ONE OF THE "FUN" things about moderating a blog is that every now and then somebody drops an anonymous bomb in your lap. I can often diffuse the bomb myself, but I received a post the other day that I didn't know how to answer and it intrigued me:
Has anyone ever questioned why the City of Ventura and King Cole have
been quietly assembling a database that contains all of the following?
If you are a registered voter- they have the VOTER REGISTRATION
DATABASE. If you have paid water/sewer/trash in the City of Ventura - they have
the Water/Sewer/Trash customer database. If you own property - they have the County Parcel database.
If you have OPTED OUT OF THE 911 FEE - you are recorded in the database
All of these databases and others have been combined into one big big brother database called my ventura access and anytime you call the City for ANYTHING - your account is pulled up and all of the above and more can be looked at BEFORE they decide to speak to you DOES ANYONE EVER ASK WHY????? -- posted by unfettered in ventura
WELL, YES, UNFETTERED, I ask why. The "King" himself responded as did our current and former mayor. I will try to distill their answers here.
According to the city's web site, "My Ventura Access is the most direct way to send your questions, complaints and compliments to the right city staff person." It's a way for citizens to get their questions answered online. Each user is given a way to log in and track answers. If they call and leave their name with their concern or write a letter, the inquiry is also posted there.
"It was set up to better track complaints/concerns made to city officials as to how they were being handled and responded to, hopefully in a timely manner," Council member Carl Morehouse explained. "Staff also now knows who calls to register concerns and how often."
City Manager Rick Cole agreed. "It's a tool to make sure that when someone calls, writes or emails that they don't fall between the cracks." It avoids the perennial " 'I talked to someone at City Hall and they told me ...' with absolutely no way to verify this or 'I called so and so and he NEVER called me back' or 'I've written 20 letters and emails and never gotten an answer" etc.,' " Cole said.
But what's in that database anyway? Is it a Machiavellian plot to get your personal data or is it a way to keep you informed? The trash data isn't there. Only E.J. Harrison & Sons has that. Neither is parcel data. The utility billing is in a separate place. "That old system remains incompatible," Cole explained. "But we are combining our arts mailing list with My Ventura Access and eventually hope to no longer have overlapping, duplicative, stand-alone lists and databases in different software programs that cause us to miss people, mail duplicates, mail to people who are dead or who've moved etc."
He didn't answer whether or not the city has voter data. But that information is readily available through the county, Mayor Christy Weir said.
OUR PERSONAL INFORMATION is spead far and wide these days. Do you have a Vons card? They know what brand of toilet paper you buy. If you're reading this, you surf the Internet. Every Web site you visit knows what service provider and what sort of computer you use and the region in which you live. If you Web surf from work, they may know who employs you.
Google knows more about you than your mom does.
"This may all sound creepy," Cole said, "but every major private business keeps careful track of their customer information in a consolidated database. Each has a privacy policy and all have occasionally had slip ups, but by and large they do a reasonable job of safeguarding the data."
City Hall's new system seems to be an improvement on the old way of doing things, which Cole said was a combination of Post-It notes, email, letters and phone messages.
Note: If you call and complain about the new database and leave your name, that will probably be there, too.
We should be watching them.....
Houston chronicle ID's all Huston public employees and their salaries:
http://www.chron.com/databases/publicemployeepay.html?&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=asc&CPIorderby=TOTAL
we aren't the government's customers...they are OUR hired help
I agree totally with Andy here. It's quite a different situation with a private company, which might keep a comprehensive database on all of its customers in order to help market a product, or do target mailings or phone calls, etc.
The government is supposed to already being serving us. We pay high very taxes for these services. We shouldn't be looked upon merely as customers, but as citizens deserving of first rate service whenever we call or contact City Hall for any reason.
Worse yet, the database of "customer" information should not be used as a filtering or screening device to determine if we are worthy of a call back, or as Morehouse implies by his comments, just nuisance callers who waste staff's time.
Ya know... when I used shop at Fry's they would always ask for my name, address, etc.
I always told them John Doe, or if paying by cash, Andrew Jackson.
I still refuse to divulge my zipcode when asked at a retail establishment. Since I'm paying by credit card, if the business were smart they can get it off of the strip.
When retail establishments ask for my phone number, I always ask the lovely clerk if she is going to call me. If she isn't, then she doesn't get my number.
Do the same at city hall. There is no reason why you have to give them your real name if you are complaining. With the all of the free web/email addresses readily available you could be a chronic complainer that Carl spoke about and be 50 different people.
We are the customers. We are the citizens. We are the employers.
Remember to VOTE.
Carl was not implying that at all, Mongo. His point was that the system enables them to determine whether concerns are coming from many people or just one isolated person. Logging concerns helps identify the degree of the problem. It also makes sure they get their answers. It's not set up to weed out chronic critics.
Did you looked at the link I gave you? My Ventura Access appears to be a very efficient way of answering questions and is an improvement over sitting on hold on the phone. It enables 24-hour access and has a list of frequently asked questions for most topics.
RE: We shouldn't be looked upon merely as customers
Government is the only "business" that forces you to be its "customer".....you can avoid gas stations and grocery stores if you really try...but you can't avoid being a "customer' of the government....
I think the various reactions are indicative of how close to the center of the universe one believes one is - I frankly don't care who know what about me.
What I abhor is those government workers that spend time not working/goofing off on my $$$. I like efficiency in government, I just wish it was smaller.
By the way, your tax dollars are going to be supporting my son - he just won a big scholarship from the Department of Defense. hehehehehehe
Again, Andy makes an excellent point with regard to government having a captive audience and not being required to compete in the open market for most of the services it provides. Therefore, it has a particualarly acute obligation to serve we, the people, without regard to who is requesting the service or why.
Carl Morehouse's comments could definitely be construed as cynical comments on the public. He has a well-known contempt towards the public, which is quite evident to those of us who have seen him in action at City Council meetings. His latest comments regarding turning off street lights, which were reported in The Star, is a classic example of this arrogant, contemptuous atttitude.
I'm not sure what the big deal is here. Seems like City Hall is trying to be more cost-effective with your tax dollars. Isn't that what all you anti-government people want? They're trying to get your questions answered. How is that a conspiracy?
Mongo,
You are just utterly incorrect in saying Carl has contempt for our citizens. You don't even know him and base your opinions on a combination of what you read in the newspaper and your own very clear agenda to get ultra-right wing Republicans elected to the Ventura City Council.
Carl is rather passionate and outspoken, that is true. And the newspaper always picks up on whatever sound bite seems the most flashy at the time.
Neal was also quoted saying pretty much the same thing, but since he's a Republican, you don't mention that.
On the light issue: Long before you moved here we had a lighting district measure on the ballot and because of the super majority need to pass dedicated tax increases, it failed. This empowers a vocal minority who will not accept even the tiniest of tax increases to pay for street lights. It was only $10 (!!) Give me a break. That is just nothing.
So now, with energy costs skyrocketing, we are forced to dip into other funds (for street paving, as an example) to pay the increased lighting costs.
I'm frustrated, too.
Scary photoshop work, Marie! And if eyes coming out of City Hall was what we were talking about here, I'd be concerned too.
But that's quite a leap from what actually exists in My Ventura Access. Basically all that's there is contact information -- kinda necessary if you want city staff to get back to you about your question/complaint, don't you think?
If John Doe and Mongo want to go through the trouble of setting up extra email accounts and aliases to hide who they really are, then that's their prerogative. My Ventura Access ensures that they will get a timely and accurate response, whoever they are, or whomever they pretend to be.
Isn't service and accountability what you want from government?
The entry was meant to be rather tongue-in-cheek, Dom. That point may have escaped some of my more strident bloggers.
Thus the silly graphic.
But it was discussed thoroughly on another entry and it seemed to be misunderstood, so I thought it deserved an entry of its own.
Thank you for your input. I appreciate it very much!
You do seem to draw out the kooks here, Marie. Maybe it's that photo of you on the beach.
Marie,
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Neal Andrews never said "he'd be happy to turn the street lights out because he doesn't like light pollution anyway." That is exactly what Morehouse was quoted as saying in The Star. You must admit, that is a really wacky comment. People must surely be wondering how we keep electing individuals to the City Council who hold these kinds of beliefs. Very strange...
On your point about the $10 street lighting assessment district fee increase, I am very aware this was part of the Council's discussion, Marie. This was referenced very clearly in the newspaper article.
Again, as with the failure of the P-6 ballot measure, this City Council simply cannot and will not accept the will of the people regarding fee or tax increases. They went behind the public's back in imposing the 911 phone tax to spite those who opposed P-6 and I wouldn't be too surprised if they tried something similar to pay for street lights.
Prop. 218 is very clear on its requirement of a 2/3 majority to pass new taxes. The people of this State passed this Proposition overwhelmingly and I, for one, am very glad they did. It prevents elected officials from sneaking tax increases through on a whim and, believe me, the Ventura City Council would be able to do far more sneak attacks if it wasn't for Prop. 218.
"Every time the property owner doesn't pay for the real cost of the street lighting in front of his property, what he's really doing is not paying for the police and fire we otherwise would have had," Councilman Neal Andrews said. "One of the things we should be considering is turning out the lights."
I'm frustrated and angry," said Councilman Carl Morehouse. If residents don't feel it's important to keep the lights on, then "by golly, let's turn off the lights," he said.
"I am all in favor of that, because I don't like light pollution anyway."
Both were comments from frustrated council members who would like to do better by our citizens.
The lighting district assessment was $10 a year. We're not talking about a lot of money here. It was more than reasonable.
I understand your overall concerns about taxes but this one was silly.
I'm just tired of you beating up on Carl. He's a friend. He's incredibly bright and very passionate about his town and I admire his candor.
Too bad. He's an elected official and if he can't stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen and the same goes for you.
Lamo whines like a little girl when somebody tries to expose his real name and then bashes everyone else and tells them if they can't stand the heat to get out.
What's that buzzing noise I hear near my rear end? Why, it's none other than Mr. "Skip", the cover-up artist (and City employee) himself. No worries. He's nothing more than a little gnat who flies around the blog and occasionally lands on my butt to catch a whiff...
Wow, how profound....
It's tailored to its intended target...
Marie,
Welcome back. Get to work!
I would be interested to know if each individual's voting record and political party has been merged into the city database.
While maintaining a resident database definitely has merits for tracking problems, follow-up etc, there is potential for abuse such as caring more for those registered in your party, trying harder to follow up on a problem if you are a high-propensity voter or targeting a certain type of voter on mailings.
Yes, and welcome back Marie!
Excellent points all, Leslie. Whether or not it's actually happening or not is one question, but, I agree, the fact that the potential exists makes me highly uncomfortable as a citizen and should make us all a bit uncomfortable.
Leslie & Mongo .. Dominic, who works for the city was on here earlier and said that basically all that is there is contact information.
Still, it's something to watch and I would ask for specifics from my city.
Voter registration databases include how often you vote, your age, gender, address, phone and party affiliation. I would hope that any city using it as a source of resident information would make it a policy not to merge or include certain information that could be abused.
Hi Marie, I just read some of your blog content, I am happy to see you are using the nick name of "King" that I applied to Mr Rick "King" Cole. I guess it means you are still thinking about me.
Rellis
How could I forget you, Rellis? It's been awhile since we've communicated but I figured you were still around.
Thanks for reading the blog. I appreciate it.