The Donner Party?

The Texas welfare system is in danger of imminent meltdown.

Why?

Here's one reason from Fr. John Whiteford:

The atmosphere in the Texas Works Division of HHSC is currently about where the Donner Party was when they had just polished off the last can of beans. People who I thought would never leave, are talking about getting out now. When a new job outside of Texas Works is posted, there is a general scramble to apply for it.

To give you an example, my people, in addition to having to do twice the work with half of the people that we used to have, they are now having to stick return address labels on window envelopes, because we can't even get window envelopes with our return address printed on them.

The horror!

Bloody hell.

(found on several left-leaning blogs over the last few days, the first of which I don't recall or I would link)

Posted by Kevin Whited @ 05/18/05 15:01 | Texas | Technorati

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If you take a look at the blog you are talking about, you will see that it is anything but a left leaning blog. I am to the right of Rush Limbaugh.

The example of the window envelopes may seem silly to you, but my workers do nothing all day but work cases and send notices to recipients. Not being able to get window envelopes with a return address is a big deal in that environment, particularly when they find themselves falling behind every day because we don't have enough staff, and yet they are held to standards that expect them to meet time frames that are becoming increasingly impossible to meet. We also often can't get toner for our printers, post it notes, staples, staplers, etc. We are also left with computer systems that don’t work.

Laugh all you want now, but when the system is in total collapse there will be a price to pay for Republicans in this state… and I prefer that not happen, because I would rather see socially conservative Republicans win that see liberal Democrats beat them.
Posted by Fr. John Whiteford @ 18:56 on 05/18/05

I didn't call yours a left-leaning blog.

You aren't likely to get sympathy from large contingents of libertarian conservatives in this state because of your window envelope problems.

I don't mean to offend with that statement. It's just reality.

But I will agree that yes, state Republicans are doing a pretty piss poor job at exercising leadership in many areas, although I wouldn't necessarily call that one of them.
Posted by Kevin @ 19:04 on 05/18/05

This is one of the problems with welfare in Texas... people don't like the idea of it. OK... If you want my opinion on welfare in theory, see:

http://fatherjohn.blogspot....

In short, if Republicans want to end welfare, then cut the programs. What is going on right now, however, is that they are not cutting the programs, but are rather cutting the administration of them in ways that will not ultimately save the state money (because they encourage fraud), and are planning on handing a billion dollars to a Bermuda corporation to administer it instead. This will cost the state down the road, and it won't work well. See:

http://fatherjohn.blogspot.... and http://fatherjohn.blogspot....
Posted by Fr. John Whiteford @ 19:23 on 05/18/05

Fr. John is right that having people ill equipped to do their job is no way to save money. Something about production functions. If things are as bad as he says, I doubt he'd be happy with the solution though - fire some people in favor of more spending on capital and supplies.

In any case comparing the lack of window envelopes to winter in the Donner Pass is so ridiculous it's hard to even laugh it.
Posted by Tom Hanna @ 20:26 on 05/18/05

The problem is this, however. Unlike a private for-profit business, the amount of work we have to do does not add to our resources. We have a workload that has been on the increase, and we are not given the option of telling people to try the Salvation Army. We are obligated by law to provide people with whatever benefits they are eligible for. Now, if the laws were changed, and the benefits were cut, then you could fire some people. That would at least be an honest way of going about it.
Posted by Fr. John Whiteford @ 20:56 on 05/18/05

And as for this comment:

"In any case comparing the lack of window envelopes to winter in the Donner Pass is so ridiculous it's hard to even laugh it."

If you read the article, it begins with:

"The atmosphere in the Texas Works Division of HHSC is currently about where the Donner Party was when they had just polished off the last can of beans." Obviously, this was a hyperbolic comment, which was intended to be humorous, but to make a serious point. The window envelopes are a small example of a much bigger problem. Things are falling apart. People are beginning to get desparate. And when people stop getting their Food Stamps and picking Food Banks clean (which happened recently in Colorado, with only one of four elements converging in Texas at present to contribute to our melt-down), it will start getting a whole lot more serious.

See: http://fatherjohn.blogspot....
Posted by Fr. John Whiteford @ 21:02 on 05/18/05

If you read the article, it begins with

That's not the only hint of condescension that's been in some of these comments.

Why assume the readers here didn't follow the link I provided and read the posts? Or that I didn't? Or that I didn't read your blog?

That's the beauty of the open-source medium -- people follow links. They can read. They can decide. They may even have something interesting to contribute to the conversation. Comments and trackback are useful in that regard.

I'm not sure what you intended rhetorically with the window envelope example, but Tom's response is about what I would expect from economic conservatives. Those are the sorts of people you're probably going to need to communicate with effectively if you hope to resolve what you obviously view as a worsening problem in this state. Obviously, the rhetoric didn't resonate with me, but maybe it will with others.
Posted by Kevin @ 22:41 on 05/18/05

With regard to:

"That's not the only hint of condescension that's been in some of these comments.

Why assume the readers here didn't follow the link I provided and read the posts? Or that I didn't? Or that I didn't read your blog?"

I've debated enough folks on the internet over the years to know that you can't assume people spend alot of time looking over web pages or reading them thoroughly. If you want to be sure that they noticed something, you have to highlight it or quote it to them... and then the link if there for them to verify the quote, and check it out further if they are so inclined.

As for swaying economic conservatives on this issue, I honestly have little hope left that anyone in a postionto to do anything about it, and who doesn't already understand the real issues will care prior to the welfare system in this state going into a total meltdown.
The legislative session is winding down, and now the meltdown is almost inevitable. My posts now are mostly directed at putting out the word now, so that people will know who to blame, and what the cause was, when it does happen.
Posted by Fr. John Whiteford @ 00:29 on 05/20/05

I've debated enough folks on the internet over the years to know that you can't assume people spend alot of time looking over web pages or reading them thoroughly. If you want to be sure that they noticed something, you have to highlight it or quote it to them... and then the link if there for them to verify the quote, and check it out further if they are so inclined.
---
Wow, you're pompous AND condescending!

But honest. I'll give you honest.

Just a friendly hint since you seem to fancy yourself a master communicator -- connecting with your audience is a BIG part of communicating. The power of your ideas is an important thing, but it's not the only thing. You need to work on connecting with your audience.

Since the audience here is largely a relatively mainstream segment of Republican voters in Texas (mainly enterprisers, some pro-government conservatives, some social conservatives) and elsewhere, it strikes me that they're the sort of people with whom you want your arguments to resonate. They may not be in a position to do anything about it at the moment, as you say but voters are not exactly powerless. And grassroots organization has been known to do some good in Austin (although it requires lots of work, more than just comments on blogspot).

But, if your rhetorical effort is just to lay blame to say "I told you so" later, I guess we'll see in time who misdiagnosed a shortage of window envelopes as the precursor to the collapse of the state and who did not!
Posted by Kevin @ 06:28 on 05/20/05

With regard to:
"But, if your rhetorical effort is just to lay blame to say "I told you so" later, I guess we'll see in time who misdiagnosed a shortage of window envelopes as the precursor to the collapse of the state and who did not!"

I should point out that my current pessimism is simply due to the fact that the legislative session is nearing its end, and the bills that might have done something about this mess have either died or are dying fast. I’ve spent a great deal of time in past 6 months trying to talk to people in the Governor’s office, the Lt. Governor, my State Senator, and my state Representative. Unfortunately, there has been no interest in trying to address these issues. I wish it were not at this point, but unless something unexpected starts happening in the current Legislative session, all that will be left is to hold the people responsible accountable in the next election. Unless something changes, things should start hitting the fan just as the Governor’s race is starting up. I hope Kay Bailey Hutchison runs against Perry. If he allows this to happen, he deserves to lose.
Posted by Fr. John Whiteford @ 12:17 on 05/21/05

Kevin, how long have you been talking to people on the internet? You have a way of reading attacks and motives that people new to the medium often fall into. Though, you will probably say that is further evidence of my arrogance, I am honestly just trying to figure out where you are coming from, and why you seem so inclined to read nastiness into words were no nastiness was intended.

Keep on digging! You're doing great!

I believe you are sincere when you say you are not intentionally insulting. That only reinforces previous advice, though -- your communication skills could improve, and you need to concentrate more on your audience. Your rhetoric comes across as arrogant and condescending. You may not intend that, but it does.

Now, to answer your question --

I've been talking to people on the "internet" for a while now, starting on its academic precursor bitnet. In the late 80s, I ran a modestly trafficked bbs on a campuswide LAN. I've participated in bbses when they were the rage. I migrated to usenet when it was big. I've had a frequently updated website (when weblog was a term that hadn't even been invented) since Netscape was the world's most popular browser. This weblog has won an award from the Houston Press, despite my being right-leaning and their being left-leaning. My labor of love, blogHOUSTON, has a significant daily local readership that includes national, state, county, and local officials, local media types, liberals and conservatives, and many other folks who don't always drop me a line to let me know their background. So, no, I'm not new to the internet. Indeed, I would suggest I am not the one who is behaving that way.

Indeed, you made me laugh out loud when you suggested my communication skills on the internet may need work! This coming from a guy who doesn't allow comments or trackback from a relatively new site with low traffic? Friend, I always try to learn from people, and you may well have something to teach me, but I suggest that you need to take a good look in the mirror and a good look at your own communications techniques before you once again question MY background.

Trying to learn something about your audience in order to communicate with them is a VERY GOOD IDEA. If you don't have time to learn something about them, don't be surprised when they react poorly to rhetoric that seems to condescend to them.

To take up another assumption of yours -- yes, I did take the time to learn something about your website before I commented on the post there. That's standard procedure with me. And yes, the readers here are intelligent people who do follow links. I know you said you don't have time for the practice, but I really would suggest that knowing something about one's audience is a very useful part of communication that is frequently worth the time invested.

As far as your specific beefs against the state leadership -- I would suggest you've only barely scratched the surface if you've worked only your individual rep and senator, the lt gov, and the gov. You and likeminded people should be contacting committee members and working with their staffs, and paying calls on them if they're not interested in your emails. I know that process can work in Austin because I know a nonprofit with NO budget and no real political influence that has significantly influenced legislation on coastal erosion in recent years. BUT, it takes a more sophisticated strategy than simply letting your beefs be known to a handful of leaders, and it takes a bit of face time in Austin. I know from my friends it's not much fun and it's a lot of free time to give up, but it can make a difference.
Posted by Kevin @ 20:01 on 05/21/05

You're entitle to your opinion of my style, and I yours. Sorry if I have offended you.

I don't allow comments on my blog for reasons of my own, primarily time, and spammers. I do get a fair amount of e-mailed response to my blogs, and of course from time to time, I get responses on blogs such as yours. I also manage 8 Yahoo Groups, and participate on several more, and on one listserv discussion group... and so that is where most of my online communications take place.

As for the political stuff, unfortunately, I don't have time to be a full time lobbyist, but I am also not the only one that has been trying to press these issues in the past year.... though I suspect I may have been one of the few Republicans attempting to do so.

But anyway... God bless, and perhaps we'll have occassion for more cordial exchanges in the future.
Posted by Fr. John Whiteford @ 21:07 on 05/21/05

As for the political stuff, unfortunately, I don't have time to be a full time lobbyist, but I am also not the only one that has been trying to press these issues in the past year....

The people I referred to on coastal-erosion issues have full-time jobs in industries unrelated to government or the coast. They use their spare time to go to Austin and they work legislative staffers and they engage in grassroots activism because they are passionate about their issue, and it has had an impact. Blogging and email groups have their place, but I might suggest considering an Austin/legislative oriented strategy as well for your issues. It can be effective.
Posted by Kevin @ 21:20 on 05/21/05

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