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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
February 27, 2014
The first few letters, I think I
threw away, assuming they were
more of the junk mail that every-
body receives.
So imagine my shock, when I
finally opened one of these beau-
ties, to discover that an insurance
company somewhere in Illinois, or
was it Idaho, had tracked me
down searching for the benefici-
ary of an insurance policy on my
mother and stepfather. See, here's
the thing. My stepfather died 14
years ago andmymother has been
gone for 12. In that time, I have
moved at least twice andmy name
is no longer the one listed as the
beneficiary on the policies.
But the intrepid investigators
managed to findme and sent me a
few letters telling me that the poli-
cy existed and asking if I were, in
fact, the person they were looking
for. Well, sure, I responded on the
handy little questionnaire they
sent me. That's me alright. When
will you send themoney?
OK, I admit it, that might have
been a little hasty, but heck, it had
been 14 years, right? I mean any-
body would have been over their
grief by then.
Even so, the next letter said,
you need to prove to us that you
are the daughter and stepdaugh-
ter we are looking for, so send us
this document, that document and
a sworn, notarized statement, with
at least three witnesses, that you
are the person you now claim you
are. Oh, and have the witnesses
sign a sworn affidavit, too, if you
don'tmind.
Well, I thought to myself, my
mother and her husband were not
what anyone, by any stretch,
would describe as well-off or even
comfortable. If they purchased life
insurance, it had to have been for
a very, very small amount, and this
isway toomuch trouble.
Did you read the part about
how it hadbeen 14YEARS?
In addition to everything else,
the requirements included my
sending an original death certifi-
cate for each of the insured.
Seriously, an original death certifi-
cate after this amount of time?
How much did you say this policy
was for?
“Well, we can't tell you that
because you might not be the per-
son to whom we are communicat-
ing.”
Huh? Look, fella, you tracked
me down. You sent me the letters.
I didn't know anything about this.
How did you guys find me, any-
how, there in Idaho or Illinois or
wherever youare?
“My name is Avil, mam and I
am located in India, Bombay city.
And I did not find you, that is
another department. I cannot tell
you the amount of the policy
because that, too, is another
department. I can only review the
application for benefits to insure
that all the correct paperwork is
here. So, did you send the death
certificates? Each must have the
official seal, mam. No copies can
be accepted.”
Now, I consider myself an
organized sort of person. I canusu-
ally find records and important
paperwork when I need it, but you
read the part about the 14YEARS,
right? But I tried. I contacted the
city and county clerks where the
deaths occurred, I contacted the
funeral homes that handled all the
arrangements, I talked to the nurs-
ing homes, to the doctors and to
just about everybody who was
ever involved in the medical care
ofmymother and stepfather.
I kept mailing in more and
more paperwork, and they kept
mailingme letters saying they only
needed one more thing or that
what I sent wasn't quite right and
this document or that one needs to
be notarized again. Finally, after
four or five long months of com-
munication, haggling phone calls
tomy friendAvil in India, I went to
the mailbox last week to find two
checks from
the life insur-
ance people.
One was for
$500 and change, including inter-
est and the other for a little more.
Also in the mail was a letter from
the IRS asking me for some added
paperwork and detail on my tax
return from2004.
YEP, two thousand and four, but
they did thank me for my corre-
spondence from last July regard-
ing thematter.
I'm thinking of giving them
Avil's number.
One of the best examples we've seen of community coop-
eration is taking place between two financially distressed
cities, Inkster andWayne.
This month, Michael Reddy, the Wayne-Westland Fire
Chief and the interim chief in Inkster, suggested the Wayne
City Council members approve the sale of one of the city fire
department aerial trucks, thereby satisfying an $800,000 debt
on the city books. He suggested that the aerial truck be sold
to Inkster where there was an unused Federal Office of
Emergency Management (FEMA) grant for $800,000 sitting
unused and ready to expire if not spent by the end ofMarch.
Reddy also explained that Wayne would not even be
denied the use of the truck, although it would be moved to
the Inkster fire station, but because of the Mutual Aid agree-
ment in place, the truck would remain available if needed in
their city. As Reddy said, this is a win-win situation for both
communities.
It's no secret, either, that with themerger of theWayne and
Westland fire departments last year, there have been few
glitches and much improved service. The departments
merged almost seamlessly, despite dire predictions of egos
and territorial alliances having a detrimental effect on
department morale. It wasn't seamless, there were some
small bumps and initially, some firefighters had a sense of
unease about themerger. Thosewere soonput to rest and the
firefighters involved proved themselves to be professional
adultswho not only accepted the change, butmade it work.
That merger, as most know, was the first step in the forma-
tion of a fire authority, a joint fire department throughout the
area encompassing and servicing several municipalities.
Reddy's assignment in Inkster was made primarily to deter-
mine the feasibility of bringing that community into the
planned authority. These authorities have proven successful
because rather than eliminating fire protection and staffing
in communities, it is increased. There are professionally-
trained, experienced firefighters on duty and on hand when
an emergency strikes, ready to take the most effective and
efficient action. Advanced Life Support, experienced EMTs
and paramedics are also more available to the community
and can be where they are needed in minutes. With an
authority, a Westland emergency might receive service from
a neighboring community, simply because the resident in
needwas closer to a fire station in another city. These author-
ities have proven efficient and much more cost effective for
communities involved in them-simply because the combined
staffing, equipment andmanagement is a cost savings.
To be clear, these authorities are not the “tiered response”
and “new-model” of public safety sending police officers to
medical emergencies and outsourcing emergency medical
care and transport. They are, rather, the combination and
best use of community resources to provide the highest level
of professional public-safety service to the communities
involved. They continue to have full-time, professional fire
and medical personnel on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. It simply costs taxpayers a lot less.
We think Reddy and the men and women who staff the
Wayne-Westland Fire Department have proven howwell this
type of merger can work in the hands of dedicated profes-
sionals. Reddy has also, with his proposed sale of the Wayne
fire truck, proven the benefit of having good managers with
access to information inplace.
We also think he has clearly demonstrated during these
past years how fortunate the communities are tohavehim.
The departments
merged almost seamlessly,
despite dire predictions ...
”
Fire truck sale is example of good management
Shoddy
report is
a disgrace
What did he know and when
didhe know it?
Plymouth Township, again, is
the subject of a great deal of con-
jecture, gossip and even ridicule
after submitting an application
for state funds full of inaccurate
and outdated information. If the
Michigan Department of
Treasury were to abide by the
rules stated on the application,
the township would have to
return about $10,000 received
from the program last year, based
on the false statements.
That is obviously the least of
the worries of Township
Supervisor Richard Reaume,
who as the chief township offi-
cial, signed the application,
vouching for the accuracy of the
statements it contained. He has
stated that the application is an
ongoing document and that
updates to erroneous or outdated
information are expected.
If the situation weren't so seri-
ous and so indicative of the per-
vasive arrogance of officials in
Plymouth Township, it might
almost be amusing. That is, if it
weren't taxpayers' money that is
going to fund these grants based
on false information. That, we
think, makes it a very sad situa-
tion, indeed.
That the application is so out-
rageously erroneous is a matter
of public record and while
Reaume can contend it is fluid
and can be updated, we would
have to then ask why it wasn't
corrected and updated before it
was submitted. The township
had rejected, in writing we're
told, the Plymouth Arts and
Recreation Complex plan for
Central Middle School on Nov.
27. Yet, on Jan. 2, Reaume signed
a grant application claiming the
renovation by the township, the
city and multiple community
OK, I admit it, that might have been a little hasty,
but heck, it had been 14 years, right?
”
Like inefficiency, there are no time limits on bureaucracy
See
Report,
page 7