

A few days ago, I was home doing schoolwork when I heard a knock at the door.  The kids who live next door were knocking to ask if my dog could come out to play!  A strange request, I'll admit, but one that I agreed to accomodate.  Living in a row home often causes unusual relationships to develop....both good and bad!

The kids who were interested in playing with the dog range in age from about 4 to 12.  There are three boys and two girls.  That group does not include the adorable toddler who also became involved but who did not initially involve herself in requesting playtime with the dog.  The four year old boy, Michael, has begun to have a very special place in my heart.  He is energetic, exuberant, defiant, tough, and the older ones tend to pick on him.  He cries easily at physical and emotional injuries, both real and imagined.  He also has an incredible ability to get himself into trouble.  Not big trouble, just the low-grade, annoying trouble that contributes to people picking on him! 

I let the dog take his Frisbee out to play with the kids.  I'm not sure why the dog was not his normal, playful self that day.  Maybe there were too many kids.  Maybe he felt that they were being too aggressive.  Who knows what goes on in that dog's head?  The ultimate result of him not quite being himself was that he went out of his way to keep his Frisbee away from the kids who just wanted to throw it so he could catch it!  The older boys began to turn the dog's reticence to share his Frisbee into an awesome game of tug with the dog.  Michael simply couldn't keep up.  He wasn't physically strong enough to get into the pack and get his hands on the Frisbee.  The few times that he managed to do so, the dog easily pulled the Frisbee out his hands. 

Michael decided that he should find another way to occupy himself.  BAD PLAN! As with most four year old boys who are forced to occupy themselves, he did not make the best choices.  He went into the neighbor's yard, on the other side of my house, and began to play with a  potted plant that she was planning to transplant into the garden.  Luckily, I noticed his preoccupation with the plant before anyone else did.  What I noticed, though, was that Michael wasn't being destructive.  He was clearly interested in the plant, not just in digging in the dirt surrounding it.

Michael seems to appreciate the skill that comes with age that enables someone to talk to a child instead of yelling at them.  Michael gets yelled at A LOT!  Therefore, when I speak to him, I try to be gentle or funny or encouraging.  Michael responds to that beautifully.  His defiance just melts away.  I called to him and asked if he'd like to see the plants I was growing.  He immediately lost interest in the neighbor's plant and came over to the steps.

A few weeks ago, Kyra and I had planted an herb kit.  We had sage, thyme, and basil planted in pretty sage-colored ceramic pots with a matching tray to hold them.  We had also started a little plastic container of strawberry seeds, covered with plastic wrap,  for future transplant into a hanging basket.  I went in and gathered all of these and brought them out front to share with Michael.  Michael and I sat on the step and I let him smell the different herbs.  It was only a matter of seconds before the other kids lost interest in the dog and came over to talk about the plants.

It ended up being a magical 15 minutes.  The kids were interested and involved.  They asked a million questions; some of which I could answer, others I couldn't. Even the toddler came over to get involved.  She made the greatest faces when she was smelling the herbs!  Apparently she likes the smell of basil and despises the smell of sage.

One of the younger girls asked why I had plastic wrap over the strawberry seeds.  I responded by saying that it acted as a terrarium.  What was I thinking?  The next logical question came almost immediately, "What's a terrarium?"  The explanation I gave was that it was a closed container that acted like a little version of the world's weather.  Then we had to talk about precipitation and evaporation and condensation.  It was nothing short of amazing.  You could watch these kids' neurons firing as they thought about what we were discussing.  After watching their excitement, I asked if they would be interested in planting some seeds and growing our own plants.  The idea was received with wild enthusiasm!

I told them that I had to go run some errands and that I'd pick up the supplies while I was at the store.  I swear, it felt as if were under the questioning of the members of the Inquisition.  "Are you going now?" "When will you be back?" "Can we do it today?"  "Do you promise to come right back?"  "How long will you take?"  I answered the rapid fire questions of the mob of miniatures as quickly and convincingly as I could and left to run my errands after putting the dog in the house.  There was some brief discussion about them watching the dog while I was gone but I quashed that idea quite rapidly!

I stopped at Home Depot in my travels.  I picked up seeds for violas, sunflowers, and rosemary.  I also grabbed a spearmint plant, with the thought that the kids might be able to be more patient about the seeds germinating if they actually had one plant they could already see.  The only plastic pots I could afford were the color of adobe pots.  I decided that was not exciting enough for my little amateur gardeners.  I stopped at Target and got kids' paint and brushes so they could decorate their pots.  I also found a cheap plastic watering pot.

Upon my return, I was mobbed at my car door.  The little girl, not the toddler, started screaming, "She's back! She's back!"  I couldn't believe the enthusiasm had lasted till I returned.  We set newspaper up and I watched five kids, who fight all the time, sit down and work together to arrange the papers and the paints and get their pots painted.  It was a good thing that I bought the watering can!  We only had four pots to paint and five kids.  I think I might have averted a serious incident!  Michael chose to paint the watering can.  He smeared piles of paint in the same small area.  After he got done, he said, "Will you wash this now?"  I said, "Don't you like it?  It's very colorful!" ( I must admit that it actually wasn't very colorful.  The huge amount of mulit-colored paint had created a glob of brownish....well, anyway....)He said, "I want to paint it again!" I did manage to convince him that he should leave it just as it was.  I think the excitement of being able to actually plant seeds did a great deal to help with convincing him.

The atmosphere of camaraderie that had prevailed during "art" time ended rapidly when planting time began and each kid didn't have their own activity.  There was no way that they were ready to do the planting on their own.  I had terrifying visions of a patio filled with potting soil and all the seeds in one pot.  So, it was time to find a way to get them to work as a team to avoid having this become a blood sport.  We managed to keep things relatively calm.  Michael was the only one who was truly having issues with sharing and working together.  As he forced his way into the center of each part of the activity (and, tried to eat one of the sunflower seeds) I kept trying to think of a kind way to get him under control.  I finally said, "Michael, gardeners are gentle".  This seemed to help.  He became a little less boisterous; a little less "bull in a china shop".  I also did manage to convince him not to eat anymore seeds!

I had the middle boy, Adrian, read the directions for the sunflowers.  We talked about what germination is.  We talked about what an "annual" is.  We talked about how much water to give the plants.  We determined that I would leave the watering pot next to the step so that they could water the plants if I were "too busy" or if were to "forget".  Their interest in every aspect of the planting was just phenomenal.  We got the sunflowers planted then it started to get dark.  I suggested that we save the rest for the following day.  I was AMAZED!  Everyone was agreeable even though they were clearly still excited. 

While I was cleaning up, there were some questions about the "real plant".  That was, of course, a reference to the spearmint plant.  When I told them it was spearmint, none of the kids knew what I was talking about.  So, I gave them all a chance to smell it.  I told them it was the plant that was used to flavor spearmint gum and candy.  I saw five sets of blank eyes staring at me.  How could these kids not know about spearmint???  The toddler came rushing over to smell the spearmint plant.  Apparently, she is very fragrance oriented.  What great faces I got when she smelled that.  I think she still prefers the smell of basil, but spearmint was right up there.  I love the way she crinkles her nose and breathes as hard out her nose as she breathes in it to smell.  What an adorable little lady!  We finished our conversation and smelling of spearmint and I headed in for the night.

The dog wanted to go out around 10 the next morning for his second potty break.  I  opened the door to see the kids standing around staring at my door!  Michael said, "Can we play now?"  I was right in the middle of my school work but how could I possibly say no to those big brown eyes and the expectant faces that had patiently waited for me to come out?  So, I told them that I had to go to the store but that the minute I came back we'd finish.  I took the dog for his almost daily car ride to the store with me.  While I was checking out I noticed the little round containers of mints.  I found one that was spearmint and bought it. 

When I got back, the kids were all as enthusiastic as they had been the day before.  We planted the violas first.  Adrian was in charge of reading the directions again.  By the way, Michael had ABSOLUTELY no interest in this part of the project.  He just kept interrupting and asking, "Can we play yet?"  The violas were perennials.  We talked about what a perennial is.  The oldest girl remembered that the sunflowers were annuals.  She remembered the word!  It was awesome.  Adrian remembered that the sunflowers would germinate in 7 - 14 days after he read that the violas would germinate in 10 - 15 days.  I put him in charge of remembering all the germination times for our new plants.  After we planted the violas, Michael insisted that he was in charge of watering.  He got a bit pushy with everyone else.  I reminded him that "gardeners were gentle" and he actually calmed down a bit again.

After the violas, it was time for the rosemary.  Adrian informed us that the germination time was 15 - 24 days.  He then reminded us that the germination time for the sunflowers was 7 - 14 days and the germination time for the violas was 10 - 15 days.  He beamed with such obvious pride at remembering all of them correctly.  It was a great moment for Adrian....and for me!  While we were transplanting the spearmint plant, the container of mints fell out of my pocket.  The youngest girl picked them up and handed them to me.  I was afraid that my surprise had been ruined but, since she doesn't know how to read yet, it seems that I lucked out.  I put them in my pocket quickly before anyone else noticed them

After the rosemary seeds were planted, it was time to transplant the spearmint plant to a bigger pot.  Adrian knew that the part of the plant in the dirt was called the root.  He beamed again at his own brilliance.  Michael was getting rammier by the minute.  I guess planting three separate things is a bit much for a four year old.  I did let him head up the watering of the plants but the youngest girl wanted her turn also.  He saw absolutley no reason to willingly give up the watering pot to her.   I reminded him again that "gardeners are gentle".  He "did the right thing" and let her have a turn watering the spearmint, although his heart wasn't in it.

We cleaned up the little bit of dirt that spilled and placed our plants in the best spots according to the directions, again read by Adrian, based on their need for full sun or partial shade.  When we finished, only Adrian was still outside.  The others had disappeared.  I took out the container of mints and showed Adrian that they were "spearmint" mints.  I also told him that there were natural and artificial flavors.  We talked about that for a bit too.  He took a mint and seemed to have a whole new respect for our little spearmint plant. 

The door next door burst open and the other kids streamed back out.  It's almost as if kids have a sixth sense for when their peers are getting something they aren't!  Well, I had planned to give all of them mints so that was fine.  Adrian helped me to tell them about the mints being made of spearmint that came from the kind of plant that we were growing.  Michael was having none of it.  He just wanted to get his hands on those mints.  He was pushing and rushing and generally being obnoxious.  I looked at him and shook my head and made my "I'm disappointed in you" face.  He looked up at me and said, "Gardeners are gentle".  Could there be a better end to such a great project?

Karma kisses

Most people will say that what happened to me today was simply a coincidence.  To those people, all I have to say is, "Are you kidding me?  It's KARMA baby!"  

My son called me this afternoon, obviously very upset, because his dog was missing.   He asked me if I would be willing to go do a walk-through at the local shelter to see if she had been picked up.  I agreed to do it, though without much enthusiasm.  I know how much my son loves his dog.  I love animals myself.  Diesel is a great dog!  There were tons of really good reasons to do this.  There were also a few reasons not to do this.  Those would be three more assignments for school that I wanted to finish tonight. 

So, I stepped away from the school work and went up to get dressed to go on the doggy search.  There was no chance that my dog was going to let me leave without him.  So I took him out to the car with me.  When we stopped at a nearby store, I realized that I couldn't have him with me if I found my son's dog.  My dog is terrified of other dogs and acts like an insane fool when one is near him.  I was really ticked off at myself for not thinking it through before I brought him.  I realized this trip was going to take even longer since I had to take him home before I could go.

I walked into the store and picked up what I needed.  When I got to the counter, there was a long line and one cashier.  The guy that was just stepping up to the counter asked for a money order.  A money order, I tell you!  It takes forever to get them done!  I swore that forces were colluding to keep me from my scheduled work.  A minute later, one of the other women in the store came up and opened a cashier register.  She waived me over to the register.  The woman behind me in line walked right up to her and started ordering.  Initially, I was furious.  However, the cashier stopped the woman and said, "I have to wait on this lady first."  Just the acknowledgement that I had been in line first was enough to calm me.  I told the other woman to go ahead.  Then, finally, it was my turn.  I put my things on the counter and opened my bag to get my bank card.  I looked once, twice, and in absolute panic, a third time.  No bank card! Naturally, there was no cash either!  I apologized profusely and said that I would be right back. 

Walking back to the car to take my dog home and worrying about my bank card, I decided with absolute certainty that God looked down every once in a while, saw that I was doing ok and things were going smoothly, and decided that it was time to play one of his cosmic jokes.  I was NOT a happy camper.  I took the dog home and tore through the house looking for my card with no success.

After about five minutes, I felt so terribly guilty about my son's dog that I decided I would go do the walk through then come back to look for the card.  Of course, the entire time that I was driving, all I could do was think about where I might have lost the card and wonder how I was going to get by for the next week with no access to my money.

When I got to the local shelter, there was no one at the receptionist window.  Further into the office, there was a woman on the phone but no one else in sight.  The woman finished her call, started to wheel her chair over to me at the window, and the phone rang again.  She immediately reversed direction and headed for the phone again!  I wanted to scream!!!!!  She finished that call and finally got to the window.  While she was looking to see if anyone had made a report in the computer about my son's dog, guess what?!  The phone rang again!  Off she went in her chair like the office version of Mario Andretti.  Two more calls and she wheeled back to the window.  We finally finished all the paperwork.  I did the walk-through, which broke my heart because I wanted to take all the dogs home with me, only to find that my son's dog wasn't there!

I walked out the door and called him to break the bad news.  All I could think about was getting home to finish my assignments.  He was very upset but I assured him that I would do another walk through the following day.  Just as I pulled out to the street to head home, I heard him say, "Mom, would you please go check the SPCA?"  What was I supposed to say?!  I had so much to do!!  I was going to end up waiting for another receptionist to do the job of three people before I could even do the walk through.  I was going to have to look at all those dogs that I couldn't do anything for.  Oh, please, don't do this to me, God!  All I heard coming out of my mouth was, "Sure, kiddo, its nearby.  I'll go try."  I looked around wildly.  Who was speaking into my phone in my voice saying crazy things like that? 

So, I was on my way to the SPCA.  I reached across the seat into my pocketbook to put my phone back, as I got to a red light.  I decided to look through my cards for my bank card one more time.  I keep a copy of my registration in with my cards.  When I touched the folded registration, I realized that it felt too "substantial".  That would be because my bank card was inside the folded paper!

I walked into the SPCA feeling slightly less accursed.  There were multiple people at the counter and I was waited on immediately.  The paperwork was done two minutes later and I was on my way to another walk through.  I looked through the entire room of cages.  No Diesel.  I went back into the desk and the gentleman behind the desk asked if I had seen my dog.  I said, "Sadly, no."  He said,"Well, let me walk you through the back room real quick."  As we turned the corner into the room, there was Diesel!  She was jumping around and whining like a fool at the sight of my face.

Well, we got all the paperwork done. Unfortunately, that took about an hour.  However, I walked out the SPCA with my son's beloved Diesel dog in tow.

I don't know how I could have looked through my pocketbook half a dozen times without finding that card.  I don't know why Diesel would have been in a back room that isn't usually part of the walkthrough.  What I do know is that I did something that I really didn't want to do for someone else.  The other thing that I know, with absolute certainty, is that KARMA ROCKS!

Always do what you know in your heart is the right thing to do......even when it's not what you want to do!  Always try to love your family more than you love yourself!  At the very least, you will make the world a better place, if only for a moment.  At the best, KARMA will give you a kiss on the cheek and tell you that you rock!

A quite unexpected perfect moment

Awaking at 5:30 am is not an auspicious beginning to a Saturday morning;  especially when I'm more than aware that the rest of the family won't be up until at least mid-morning.  Its even worse since I plan to go out tonight. Rising prior to dawn will ensure that I will be drifting off to sleep before 10 pm. 

These are the thoughts that were running through my head as I tried to force myself to go back to sleep.  I spent half an hour with my eyes shut listening to the absolute silence that only exists in the wee hours of the morning.  By 6:00, I had given up the fight.  Sleep was absolutely not in the cards for me.  I surrendered to morning and went downstairs to let my Shady dog out, feed him, and make a cup of tea.  Then, the second disaster of the day became apparent.  There was no dog food left for Shady. 

Now, Shady is a dog who values his routine.  He runs out the front door briefly as soon as I come down the steps; does only the most necessary things; then runs back in for breakfast.  Today, he just stared at me with the most melancholy look when he realized that his bowl was empty and that I wasn't doing anything about it.  I stood in the kitchen, making my tea, explaining to the dog that we would go get dog food when the big hand was on the nine.  After realizing that I was crossing the line between devoted dog owner and babbling psychotic, I took my cup of tea upstairs to see what I could find on television.  I gazed at my sleeping family with unabashed hatred as Shady followed me up to my room.  How could they just lay there sleeping while I was wide awake and dealing with the guilt of my starving dog?

How is it possible that there is absolutely nothing to watch on 300 television channels?  I put on a rerun of Law and Order that I'd only seen twice and settled in to drink my tea.  As the morning progressed, the day looked more and more beautiful.  I had broken all the rules and let Shady come into the bedroom with me as a result of my guilt over starving him and destroying his routine.  He seemed completely incapable of sitting still.  By 7:30, I had had my full of bad television and a 65 lb wiggling dog. 

It was difficult to convince myself not to go down and wake everyone to go to the shore and open the trailer for the season.  I had a terrible internal battle.  I knew that rain was in forecast for this afternoon, this evening and the following day at the shore.  I knew what a terrible chore it would be to unpack everything from the trailer in the rain. Still, looking at the sun shining brightly out front, it was all that I could do not to wake everyone and take the chance that it wouldn't rain.  Luckily, I came to my senses and realized that Tom, the ultimate pessimist, would make it impossible to enjoy the beautiful day down the shore because he would insist on making dire predictions about the potential rain.

Time to come up with a plan!  I wasn't going to get back to sleep.  Choices on television weren't going to improve.  I had an hour and a half to kill before the big hand was on the nine and I could get food for Shady.  Ok, I'll take Shady for a walk in the park to apologize for my negligence in not getting him food.  I threw on clothes, grabbed a bag with a water bottle, a book, my bank card, and the car keys.  I attached Shady's little treat sack to the waist of my pants and we were off.

I have no idea why he behaved throughout the entire walk.  I doubt that I will ever be able to replicate the experience.  He didn't pull my arm out of the socket.  He didn't bark at people, or dogs, or apparitions that appear only to him.  He was charming and well mannered.  We walked the two blocks to the park and headed toward the back section of the park.  There's a path about a quarter mile long into the wooded section behind the well-cared for section of the park.  Shady and I enjoy walking down that path.  The path ends at a huge tree that fell across it years ago.  Beyond the tree is a very small area that ends with fencing which separates the park from the golf course next to it. 

We usually walk as far as the tree and then I'll sit on the tree stump and read while Shady picks up sticks longer than he is and runs about like a fool.  Sometimes he'll let me throw them for him but he seems to have some bizarre idea that I'm going to take the stick and keep it.  More often than not, he'll just amuse himself with the sticks. 

Today, however, he decided to jump the tree stump.  Feeling somewhat emboldened by the beautiful day and the complete absence of another living soul, I followed him across the stump with little expectation of finding anything.  He had headed toward what appeared to have once been a path, but was now badly overgrown.  Like a child, I followed him.  After walking through a bit of brush, I realized that we were at the edge of a portion of the creek that no one had bothered to fence in.  It was quite an incline, but I threw caution to the wind and navigated my way cautioulsy over rocks to the edge of the creek. 

It was amazing. The area that we were standing in was shady but the sun was shining on the creek a little bit to the right.  The creek had a strip of sparkle down the middle at the point where the sun touched it.  After my eyes got used to looking out of the shade, I noticed a single goose floating on the creek toward the sun.  I turned to look for Shady.  He had found a tree root that was partially exposed and was having the time of his life wrestling to get it out of the ground.  I found a flat stone which seemed as if it had been made to be a chair.  I sat and read my book for a bit while Shady fought the good fight with the tree root.  It was amazing.

Suddenly, there was an odd noise to our right.  Shady bounded toward the creek.  I looked for someone with a small barking dog.  Around a bend a bit up the creek came two beautiful geese, swimming side by side and honking away!  The single goose that was still much closer to us began to swim toward them.  I don't know much about geese, but it sure did seem that they were glad to see each; a reunion of old geese friends.  They kicked up quite a ruckus!  They were honking and flapping their wings.  They would lift out of the water for a brief period then land with a small splash leaving a wake behind them.  Shady was going mad!  He wanted to get in the water with them, he wanted to fly with them.  He wanted to be Shady the dog/goose.  In that moment I realized that I was having a truly perfect, completely unplanned, completely unexpected moment. 

We started back shortly after the geese calmed down and started swimming calmly.  Shady conquered the tree root and began to search for something to occupy him and I finished the chapter in my book.  We walked back up the path toward the "kept" area of the park.  Shady was running about like a madman; almost as if he wanted to do all the running he could before I had to leash him when we got back to civilization.  Once we were back in the main area of the park, I put his leash on and we headed home.  He was exceptionally good on the walk back too.  It almost seemed that he didn't want to ruin the moment.

We got home and got in the car and went to get dog food. Back to ordinary life. The spirit of the morning stayed with me, though.  I did the ordinary things but they felt a little special.  I did some dishes, cleaned the stove, and, of course, fed Shady.  Shady believes I'm a god again, now that he's fed, and all is well with the world.  I have a feeling that the sparkle gained in the park will continue to color my ordinary life, at least for while.

Let the Sunshine in!

Over the last few weeks I have learned more about enforcement of the Sunshine Laws than I ever wanted to know. "What are the Sunshine Laws?", you ask. Well, the Sunshine Laws are the laws that have been put in place to ensure that public entities such as government agencies and school boards are required to meet, deliberate, and vote in public. This should enable them to be accountable to the taxpayers. There are a very limited number of reasons that a board can meet away from the public according to the Sunshine Law. As you read the reasons, it is clear that the spirit of the law is to protect the rights of private citizens. It would seem that the Sunshine Law should be very effective in holding public agencies accountable.

However, enforcement of the Sunshine Laws is a completely different matter. This is the only law that I'm aware of that requires a citizen to pay to have it enforced. There is no governmental agency that is responsible for its enforcement. Should a public agency break the Sunshine Laws, the only recourse is to file a complaint in Common Pleas Court. To do this, there is a filing fee. If you file pro se, the chances are good that you will lose. The public agency will certainly have an attorney. If you get an attorney, you will have to pay for that attorney out of pocket.

So, what if you decide to "fight city hall"? What happens to them if its found that they broke the Sunshine Laws? Well, they get a "do-over"! The court will give you an injunction to make them fix the problem. Which means, in effect, that they will have to vote again. That's it! That's all! If the court finds that the board members intentionally broke the Sunshine Law, they can be fined. Well, you say, that seems reasonable. It does seem reasonable until you learn that they are fined ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS! Are you kidding me?!

I forgot to get my car inspected last year and I was fined $125. Yet the cost for intentional abuse of power and flouting the law by a board members is only ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS? How are penalties of this nature going to dissuade board members of public agencies from doing whatever they would like to do in secret then simply paying a small fine and revoting in public?

Take a look at the story of what occurred at Owen J. Roberts School District in PA, http://www.thefactsaboutojrsd.com/. This school Board didn't care what the taxpayers in the district wanted. They had their own agenda. Someone in the district did care enough to hire an attorney to take them to court. To what end? The taxpayers still didn't get what they wanted. Now, the former superintendent, who the Board fired in a meeting that lasted until after midnight, is suing the district. Defending this suit is going to take money from the taxpayers, whose opinion the Board completely ignored.

Please take a moment to write to your state legislators. Ask them to review enforcement of the Sunshine Laws. Ask them to hold the boards of public agencies more accountable for breaking the law than they would hold you for forgetting to get your car inspected. These agencies are funded by your tax dollars. The only reason to make decisions in secret is because those making the decisions know that they aren't sound decisions. Penalize the people who are intentionally making bad decisions with your tax dollars.

It is time not only to Let the Sunshine in but to offer severe penalties for those who choose to make decisions in the dark.