Jack Trammel was an entrepeneur here for many years. I met him back in the 90s, when he was in his 80s and still working every day in his bail bond business. When I visited him at home in the Tech Terrace neighborhood there was a pile of golf balls in a kind of atrium, where he had been practicing his putting. A busy and energetic man.
I read about Donnie Allison in shock. everyone knew he was ailing, but a 49 year old in hospice care, dying? Too soon, too unfair. A few weeks ago there was a benefit for him at the Cactus, and word was he had more health problems, but I never expected to read this. Didn't know him personally, but he was a good singer, an excellent performer, who worked hard on his roles and songs. Now he is gone, I wish his concerts had been filmed.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
New Courthouse Security
Well, the new scanners have been in place for a while. They are a bottleneck and do cost courthouse visitors time. How much time? I'd guess maybe 3+ hours per day total, assuming 200 visitors and 30 seconds to 2 minutes delay on average. Not a big deal. No crisis that I have seen.
What is not advertised are two things. First, cost. Someone pointed out the $180,000 scanners were obtained through a grant and so did not cost the county anything. This is fatuous. From 4-6 deputies have been staffing the scanners. Assuming 4 deputies at $30,000 each, that means total salaries of $120,000 per year, not counting the time spent by the 5th and 6th deputies at peak times or the manpower needed to staff the skybridge on the 3rd floor, that is now closed off to public use. So the total yearly salaries matches the cost of the scanner.
Second, the scanners are ticklish to adjust. They are set off by a belt buckle, if the buckle is of steel plate and not cast pot metal. BUT, the other day I forgot I had a big keyring with a dozen keys in my pocket. Well guess what! I went through without any problem. Now that doesn't mean that the scanner would ignore a 9mm pistol, but it probably does mean someone could go in with a box cutter or small knife, IF the scanner was left at that setting.
So as I've been saying, the sense of security is illusory, sufficient to placate the nervous nellies among the county commissioners, but not to defeat a thoughtful saboteur or terrorist.
What irks me about the new security is (1) I liked to carry a knife of maybe a multitool in, just to remove HD staples if for no toher reason, and (2) the public paid throught the nose for that skybridge, and now its use as is denied to the public.
For courthouse visitors to empty their pockets of tools, metal objects, or knives before going in is no great hardship for those who drive to the courthouse. But for those who walk or cycle, like me, that does not hold true. If I ride a bike for example, I will be carrying bike tools including a knife. What do I do with those tools when I go into the courthouse? Leave them on the bike? No good option. Now I am sure the county commissioners all drive to the courthouse, and probably would never think of anyone doing any different. But the day is coming when all public facilities will be required by law to facilitate access by walkers and cyclists; what will they do then?
What is not advertised are two things. First, cost. Someone pointed out the $180,000 scanners were obtained through a grant and so did not cost the county anything. This is fatuous. From 4-6 deputies have been staffing the scanners. Assuming 4 deputies at $30,000 each, that means total salaries of $120,000 per year, not counting the time spent by the 5th and 6th deputies at peak times or the manpower needed to staff the skybridge on the 3rd floor, that is now closed off to public use. So the total yearly salaries matches the cost of the scanner.
Second, the scanners are ticklish to adjust. They are set off by a belt buckle, if the buckle is of steel plate and not cast pot metal. BUT, the other day I forgot I had a big keyring with a dozen keys in my pocket. Well guess what! I went through without any problem. Now that doesn't mean that the scanner would ignore a 9mm pistol, but it probably does mean someone could go in with a box cutter or small knife, IF the scanner was left at that setting.
So as I've been saying, the sense of security is illusory, sufficient to placate the nervous nellies among the county commissioners, but not to defeat a thoughtful saboteur or terrorist.
What irks me about the new security is (1) I liked to carry a knife of maybe a multitool in, just to remove HD staples if for no toher reason, and (2) the public paid throught the nose for that skybridge, and now its use as is denied to the public.
For courthouse visitors to empty their pockets of tools, metal objects, or knives before going in is no great hardship for those who drive to the courthouse. But for those who walk or cycle, like me, that does not hold true. If I ride a bike for example, I will be carrying bike tools including a knife. What do I do with those tools when I go into the courthouse? Leave them on the bike? No good option. Now I am sure the county commissioners all drive to the courthouse, and probably would never think of anyone doing any different. But the day is coming when all public facilities will be required by law to facilitate access by walkers and cyclists; what will they do then?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)