Well, that wasn't very nice......

[madmom]

I just got back from our county auditors office. We have a homestead act for elderly and disabled property owners. I went in to get the forms for my husband who was just declared disabled by the SS admin. This "lady" was pretty curt, she acted like I was trying to take something from her. She asked in a rather gruff way.."do you intend to see a doctor or what?" I told her we already had a letter of determination from the SS admin and she all but threw the form at me. Said they can't collect them till Jan 1. I'm thinking someone must have pissed in her cheerios this morning or she is a repug. What do you think?

[Ship of Fools]

1. She's a repug and YOU ARE FREELOADING, in her universe.

[NeedleCast]

2. I think she's probably a low-level administrative government employee who hates her job

I've dealt with a lot of them, believe me. Many of them are like that. I wouldn't read too much into it.

[gateley]

4. Or like some TSA agents, little, powerless people who like

to play Big Fish and throw their weight around to prove THEY are better than YOU.

It's them, not you.

[SpiralHawk]

6. The Tyranny of the Petty Bureaucracy (R)

aka Shrunken Soul Syndrome (R).

[eShirl]

7. +1

I've met a few of those myself. It just kills them to have to do their job. That's why I smile back at them. :evilgrin:

[NeedleCast]

13. That is THE best way to handle them

I worked as a technical trainer for the Dept of Justice for about four years and met 100s of this type person. Not to say that I didn't also meet some quality people at that job as well. These petty tyrants though were the ones I remember. Talk about a segment of the population opposed to change.

Me: "Hi! How you doing? I'm here to teach you how to use this software that will make it easier for you to do your job, that will run faster and with fewer crashes and that generally makes your life simpler."

Clerk: "I hate this!"

[Rainbowreflect]

16. Or maybe she, like many government employees,

just had their pay and benefits cut and staff taken away due to budget cuts due to tax cuts. It is hard to be nice when have to do more work with less people for less money and fewer benefits. Or maybe she's just a bitch, who knows!

[gratuitous]

3. Don't let her world become your reality

The system of exemptions was instituted for good public policy reasons: It helps stabilize the community and provide more security for people when life hits them hard, as in your case. Up until now, you have paid property taxes and some portion of that was assessed doubtless because other people in your community were unable to pay their own property taxes due to disabiliity or age. Now it's your turn to take advantage of a good policy, and who knows why the person at the auditors office was grumpy?

Fill out the forms, and enjoy one of the blessings of liberty bestowed by a free and progressive society (despite the most mean-spirited efforts of certain political strains in our country).

[MineralMan]

5. Send a carefully-worded letter to the auditor directly and

describe what happened. That's what I'd do. I never let government office employees act rude without informing their boss. In most cases, the auditor is an elected official. I promise you'll hear from him. If you don't write to the editor of your local paper about it.

Don't get mad; take action.

[raccoon]

12. Great post, and I second that emotion. nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. My husband is on SSDI these past 3 yrs. Our property is homesteaded, has been

since we bought it, 14 years ago.

He called the county tax office to inquire about a reduction in property tax, any relief at all and nope, none.

That person was also rather rude. :shrug:

The only break is at 65yo, the school tax is frozen. That's it.


And our property taxes are 4800/yr.


Thanks Bexar County, Texas. x(

[SheilaT]

17. Oh, but at least you don't

have a state income tax! (Can you tell I'm being a little ironic here?)

States do have to make up revenue somewhere. I recall some years ago driving from Kansas to Texas and noticing how much more expensive gasoline was in Texas. And differences in gas prices are almost totally local taxes.

[hlthe2b]

9. I usually adopt my most sincere poker face expression...

and ask if they are having a bad day... If they are RETHUG assholes, that won't phase them. However, if they are only acting as assholes because they were upset earlier by something unrelated, that usually "melts" through the anger and they start being human again. Only works if I can contain my own anger at being treated so rudely, but worth a try? ;)

[bluerum]

10. Was her supervisor available?

[elocs]

11. I think that based upon a one time encounter we don't know all that is going on in someone's life.

Sure, we should all be professional and not bring our problems to work, but people are imperfect.

Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe she was not feeling well, or her husband is sick, or that there are other family problems and they are about to lose their house. Maybe she has a crappy boss or maybe the person ahead of you was terrible.

There have been times in my life when I have wished that people would cut me a break because of how I may have behaved so I try and be generous when it comes to judging others over one encounter. Then if they really are nasty, well, I don't have to live with them or likely have to see them again.

That's what I think.

[pacalo]

14. Times have certainly changed. I'm from the old-school way of thinking: A professional

should always put aside their emotions in the workplace. There's no "bad days" when dealing with the public.

I'm with the poster who suggested informing the auditor about the employee's behavior. It may be the public's lax attitude toward being treated this way that has allowed the "times to change" for the worse. He may have hired her, but clients shouldn't have to deal with her unprofessional attitude.

[elocs]

15. And as I said, some people are not perfect and are not always professional.

On a one time encounter I don't get bent out of shape. I have been less than perfect at times in my life as well.

There are bigger things in life to get worked up about than if somebody was rude to me. That, I can let go.

[SheilaT]

18. Almost every job I have had in my life

I've dealt with the public. Most people are idiots. Many people are ignorant assholes. Sometimes it's hard to be nice to your clients/customers/whatever.

I generally handle these kinds of situations by being incredibly nice. Even though what I'm asking for is what their job is, I'll say something like, "I don't want to be too much of a bother, but could you do this-or-that for me?" Even if the clerk continues to be rude back, I'll go on in an overtly friendly way, and almost always, after a bit, they behave a lot better. It also works to get someone to do something for me that really is above and beyond what they must do for me.

[MilesColtrane]

19. Let her boss know that she's being an asshole to the people who pay his salary.