More interesting musings

I had to step back and think a moment after my last post and I wondered why I was even phased by this whole uproar. Thank you for all your words of support, but there is even more reality going on here and anon got me to think.
First off the things I write about when it comes to health and environmental issues - I am the considered authority in Stamford on the subjects - The USEPA acknowledges it with the beaches, the State of CT acknowledges it for beaches and shellfish testing. They know I go beyond what I am supposed to. Area town and well persons and septic installers rely heavily on my expertise when it comes to tracking down bacteria pollution issue. All calls on bats and rabies get sent to the lab and most of the time me because I know what I am talking about. Insects are brought to me for ID and If I can't do it, I send them to the agricultural experiment station. I am the one who IDs bed bugs and ticks (I do not do the housing code portion of bed bugs). Well water people talk to me. I write the messages about such things on the Labs website. It is my voice talking about beach closures, shellfish bed status, mosquitoes and ticks on the Health Department Hot line.
I am not trying to be arrogant, but I have spent a long time to get as good as I am studying about each of these topics. I have great resources when I don't know the answer.
So for me to feel the least bit squeamish about writing about any of these is beyond ridiculous.

Where I go from here

How do I begin Tonights lecture....today there was an article in the Stamford Times about Stamford Bloggers, I was called into the office of the Health Director. It was a good meeting, but I was told I really should be writing about personal issues, rather than City issues. Well said, so I am writing about me and what I will and will not post.
1) I am an environmentalist - I will write about Long Island Sound and the fiasco that the USEPA has created.
2) I will talk about simple PUBLIC INFORMATION that is available through many other channels that I am involved with -they will be my opinions, not the opinions of the Health Department as is stated on the blog main page and there will be links to the public news releases.
These are the things most close to my heart - and I will warn people in any way I can about ticks, mosquitoes, bats, the general water quality.
3) I will not disclose any proprietary info like what the score of my favorite restaurant was in its last inspection.
4) I will not make any specific reference to personnel where I work.

All that said - I will continue to blog, I live in Stamford, I own property in Stamford, I do not use my city position for any purpose than to provide the citizens of Stamford the info for which I am paid.

I have removed or changed any posts that I think have not met these guidelines.

Otherwise it still is open season.

I believe in transparent government, that policy and procedure and above all information should be readily available and I actually believe Stamford's current mayor has done a fair job with this bringing the city's IT Department from the stone ages to something that is accessible and with the open meetings the he holds in various parts of the city. There is always room for improvement.
I am even more fervent in my belief of open scientific data. Many of our research reports are available on the city's website and much of this has been used by other government agencies to formulate policy (USGS, USEPA)
tho sadly they didn't use us as a reference, but they called on us for info many times.

So we let the games begin!

One final addition, if I am involved in any form of intervention as a private citizen, whether it involves other departments or the one I work in, I will post, because they have to do with me being a private citizen in Stamford, stepping in to try to help someone who is bewildered by the system that is government.
I believe this helps others know what can and cannot be done at a government level to help people!

reversal

For of those of you who read about my friend with the tsunami of troubles, some caused by the HD, there has been a turn about. A couple of weeks ago the landlord (a cousin of hers) contacted the HD for an inspection. They came and asked me after that because I had specifically asked if they could delay things till after school ends (tomorrow) because her children would be down in North Carolina with grand Ma after that and she would have until September to find a reasonable place. They were more than happy to do so, but it turns out the landlord is not doing his part, but surprise! In this case the HD will come to the rescue. Apparently, Code violations are handled the same a condemnation, its done at the landlords expense. So the last laugh will be done even as he shows the apartment, telling the prospectives that she will be out at the end of the month.
By the way the HD social service help her get the ex to court and get the needed child support

A light at the end of the tunnel

I thought of the comments from StamfordTalk about editing posts and know that the feelings that occurred during this latest flurry of posts are as they occurred and the feeling of anger and hopelessness exist in these situations and so there will be no editing.
There is light though at the end of this tunnel and though the laws and codes that I have written about have no heart, the majority of the people enforcing them do. They are bound however to respond according to those laws and codes that have been set forth to protect people, but they are allowed to do so in a timely manner and to provide help to allow the negative impacts to be minimal.
This is what appears to be happening, orders are being written, but they are being 'delayed' so that time for compliance can occur. The order has to do with an illegal cellar occupancy and over crowding - it will take one month to be enacted (?)/enforced and it that time 3 of her children will be down in North Carolina with their grandmother leaving herself and one child in a now uncrowded apartment.
In the meantime, other persons are becoming involved so that perhaps what appeared to be a bleak tragedy may have a much better ending.
-The ex who is not helping maybe brought to task by the powers that be.
-a better place may be found for my friend and her children.
-employment maybe offered to her son who graduates from high school.
A lot of maybes, but they actually seem possible.
Did this loud mouth some what mad chemist have any thing to do with it? Maybe my loud mouth helped.

It seems that everyone in these situations needs an advocate who isn't overwhelmed by the actual situation.

The system does not work part 3 - maybe a final entry

I thought we were going to have a happy ending, I thought the complete redo of this apartment was going to be a blessing, but alas I was wrong. It turns out that this two room with a kitchen going for $1200 a month did not meet minimum housing standard sizes for the four persons to be living there. Rightfully the code specifies size - one person gets a bedroom of 70 sq ft, another add 50 square feet and each additional adds 50 sq ft. She would need 220 sq ft of bedroom space to meet the minimum requirements. I don't have the figures, but apparently this one does not and according to sources, should not even have been approved in the first place. There is also a cellar, which is finished, but for reasons of safety (no egress except through the apartment) should not be used as a sleeping space. So sometime soon the landlord will be issued a condemnation order and my friend will be force to find other substandard housing to provide for herself and her children. Will the Department of social services be able to help? I really hope so - it is the heart side of the code enforcement side of the health department and the relocation person is aware and involved. Will my friend allow herself to be helped - that is another question that I cannot answer. When a person has been burned too many times, they shy away from helping hands.
The cracks are wide in the system and if there had not been a fire, this would have never been discovered.
The rules are blind to the plights of people who only make $1200 a month plus what ever extra they get on side jobs.
And unfortunately, many of the people enforcing the rules have forgotten their hearts for what the 'code' says.
And yes this is a rant and a condemnation to all those who follow the letter of the law.