More From Mark

For this blog I get to combine two of my favorite things: sports and politics.  I also like movies and pizza and puppies but we’ll save those for another blog.

Another spring season brings another ‘will he come back?’ waiting game.  Brett Favre has yet to make a decision on whether he’ll come back, blah blah blah, weighing options, yada yada, make up his mind soon.  But this year good ‘ol Brett has some competition.  Former Governor Tommy Thompson says he may get back into politics.  He is still trying to decide if he will run against Senator Russ Feingold this year.  So I’m wondering, which waiting game is more intreguing?  Let’s compare.

Tommy - Former Cabinet member under George W. Bush

Brett - Former Packer

Point Brett.  I don’t think I have to go into why people care about a Packer more than a politician.

Tommy - Former Presidential candidate

Brett - Former Presidential candidate.  Well, not really, but I know a lot of Wisconsinites wanted him to run for President, and he probably would have won the state.

Point Tommy.  He was actually in the race.

Tommy - Still very popular and generally liked here in Wisconsin.

Brett - Whew, this is a tough one.  I would say he’s still extremely popular and generally liked by HALF the state.  The other half just gets filled with rage and foams at the mouth when you bring up his name.

Point Tommy.  The rage and foaming thing makes me nervous.

Tommy - Chance of winning if he comes back

Brett - Boy, if I thought the last one was tough.  Brett always has a CHANCE of winning, but he also has a chance of absolutely murdering his team in a mind-blowing way when you need him most.

Point Tommy.  For Tommy to choke as bad as Brett, he would have to call in bomb threats to polling place in which he is favored on election day, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

And finally…

Tommy - Has a decent chance of actually coming back.

Brett - Don’t even get me started.

Point Brett.  The indecision is dramatic, I guess.

Result: Brett wins.  I know Tommy has more points, but I think most people care about the Brett drama more.  Even though this year people are keeping a low profile, pretending they don’t care, they do.  There is an added variable this year, half the midwest cares because they want him back, the other half cares because they want him out.  Sorry Tommy.

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Blame the media!! It’s a common phrase, and while I think it can be misguided I know why it’s so often used.  We reach more people on a daily basis than any other organization.  We are where people turn when they want information, and because of this fact people are naturally distrustful of what we do.  We have a huge responsibility.

While the media often times makes people uneasy, you should at least be comforted in knowing that we have access to as much information as we can get our hands on.  That’s the only way to ensure that YOU have access to as much information as you can get your hands on.  That’s why a bill rattling around in the State Assembly right now is so disturbing.

The bill, Assembly Bill 612, would limit access to 911 calls for all of us, not just media, all of us.  Right now we all have access to 911 recordings unless there is a strong public interest in not releasing the tape.  AB 612 would only grant us access to a transcript of the recording, not the recording itself.

The bill puts just one more barrier between the people and the truth.  Many people are already distrustful of what the media tells them, do we really want another level of insulation? Another group to trust (and a political one at that)? Or do we simply want to get to the truth and make our own judgements?

To be clear, this isn’t about the media protecting our right to air sometimes shocking content.  These tapes hold vital information.  In April of 2008, the UW-Madison community was struck by a tragedy when 21-year-old Brittany Zimmerman was murdered.  Zimmerman was beaten, choked and stabbed to death.  She was able to dial 911 during the attack, but help didn’t show up for 48 minutes after dispatchers ignored her 911 call.  Apparently Zimmerman’s screams and heavy breathing weren’t enough for the dispatcher to send help immediately.  It was only after the airing of those tapes that the community was able to get the full measure of how tragic the incident was, and how important it would be to make sure it didn’t happen again.  It also forced a discussion and review of 911 policy, hopefully for the better.  Would a transcript of screams and heavy breathing have the same impact? I don’t think it would.

This type of freedom is not something that our country has taken lightly in the past.  In fact, the freedom of the press is protected by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution.  If that sounds melodramatic or over the top for this single issue, you’re not looking at the big picture.  Remember, the loss of rights and freedom only ever come one step at a time.

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I need to rant a little about customer service.  If you saw my last blog you know that I’ve had some difficulty with my cable bill lately.  By difficulty I mean an excruciatingly, painfully, frustratingly bad time.

I’m not going to get into details, but seriously it’s getting so bad I expect my next phone call to end with a curtain opening up and Ashton Kutcher jumping out to tell me I’ve been punked.  By the way, if that happens I’m going to slap Ashton Kutcher in the face.

When I call a customer service line I expect a reasonable level of, you know, customer service.  Every time I call this cable company, and it’s been a dozen times since November, I get more and more frustrated.

Now, I’m not a person that yells at customer service.  I know it’s not their fault and they are probably just some poor joe that’s earning minimum wage in a lousy job.  As a friend told me recently, they don’t control anything anyway.  But that got me thinking, if they don’t control anything, then WHY AM I TALKING TO THEM?!?!?

Seriously, I don’t call customer service just to chat, to talk about the weather or how their kids are doing, I call to get something done.  If the person I talk to doesn’t have any real power they should just answer the phone with, “Thanks for calling today, I can’t really help you with anything, have a nice day!” and then hang up.  It would save us a lot of time.  They can even use a script, as I know they are prone to do.

Many of you are probably thinking, ‘just ask for a manager, Mark’, and I usually end up doing that.  My point is, can’ the manager just answers the phone in the first place?  I mean, I can handle being put on hold, the bad music, the Greco Roman wrestling match with the English language and the automated system (ok I can’t handle the automated system), but I tolerate all of that because I’m hoping when I finally get to a person, they can help me.

I know that people who work in customer service who are reading this are probably mad at me.  I’ll apologize, but first I need you name, address, last four digits of your Social Security number and your first born.  Please Hold.

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Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, right?  Many times it does, faster computers and better cell phones can help, but every once in a while there comes a time when technology backfires.  When something that looks good on paper or in theory completely ruins your week and leaves you bruised and beaten.

The following is a transcript from the last time I tried to pay a bill by phone, as best as I can remember it:

Automated Phone Lady: Welcome to *****, briefly tell me what I can help you with today.

(This starts out promising enough)

Me: I’d like to pay my bill.

APL: I didn’t get that, please tell me what I can help you with today.

Me: (a little louder) I’d like to pay my bill.

APL: ….I didn’t get that.  Just say a topic like, ’pay my bill’

Me: Pay my bill

APL: ….I didn’t get that.  Just say a…

Me: (louder and slower) PAY MY BILL

APL:You’d like to pay your bill

Me:(whew) Yes

APL: Ok, let’s connect you to the bill pay system….. please enter your ten digit phone number

Me: (entering number)

APL: Please say your street address

Me:500 Logan Street (changed to protect the innocent)

APL: …Did you say 500 La Crosse Street?

Me: No

APL: I’m sorry, please say your street address

Me: 500 Logan Street

APL: Did you say 500 Walnut Street?

Me: What? No!

(tossing my arms in the air in complete frustration)

APL: Let’s try it this way.  Please say the street name

Me: Logan Street

APL:….Did you say La Crosse Street?

(Banging my head against the table)

Me: NO!

APL: …Please sa

Me: LO-GAN STREET

APL:… Did you say La Crosse Street?

Me: Are you kidding me? NO!

APL: Please say..

Me: I give up.  OPERATOR

APL:You would like to talk to an operator?

Me: For the love of all things holy, YES.

Real Person: How can I help you today?

Me: I’d like to pay my bill

RP: Can I have your phone number please?

(sound familiar?)

Me: Sure (gave phone number, address, last 4 digits of SSN)

RP: Sir it says you owe $**, would you like to pay now?

Me: I thought so, is that possibe?

RP: Sure, but just so you know, there is a $2 fee if you use an operator to pay.

Me: Is that serious, or are you just torturing me?

RP: No it’s true, or if you want to avoid the charge I can connect you with the automated system.

Me: NO!! Please no! I’ll pay the fee, I’ll pay the fee.

By the end of the conversation I was exhausted, beaten, had a bruise on my forehead and less money in my pocket.  You tell me, does technology make our lives easier?

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Filibuster-proof, supermajority, 60 is the new 50, all phrases that have crept into our vocabulary since Democrats took control last January.  All of that, however, could be coming to an end.

Two Democratic Senators, Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Byron Dorgan, have announced they will not seek re-election, putting the 60 shield in doubt.  I’m not sure that’s a bad thing though.  It seems like having the opportunity to have a filibuster-proof vote has necessitated one.  Maybe having a simple majority might be a little more effective, we’ll see.

Moving on…

PAWLENTY WATCH:  Keeping tabs on the MN Gov’s run for the White House, AP is reporting that Gov. Pawlenty is bringing his national message to Missouri Republicans next month.  The Missouri Republican Party says Pawlenty will deliver the keynote speech at the annual Lincoln Days gathering of Republican activists in St. Charles on Feb. 26th.

Missouri GOP Chairman David Cole says Pawlenty is a rising star in the GOP.

Pawlenty isn’t running for a third term in Minnesota and says he doesn’t know what his future holds BUT, gh has formed a national fundraising committee, put together a team of political strategists and spoken to GOP audiences in states including Iowa and New Hampshire.  Yeah, really sounds like he doesn’t know what the future holds.

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