Comments on: Get Bob Cratchitt to Do It http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html Dispatches from a Small Business Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:39:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: rxc http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14810 rxc Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:04:11 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14810 <p>The mantra in govt is that "process is your friend", because once you establish the process, after giving all of the interested stakeholders a chance to provide their input, none of them can come after you for being arbitrary and capricious. So, govt organizations spend much more time trying to set up processes to deal with the work that they expect to get, rather than having to make ad-hoc decisions for each case. </p> <p>Ad-hoc decisions are hell, because they get second-guessed by stakeholders and media, relied on as precedents for completely non-related matters, and the govt gets sued. This official needs to go thru a rulemaking to set a limit on the amounts that she will consider trivial. Should only take a year or two... Unless some politician decides to get involved and "help her out"</p> The mantra in govt is that “process is your friend”, because once you establish the process, after giving all of the interested stakeholders a chance to provide their input, none of them can come after you for being arbitrary and capricious. So, govt organizations spend much more time trying to set up processes to deal with the work that they expect to get, rather than having to make ad-hoc decisions for each case.

Ad-hoc decisions are hell, because they get second-guessed by stakeholders and media, relied on as precedents for completely non-related matters, and the govt gets sued. This official needs to go thru a rulemaking to set a limit on the amounts that she will consider trivial. Should only take a year or two… Unless some politician decides to get involved and “help her out”

]]> By: xpatUSA http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14809 xpatUSA Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:46:32 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14809 <p>"I finally built a website without using a WYSIWIG editor that formatted the way I wanted it to all in CSS without a single table. I predict that now that I have finally gotten a decent handle on CSS, which mainly consists of learning all the workarounds for when it doesn't work as you would expect, that someone is about to introduce a whole new system for formatting web pages."</p> <p>Well done! CSS2 and html 4.01 transitional does it for most folks. Unfortunately, xhtml is getting a little too popular and CSS3 is already here, sad to say.</p> <p>Some WYSIWIG editors are bloody awful! Yahoo's Sitebuilder used to produce enormous tables but lately has become much more intelligent. About the best on the planet lately is Google's Blogspot and their on-line Document system.</p> <p>Keep up the good work,</p> <p>T.C.</p> “I finally built a website without using a WYSIWIG editor that formatted the way I wanted it to all in CSS without a single table. I predict that now that I have finally gotten a decent handle on CSS, which mainly consists of learning all the workarounds for when it doesn’t work as you would expect, that someone is about to introduce a whole new system for formatting web pages.”

Well done! CSS2 and html 4.01 transitional does it for most folks. Unfortunately, xhtml is getting a little too popular and CSS3 is already here, sad to say.

Some WYSIWIG editors are bloody awful! Yahoo’s Sitebuilder used to produce enormous tables but lately has become much more intelligent. About the best on the planet lately is Google’s Blogspot and their on-line Document system.

Keep up the good work,

T.C.

]]> By: Thinking man http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14808 Thinking man Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:15:06 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14808 <p>Well we did fight two land wars during 41 and 43 watch and war does tend to be expensive but not so much as surrender.</p> Well we did fight two land wars during 41 and 43 watch and war does tend to be expensive but not so much as surrender.

]]> By: Charlie B http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14807 Charlie B Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:23:04 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14807 <p>"She'd have a tough time getting hired on at a real business."</p> <p>The decision probably isn't hers to make. The town council, which she was wish enough not to throw under the bus, is solely responsible for the financial rules.</p> <p>It wouldn't surprise me to learn that their is a town ordinance or state statute prohibiting debt forgiveness without a resolution passed by the council. </p> “She’d have a tough time getting hired on at a real business.”

The decision probably isn’t hers to make. The town council, which she was wish enough not to throw under the bus, is solely responsible for the financial rules.

It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that their is a town ordinance or state statute prohibiting debt forgiveness without a resolution passed by the council.

]]> By: Brian http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14806 Brian Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:09:42 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14806 <blockquote>"And what would that amount be?"</blockquote> <p>Not to give them too much credit, but I bet even a government accountant could figure this one out.</p> <p>- cost of producing the bill (paper, ink, depreciating machinery)<br /> - cost of delivering the bill (envelope, postage, delivery to Post Office)</p> <p>And then your code would be something along the lines of:</p> <p>If (amount to produce and deliver bill) > (Amount owed)<br /> Move to next bill</p> <p>This does not seem overly complicated. In fact, I can think of at least 5000 businesses that do exactly this sort of thing on a daily basis. They have to, because if they spend more than make they go out of business. I suppose it's a good thing Ms. Marcoccio doesn't have to worry about silly little things like profitability. She'd have a tough time getting hired on at a real business.</p>

“And what would that amount be?”

Not to give them too much credit, but I bet even a government accountant could figure this one out.

- cost of producing the bill (paper, ink, depreciating machinery)
- cost of delivering the bill (envelope, postage, delivery to Post Office)

And then your code would be something along the lines of:

If (amount to produce and deliver bill) > (Amount owed)
Move to next bill

This does not seem overly complicated. In fact, I can think of at least 5000 businesses that do exactly this sort of thing on a daily basis. They have to, because if they spend more than make they go out of business. I suppose it’s a good thing Ms. Marcoccio doesn’t have to worry about silly little things like profitability. She’d have a tough time getting hired on at a real business.

]]> By: Jim http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14805 Jim Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:01:59 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14805 <p>I get a good laugh once a month when I receive one of my credit card statements (in the mail mind you since the credit union won't go paperless) that for 3+ years now has had a running balance of minus 10 cents. I suppose they keep hoping that I'll spend the 10 cents, but I prefer to let them keep spending money on me every month.</p> I get a good laugh once a month when I receive one of my credit card statements (in the mail mind you since the credit union won’t go paperless) that for 3+ years now has had a running balance of minus 10 cents. I suppose they keep hoping that I’ll spend the 10 cents, but I prefer to let them keep spending money on me every month.

]]> By: Rick C http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14804 Rick C Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:49:19 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14804 <p>It's worse than that--the city collector dug in heels and said that the bill wouldn't be cancelled.<br /> <blockquote>In the meantime, the city is holding firm on the amount due.</p> <p>Marcoccio, who called the whole situation "ridiculous," said the city will not waive the balance.</p> <p>"If there's a bill, it must be paid," she said.</blockquote></p> It’s worse than that–the city collector dug in heels and said that the bill wouldn’t be cancelled.

In the meantime, the city is holding firm on the amount due.

Marcoccio, who called the whole situation “ridiculous,” said the city will not waive the balance.

“If there’s a bill, it must be paid,” she said.

]]> By: ErikTheRed http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14803 ErikTheRed Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:26:12 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14803 <p>I can top that - I once got a refund check from Pac Bell for $.01. I really need to dig that up and scan it...</p> I can top that – I once got a refund check from Pac Bell for $.01. I really need to dig that up and scan it…

]]> By: James http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html/comment-page-1#comment-14802 James Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:46:01 +0000 http://www.warrenmeyer.net/coyote_blog/2008/11/get-bob-cratchitt-to-do-it.html#comment-14802 <p>Yeah, but if we let them take over healthcare and Wall Street, bureaucrats will certainly be able to handle that without issue.</p> Yeah, but if we let them take over healthcare and Wall Street, bureaucrats will certainly be able to handle that without issue.

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