HUMOR

While I compose my blog on the impact of Obama Care on the quality of care, there is nothing better than some patient/doctor stories. 

On the subject of Colonoscopies...
Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous..... A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies:
1. 'Take it easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone before!
2. 'Find Amelia Earhart yet?'
3. 'Can you hear me NOW?'
4. 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'
5. 'You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married.’
6. 'Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?'
7. 'You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out...'
8. 'Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!'
9. 'If your hand doesn't fit, you must quit!
10. 'Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.

11. 'You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?

12. 'God, now I know why I am not gay.'
13. 'Could you write a note for my wife  saying that my head is not up there?'

I intend later today to post something about my concerns of the impact on our health care system by the Affordable Health Care Act. I also expect that I will have the agenda for Tuesday's  Oz Council meeting in time to review it on Saturday and report Monday.

JUST RAMBLINGS (a supplemental posting)

Time for change of pace. This is a momentous day not only at 9 PM tonight ruler being the first debate between the two presidential candidates, but the latest day of the regular baseball season . For died in the wool Yankee fans they will have a terrible conflict especially if they have a desire to know more about the two men running for office and not have already inflexibly decided who they were going to vote for.

I for one think of the new playoff formula is a travesty he gave the entire long season of baseball. For example if the Yankees lose tonight, they will still have one 94 game most in the American League for the course exception of the Orioles if they tie by winning their last game. There would be a one-game playoff to decide division champion and who would go into the new model playoff. If the Yankees should lose one game championship playoff with the Orioles and the one-game the other playoff team result would be that one of the teams with the best record the season.be in the playoffs. Unconscionable.

I hope I will not be interrupted by Telly-marketer's calls during the Presidential debate; which I eagerly await. Although I voted for Obama the last time around I have been disappointed in the lack of progress in the job recovery from the depths of the recession.

I have a personal interest in this since my grandson in law A blue-collar worker who lives in Ohio and works for a large company supplies parts of the automobile industry after being laid off for almost 2 years called back to work in the local four months ago and then was 40 others just laid off for possible another three months. This is a disaster for a family with two young children. Although my granddaughter who works for the state has a moderate income even with his unemployment insurance they can barely make ends meet. He has now nearly reached the end of his unemployment benefits.

I mentioned that the reliability of statistics of people receiving unemployment insurance payment is not an indication of those who are not working. It does not take into account those that have exhausted their benefits.

My second disappointment has been this in this administration's conduction of foreign policy. It is ridiculous to think that there can be a negotiate peace in Afghanistan with the Taliban. These fanatical fundamentalist know only one dogma; their narrow interpretation of the Koran. People who would destroy world heritage giant Buddhas of Banyan and still to death women who would seek protection from abuse spouses certainly are not going to accept any concept of democracy.

Likewise to believe that you can negotiate with religious fanatics that rule ran and are dedicated to the destruction of the state of Israel is incomprehensible. At the same time I the government while professing support for Israel has publicly snubbed snubbed its leaders.

I also have serious concerns about the economics and practicalities of the Health Care Reform Act but that will be a subject of another post.

Please understand, that have yet to be convinced in the field of domestic economics that Romney offers anything better. In foreign policy I agree that we must be more aggressive in maintaining our alliances and the Middle East. I would think that any action prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon would be justified; whatever the cost is it would be less than the destruction Iran is willing to do if they believe they can get away with it.

The crux of the matter is that four weeks before the election I have no idea who I should vote for, and I hope that all of you keep an open mind.

(this entire document dictated in Dragon 12!!!-there is hope)

OZ COUNCIL MEETING (cont)

The Agenda Setting Session  is thew forum for the Council members to discuss the Resolutions and Ordinances  that will be submitted for action at the Business meeting the following week.Rarely is a Resolution approved for inclusion at the Business meeting voted down.

Resolution “V” increases a contract awarded to Remington for topographic services including aerial survey of the floodplain area. The original amount requested and allowed by the Council was $15,000. Apparently although covered the over flight of all of the involved areas that amount only permitted mapping the south side of the railroad tracks. The extra $4850 is for finishing the mapping of the area north of the tracks.

These contracts are awarded on professional services criteria without competitive bidding. Question; if there was competitive bidding under an RFQ could not perhaps the lowest bid contract for the complete study be less than the final cost of $20,000? Under the present practices we will never know.

The resolution to certify review of the 2012 best practice inventory, a required document which was due on September 30. It had already been submitted and was receiving related certification that the Council has reviewed the document.

The “inventory” is a series of practice questions that require a yes or no answer. If memory serves me right the city had 13 “nos”. With the result that there’ll be a loss of at least 1% state aid to the city in 2012.

Among the outstanding failures were: #1” general ledger items are not reconciled to bank statements”, #”2 have not filed copies of shares services agreement”, #3 “failure to comply with accepted practices insurance broker contracts to limit costs. Structure broker, #4 payments not defined in contracts” #4 supervisors do not review employee’s time and attendance documentation. These are only 4 of the 13 deficiencies noted.

Please note the Council is not required to act on these deficiencies which are administrative functions. All of this is due to the absence of a CFO, purchasing agent, and continuity in the fiscal offices the present administration. Could this be a policy, and not the result of unfortunate circumstances?

Public safety submitted one resolution to change the purchase of a Ford Fusion to a Ford Taurus. The Fusion requested was no longer available due to lateness of the purchasing order.

An other resolution changed the purchase of six but no longer available 2012 marked police cars to five 2013 model. Director Hellwig mentioned that the amount would be less; “a savings to the city”. He did not state what the cost of the 2012 or 2013 individual vehicles were.

A Resolution to "retroactively to Sept. 1 renewal of a prescription plan with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Sheild  for $408,018.09 was accepted for approval.

Withdrawn was a resolution to for allocation of funds from the UEZ funds for $87,978.10 to ‘complete the salaries and wages” adopted in 2012 Municipal budget. No reason was given.

 
Not part of the meeting, but every resolution requiring expenditures of funds by law has to have a CFO’s certificate of availability of the funds. I noted that on almost all of t he certificates the acting CFO’s signature is initialed by someone else. Could there be a question of legality?

THE COMMON COUNCIL OF OZ MEETING

Last night [Monday] I thought that I was going to attend the Agenda Setting Session for the month of October of the Plainfield Common Council. Instead somehow I seem to have entered into an alternate universe, because I was at the meeting of the Oz Council.

Well l that was not entirely true for the meeting began normally and was marked highlighted by the presentation of the planning board of the zoning changes needed for the transit oriented development downtown zone [TODD] as background material for an ordinance that was to be introduced for first reading at the end of the meeting. Typical of Plainfield’s civic oriented government this is the first step in a municipal plan that should have been initiated years ago.

Then all of a sudden there was a universe shift as described in counselor Williams’ blog.click. here.

 In an answer to a question about the efficiency of the shot spotter Public Safety Director Hellwig admitted that he was disappointed to date and was hoping to meet with the vendors officials to see if the starting date of the contract could be moved back from the original July 1 until the date the system is operating effectively. Question of whether there was an out clause in the present contract and that was referred to a discussion and executive session at the recommendation of the acting Corporation counsel.

Jekyll and Hyde, Councilor Reid again expressed his objections to a resolution calling for the issuance of a RFQ from vendors to collect outstanding court fees and fines which at present amount to over $750,000. Consensus agreed to place it on the agenda,

If  activated there will be no cost to the city since the collection agencies charges, which amount up to 22% of the collective amount, are added on the collective funds.

As anticipated there was discussion about item U for an increase of $6753.00 to C. H. S. Construction Company for the “deconstruction”(sic) of the property located at 326 Leland Ave. There was clarification about the so-called bank vault as a vault found inside the building which contained hazardous material.

Action on this resolution was made dependent upon information of when the original contract was issued.  A search of all Agenda resolutions items from Jan. 1,2011 to date by several individuals failed to find it. Also asked was why the city was doing this work on a privately owned property?. Can and will the money will be recouped from the owner. If the property has been abandoned why has the city not seized ownership?

  

There seem to be little concern about a conflict of interest involving the principal of the construction company and his position on a City Authority. There also was mentioned that one of the removing trash vendor’s (PMUA) contract seemed to be at a higher rate than others.

At this point I cannot go to enough detail about my reaction to a resolution introduced at the meeting by the city solicitor in his role as acting Corporation counsel authorizing the reimbursement of the mayor’s attorney in the sum of $22,000 for services rendered in her suit against the Council [and us taxpayers]. With only one objection from counselor Williams this was agreed to be placed on the agenda 

 Oz  uber alles 

More forthcoming in the coming days.

Most of this  was dictated on Dragon 12, please call my attention to all syntax errors.

MORE AGENDA STUFF

Some additional remarks on Monday’s agenda.

Once again a resolution to outsource collection unpaid court fines and fees is on the agenda. Once again the outcome of the vote whether to place it on the business agenda for not be an indication of the commitment of the various counselors the welfare of the city versus nonsense objections.

From Public Affairs and Safety there are three items one authorizes approval for the usage of 2012 special law enforcement equipment. Except it seems that this is in essence a change from a previous resolution approving purchase of a Ford Fusions to a Ford Taurus. Apparently the Ford Fusion is not available.

The second item is also a change from the previous resolution with the reduction of the purchase of new of six new police vehicles to five because again of the unavailability of the required vehicles.

The third item is for a public auction of abandoned and unclaimed vehicles.

From economic development there are two items; one for $89,978.10 as  allocation of UEZ funds to complete salaries adopted in the 2012 calendar year budget for the office of economic development. The other is for approval of the introduction SID’s 2013 operating budget.($240,019.11)

There are two ordinances for the first reading; one is required by the Union County Prosecutor’s office on the placement of bins to receive the charitable clothing. The other and very important is an ordinance to amend various zoning designations for land use in the city to create a Transit Oriented Development Downtown Zone.(TODD). This is a massive document and very comprehensive and is about five years too late. Both Ordinances should be adopted at first reading

There is a communication from Transitions International requesting permission for a sidewalk and street encroachment to conduct the first annual "Veterans’ Awareness Day" (shades of  the 4th of July event) on October 14 in the “Plainfield Square”. The location should have been described as Plainwood Square. The principal for Transitions International is the Lewis Demeter proprietor of SWEET LEWS Bakery.

Once again timing of such a request is controversial since the Council meeting will be on the ninth only five days before the event is scheduled I believe the Council should have more information on an organization known as transitions international before granting any such request. 

As a veteran I consider that there are too many groups attempting to run fund-raising affairs in the name of the veterans.