THE PAUSE

THE PAUSE

One “pause” is described in the following post” WHO WOULD KNOW”, but there is another “PAUSE” that will be described here.  

IF you get connected to the right person, and you describe the situation successfully, you will probably get a response that explains why you are wrong, and that there is nothing they can help you with.  WHAT DO YOU DO.    NEVER talk to a public servant unless you already have the answer to the Question!!  Do your own research, read the law, try and find someone that you can be “connected” to for help.  Never ask a question that you do not know the answer to. 

After finding out what you need to know, and you call what you think is the right office, and get the right person on the line,  (getting to the right person can take weeks) and you explain to them the situation for about the tenth time, quote them the law that you are wanting enforced!! 

You get the “PAUSE”.  What this means, is that you just proved that you have discovered a violation of public law, and it needs to be addressed, and you have found the right person to handle it, but now they need some proof.  You e-mail your documentation, weeks go by, I’m out of the office till next month, but finally you get back on the phone and explain the documentation to this person, and another “PAUSE.  A longer “PAUSE” this time.   What this “PAUSE” means is that you are right, you rdocumentation is correct, and there is probably something wrong going on,  and you have every right to be upset.  This will go one of two ways. 

THE FIRST PAUSE

First, the department that you have reached is the authority on the subject, but they have no enforcement authority, and you have to hire a private attorney.  For example if you requested financial (under the sunshine law)statements from a public governmental body, and after months go by, with nothing,  The attorney general’s office will tell you that you need to hire a private attorney, which will start at $60,000. 

THE SECOND PAUSE

The Second kind of “PAUSE” happens when you are in a conversation with a department that does have regulatory powers.  But, Very often when presenting the question, you will need to name the law that you are referring to, where to find it,  and after you present the situation, describe what is wrong and what should be done to fix it, and the law that supports your point, along with other situations that are similar and how they were resolved.  The “PAUSE”.  This time a long one, as in this conversation is over.  You will not hear anything until you just go away, or hang up the phone.   This “PAUSE” is used instead of the phrase, “you are right, and we could fix this with just a letter or a phone call, but we are not going to do that.”