Akron sucked to work for!
Sometimes people are over critical of their employer.
People are critical of their employers for a variety of reasons. Occasionally it is because of contract issues or oppressive rules, and occasionally it is due to the employer adjusting things with an eye toward downsizing or profit skimming due to leadership retirements or changes. Skim the profit and bail.
Just so there are no mistakes, I used to reside in Akron, Ohio. I worked for the Akron Fire Department. I developed training and helped make the department the multifunction entity it is today. Then I got hurt, and I was retired for three weeks before I found out, as I was on injury leave at the time, from a fall at a house fire. Have you ever heard of a person retiring and not knowing it? Sure some folks resign without knowing it, off on a binge, forget to go to work, in the drunk tank, again, and can't call off. Of course in Akron those are the ways to get promoted. In fact there are requirements for some jobs that you have a valid drivers license, it can't be suspended by the court for drunk driving, unless you are in the upper echelons of power. Then of course you have an underling pick you up and drive you to work. So nobody knows, but that's not even a real issue. Drunks will always do well, because they are so easy to control. They have a lot to hide and a weakness to exploit, who better to be in an upper-middle management position.
The real reason Akron Sucks to work for is they are above the law. They are HOME RULE, which means they will do whatever they want to, in spite of the laws or the constitution. Unless you can beat them in their own courts "very unlikely" you will need a pot of money to fight them, until you are in an area where they don't control the legal process. One example of this, is the current lawsuit by the Police and Fire Retirees. Simply trying to get the city to make good on it's contracts for the last 50 years where it was agreed they would provide continuing medical coverage for all Police and Fire Retirees and their families. The city has dumped the retirees on the pension system, where it can cost nearly a third of the individuals monthly retirement check to pay for his healthcare. And that's if you're healthy. Of course it failed in the local courts because the city owns them, but it takes so much time (and money) to get to the Counties appeal courts, and then to the state courts, that quite a few of those it most affects, will die before it is settled. A heartless plus for the city, which they have already mentioned. Really makes you want to risk life and limb to protect the cities leaders and their interests doesn't it?
Let's take it a step further!
The city will tell you what you can own. What your hobbies will be. What your kids can and can't have. Sounds a little Communist doesn't it? Or maybe totalitarian is a better word. If you work for the city, you have to live in the city. Let's say your grandfather has a great little farm. And it is just outside the city limits, about a ten minute drive to work, twenty minutes to the farthest Fire station you could be assigned to. ( And you will likely be assigned as far away from your home as possible, just happens, of course.) You will have no more traveling to do than anyone else in the department. But you can't live there, it's not in the city. You have to give up the farm, because you can't support two households. And if you sleep at the farm on your days off, the city official that follows you home, (rather gestapo) will report that you are living outside the city and you will be threatened with termination. What if , in the two years prior to your being hired as a fire fighter, you have built a new house on property that abuts the cities boundary, and have asked to be annexed? Seems to be a slam dunk as far as getting it annexed, right? Nope! You have to move to the house directly behind you, or you will lose your job. What if it was the house next door with the shared driveway? MOVE or lose your job!
Ok, these are extreme ( though actual) examples. But why would you want to subject yourself to this kind of thinking? This level of control? To help the citizens of a city, that hate you? Oh yes, these people hate you. Thanks primarily to the propaganda the Mayor circulates whenever an attempt is made to explain the situation to the dumb ass voters. As soon as the issue is raised, the push is on. In the low income high rises ( homes of the crack heads and baby factories, who want to screw the police) to and retirement homes where they are told ( in their drug maintained stupor) that the paramedics won't be there to help them if they live too far away. And let's not forget the public schools in the poorest sections of town, where the Police and Fire salaries are reported at inflated rates, and they (P&F) have better schedules than even school teachers! (Though I missed more than half the holiday celebrations of my family, because I was working. Schoolteachers? NOT ONE!) and as a matter of "keeping the city workers" in their place. If I had a dime for every homeless drunk that told me about how he paid my salary, as I was cleaning his vomit off my clothes, well I wouldn't be driving a ten year old Ford Escort .
Now let's get back to that hobbies and kids possessions statement. Ever thought of owning a horse? How about getting your kids a pony? Can't do it in the city, need a minimum amount of land, (not available or affordable on a fireman's salary). How about getting your kids a go kart to ride around in the yard? What about a small motorcycle? NOPE! Noise ordinances, and nothing without a licence can be ridden in the city. They even have a special police unit to hunt kids down and take their powered vehicles. Big guy on a four wheeler, with a tow chain and a winch. Really makes you want to move here and raise your children, huh?
How about a ham radio tower? (height restrictions) Or a dragster? (Noise restrictions) Or park your motor home in front of the house, for a good cleaning. (Vehicle size restrictions). You know, it was a real pleasure to work for an employer that touched my life in so many ways.
As a special treat, here's the HEALTH NAZI's
There is one particular city function you want to avoid at all costs. The Health Department! Now you might ask how the health department can be a problem, I'm here to warn you, they are the most relentless, "unaffected by common sense" operation, in the history of the known universe. The thing you need to realize is they have rules to enforce and they are going to use them somewhere, even if they don't apply. And if you get a person that understands the exact situation, they will still not be able to adjust their response in any way to your benefit. RULE ONE, they can't enter your house or step off the sidewalk onto your property without your permission, or invitation. DON'T GIVE IT! I thought I had nothing to hide, sure you can come in, BIG BIG MISTAKE! I heard about the 17 health code violations for years in court.
#1 A missing tile in the kitchen floor . I removed a floor level heater vent, and plated the hole, but I didn't put a 1/16th inch floor tile on top of it, tripping hazard.
#2 Broken windows, I have replaceable storm windows, in aluminum frames, they have small chips of glass in the corners missing, not an area large enough to admit a housefly, just a corner that was probably craked off when the glass was installed in the frame. There where actually no broken windows, I even took a few windows to have them fixed and the glazer refused to promise he could make it any better, with new glass, in fact he thought I was nuts for asking.
#3 An open electrical box, {statement of the gentlemanly, but dumb, inspector} "I should notify the electrical inspector on this one!" OK, I had a wall plug behind a large book shelf. I needed a breaker to run a wire from the panel to the back porch. I disconnected the work box in the rafters in the basement. It had the wires from the non functioning wall plug, in it. Dead wires from a disconnected wall socket behind an immovable book case, in an open work box. I put a plate on it, while the well meaning "gentleman" looked on. Dodged a bullet on that one!
#4 No railing on the basement steps, Because it was so narrow, the railing is now in the way , an actual hazard, to "prevent a deadly fall", the "gentleman's" words.
#5 A "rat proof" drain cover, for the floor drain. I lived in this house for twenty years and suddenly I need a "rat proof" drain cover in my basement, did the "gentleman" expect to return by that route at a later time? A health code violation.
#6 The bathroom window was painted shut, there is a fan in that particular room, and no need to have a window that can be opened. Which led to a search for broken window weight ropes, a health code violation. I had purchased replacement windows, but because of my son's divorce which started all this scrutiny, I hadn't had time to install them.
#7 I forget what the rest of the problems were, suffice it to say, they were as ridiculous, frivolous and moronic as these. Little bullshit laws to harass a person with, and of course, require a return visit.
The next time a person came up to my door and asked if they could come in. I asked who they were and why, first. When they said Health Department I directed them to go to the side walk in front of my house and stay there. He wasn't happy, but neither did he cost me weeks of aggravation over nothing.
THe next harassment counsel!
The next little group that will cause you trouble are the abandon car gurus. I had two cars in my yard, between my house and garage that had out of date plates on them. The reason they were not current was they were to be part of my son's divorce settlement. They were specifically 'named' in the divorce action and couldn't be driven or disposed of until the courts acted on the claims. So the Psycho called the "abandoned cars committee" and made a formal complaint, even though she was living in another county. Of course there is a "duty to act" if a complaint is received! So another day shot, sitting around waiting for the meeting to begin. Actually this was a "group of old guys in sweaters" doing what they felt was a community service. After they read the complaint, that my yard was full of junk cars, loaded with all kinds of health hazards, and mortal danger for the little helpless children that might be swallowed up by the creatures that inhabited them, I explained.
I told them the name on the complaint, which of course they couldn't tell me for security reasons. I explained that the vehicle which was filled to the level of the back of the front seat with trash and McDonalds bags, was in fact the vehicle of the Psycho, who made the report. I explained the harassment at the hands of all the Health Nazi's and the wild allegations that had been leveled at us in the hope of causing further problems in the domestic courts, and the visits by Children's Services Bureau, over alleged mistreatment, and yada yada yada. They were actually sympathetic, and understood the situation, and dropped the case, based on the promise that I would do something with the cars when they were released by the court. Of course the day they were released, I had them towed away and gave the Psycho her half of the proceeds. $17.50 Half of the $35.00 I got for the cars.
SORRY, got off on the Psycho, she gets her own page later.
Another little trick the city uses is the complaining neighbor, who can't be named, someone allegedly complained I had a Crack house and all kinds of drug trafficking happening. In reality it was the old house, next door I bought and used as a garage. I had a wood shop, a place for my metal casting machines, and a room filled with ham radio equipment. I spent hundreds of dollars painting and repairing the house and let the bushes in the front, grow large to help hide the house from view and to muffle the sound of my activities, as a saw whining at 9 pm wasn't considerate of the wonderful neighbors that supposedly turned me in. I had a two year battle with the Health Department's mental giants over that one, and eventually they came and tore down a perfectly good house. I will never understand their thinking on that move. I then built a 24 by 40 pole barn on the exact same site and put my metal machinery and wood shop and radio gear in it. Just cost me another $10,000.00 and forced me to deal with more city departments. And deprived someone of a future home. As it would be an available house, now that I have moved on. But is it important to have houses in an area of the city that they are insistent upon turning into an industrial park? Obviously not at this point. In fact they are just waiting until there are only renters and landlords. Then by "eminent domain" they can take anything they want, and claim to inconvenience only absentee landlords, and no actual home owners, and of course because people have so few options in the lower income areas, it will undoubtedly work. The only infrastructure the city supports are those things that will translate to advantages for the industrial park plan, such as power and sewer and water supply. The roads and side walks are totally crap, and haven't been fixed properly for the last thirty years, except by the homeowners who used to try to keep things up them selves, but most of them have moved on and the houses are either abandoned or rentals with people in them who have no interest or ability, to make improvements. So eventually the city will get their way again, simply by ignoring the needs of the few actual homeowners left, and letting the area fall entirely into disrepair.
It is a shame, as it was a great area 20 years ago, having everything you needed in walking distance. And real handy proximity to the expressway so you could get anywhere in a hurry. If you needed something not available at the grocery, pharmacy, bank, hardware, donut shop and bars, within a two block radius of the lot I owned. It was great, even in a blizzard, or power outage or, well anything, you could walk around and get what you needed to get by, until things stabilized.
I'll rant more, later ( as time permits ) but I need to get the Farm pages up to date, now that I have left this doomed area.
