Bexar County Tax Assessor's Office Incompetence (Houston: school district, wages, moving)

[TexHwyMan]

Originally Posted by Soviet

If my stepdad and I both had the same last names, this wouldn't be a problem. This is outrageous discrimination against people with different last names in a single household. There is ZERO reason for it, and there is ESPECIALLY ZERO reason for it when presented with proof as insurance as a record.

So why don't you make the effort to find-out why that's their policy? It's easy to assume it's incompetence, but there's often more to a situation than meets the eye. Maybe they have a good reason that you haven't thought about, or maybe they had a good reason once upon a time that is moot now and they just need a nudge from someone to change the rules. Be persistent but polite and you'll get an answer one way or the other.

[Merovee]

^ Did you ask to see their manager or supervisor to inquire if this minor inconvenience of having same surnames was actual policy?

Originally Posted by Soviet

Sorry, I don't flirt with ugly women. Call me biased, I'm just not attracted to them.

lol

If you are attractive yourself there is nothing wrong with flirting for better service even with those who are not appealing to you. It is not like you have to date them but simply making them feel better about themselves while they do everything they can to please you works out great usually.

The same works with guy clerks even if you are not gay but think they might be...just saying.

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by skeet09

I've got a cousin who works for Bexar County at the moment. Her pay really sucks and she is pretty much doing what she did at a financial institution. Her pay is much lower

It turns out they do get payed more than the private sector after all.

It pays to work in local government in Bexar County. Or maybe it's more a matter that private-sector wages here just aren't so great.

Local public-sector employees in Bexar earned an average annual salary of $42,284 last year, preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show. While that may not sound like a lot, it's about $3,300 more than what the average private-sector worker made last year in Bexar.

The pay disparity isn't a recent phenomenon either. It's happened in nine of the last 10 years.

Local government wages outpace private sector

[Backliteyes]

Originally Posted by Orincarnia

being rude to the person also has something to do with it.

try being nice to the person in front of you, talk them up, maybe flirt a little, then ask for the favor.

see what the rules are after that.

life goes a lot easier when you smile.

Obviously one shouldn't be rude, but nobody should have to wheedle and flirt (ew!) with any employee anywhere to try to obtain decent service.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by skeet09

I've got a cousin who works for Bexar County at the moment. Her pay really sucks and she is pretty much doing what she did at a financial institution. Her pay is much lower and she doesn't have the opportunity to have bonuses or incentive/performance pay but like the trooper she is, she keeps on doing a good job.

Originally Posted by Merovee

It turns out they do get payed more than the private sector after all.

Local government wages outpace private sector

The survey isn't a comparison of similar job titles in the public sector vs. private sector. Public employees include police officers and firefighters. The City admits this skews the numbers higher than if you just look at civilian jobs.

It also includes local public school districts. With annual salaries around $45K-$46K for beginning teachers at most local districts, that also has to contibute to the higher numbers for the public sector.

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by ged_782

Local government wages outpace private sector

The survey isn't a comparison of similar job titles in the public sector vs. private sector. Public employees include police officers and firefighters. The City admits this skews the numbers higher than if you just look at civilian jobs.

It also includes local public school districts. With annual salaries around $45K-$46K for beginning teachers at most local districts, that also has to contibute to the higher numbers for the public sector.

True! For example, teacher may start off the lower 40's in annual pay but the teacher aide's or bus drivers are making $10/hr.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by Backliteyes

Obviously one shouldn't be rude, but nobody should have to wheedle and flirt (ew!) with any employee anywhere to try to obtain decent service.

This is too true. There was ZERO reason for them to have done what they did to me. I came in with no foreknowledge of the new rule or whatever it was that caused the situation to be different from the last time I was in there, and I obliged and went back to my car with the proof of insurance information that SHOWED we were in the same family. After that, there is NO excuse not to do what I requested of them.

This is discrimination against those individuals who do not have the same last names in the family, pure and simple. Despicable. Outrageous.

[TexasRedneck]

Soviet....save some of that faux anger for something that really matters. There's obviously more here - deal with it. Have the person that the car IS registered to go in and get the tags, or find out what you need to be able to get them for them. There are rules and regulations for a reason - believe it or not, they're not put in place just to inconvenience you.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

Soviet....save some of that faux anger for something that really matters. There's obviously more here - deal with it. Have the person that the car IS registered to go in and get the tags, or find out what you need to be able to get them for them. There are rules and regulations for a reason - believe it or not, they're not put in place just to inconvenience you.

I fully understand that, TexasRedneck, but there are ways to utilize those rules and regulations WITHOUT inconveniencing me. The person the car is registered to is way too busy to waste time with this: why do you think I'm doing it instead, for them?

Needless to say, the best way to do this is online, but there is ZERO reason not to be able to do in person if I so wish to, aka I'm driving somewhere that is on the way to the BCTA office and decide to make a quick stop. Why couldn't they just take my money and give me what I need?

Despicable.

[alane7]

You know, kudos to you for taking time out of your day to do this favor for your stepfather but everybody is inconvenienced by having to get their registration. I work 8-5 and have to take time off of work to do it but you know what? I do it. It has to be done once a year. ONCE a year.