Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Is It Just Me, Or Does Northwest Airlines SUCK?
In this day and age when the airlines are having such a difficult financial time, part of me wonders why, while my experiences traveling seem to answer at least some of the questions.
I fly on average, somewhere between 50 and 75 thousand miles a year - mostly connected with my automotive writing, but for some personal pleasure as well. For the past 15 years I have flown primarily on Delta Airlines when cross-country travel is involved and as of late, Alaska Airlines when California or Arizona travel is called for.
Delta does not fly directly from Seattle to anywhere in Arizona or California - you go through its hub in Salt Lake City, and then on to your destination. This can take the better part of all day in some cases. Alaska meanwhile, flies to most California and Arizona destinations I need to go to - as well as Las Vegas - directly in just a couple of hours or so. And since I have been inching up to the million-mile mark on Delta - and Delta honors miles flown on Alaska, this seems like a good alternative for me to reach that elusive million-mile mark without spending an excessive amount of time the Crown Room in Salt Lake.
However, I recently went to Washington D.C. for an automotive press event. The only option open to get me there in time to meet the event schedule, was to fly from Seattle to Minneapolis and then on to Dulles from there, on Northwest Airlines.
I have had two experiences with Northwest Airlines - and they have both uniformly SUCKED. In the future, if the only option is flying on Northwest, I will pass on the event or insist the manufacturer fly me in a day earlier on Delta if there is a time conflict. I feel that strongly about not subjecting myself to the horrid treatment from Northwest personnel that I have experienced in every single dealing with them.
In contrast, Delta personnel have hit the long ball many times over the years to help me in a wide variety of situations - from being stranded in a foreign country with lost luggage - to simple first class upgrades they did not have to do, but did because they could.
The first negative incident with Northwest was actually a case of my wife having to go to South Dakota, and having little choice of airline. Northwest lost her luggage - on a 3-day holiday weekend. She spent so much time on hold trying to get information that her cell phone battery went dead. Naturally, the charger was in her lost suitcase.
So I started calling for her. The people I spoke with were uniformly rude and patently uncaring about her situation. In fact when I told one guy she had nothing to wear to a formal event that evening but the sweats she traveled in, his reply was, So what do you want me to do pal? Take her home and let her look through my wifes closet?
When they finally did get around to finding her luggage and delivering it - on the day of her departure - they initially delivered someone else’s suitcase, but got hers to her just as she was leaving the hotel for the airport.
The second experience was the aforementioned auto manufacturer trip. Northwest had been trying for several years to get me to try them, and even sent me a complimentary first class upgrade if I would just try them out. That was a major joke. When I tried to use it, I was told in a very condescending tone, Paying passengers come first. Well, I do not recall my ticket being free. When I questioned that, I was told to write somebody who cares a letter. I decided to write this instead.
What became abundently clear to me with each passing minute on Northwest - especially observing the interactions between Northwest personnel and its customers - was how much more friendly and helpful Delta - and Alaska - people are in comparison. Nobody on Northwest even smiles - much less wants to go out of their way to be helpful.
I have found Northwest people across the spectrum to be rude, condescending, and obviously just there to put in their time and collect their paycheck. The thought of actually helping the customer - who is the reason they even have a job - seems to be a totally foreign concept to Northwest employees.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have heard all there is to hear about Delta being broke. But Delta customers - people like me - are fiercely loyal because we are treated like just that - customers. It is Delta people that make the difference, and in spite of some poor management decisions in the past, the reason it will survive. So if you have never flown on Delta, on your next cross-country trip give them a try. They will appreciate your business and Delta people will treat you like just what you are - a customer - not a number.
THE ABOVE ARTICLE POSTED BY West Sound Politics @ 8/30/2006 09:19:00 AM
PERMANENT LINK | 0 COMMENTS
The Hypocrisy Opposing NASCAR
To the Editor:
I found Chris Dunnigan's recent article about NASCAR vs., SKIA, interesting because it neglected to mention one of the major impediments to developing SKIA is the planning requirements - master planning each individual project and the sub-basin planning required. The massive cost of that planning method is why no one has attempted development at SKIA three plus years after it was approved. The time and dollar intensive mandate has done more than any other single factor - including infrastructure issues - to keep development at SKIA from moving forward.
What I also find interesting is the blatant hypocrisy of those arguing SKIA is our future industrial job base and how trading those future jobs for NASCAR is a mistake. These are the very same people who vehemently opposed the creation of SKIA to begin with, had major input into establishing the planning requirements knowing the result would make development financially unfeasible, and openly stated the number of jobs it could create was grossly inflated.
Now they tout those numbers as fact because it conveniently fits their argument against NASCAR. They can't have it both ways.
But if NASCAR goes away, look for the usual suspects to oppose any other proposed development at SKIA when given the opportunity.
THE ABOVE ARTICLE POSTED BY West Sound Politics @ 8/30/2006 07:18:00 AM
PERMANENT LINK | 0 COMMENTS
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Squandering The Taxpayer's Money in Downtown Port Orchard
The marquee in downtown Port Orchard has been among the city's most contentious issues for about as long as I can remember, and I've been here since 1975. Some people wanted to tear it down, while others just wanted it fixed and updated. Tearing it down would have given the owners an opportunity to spruce up their buildings and add some charm and individuality to the downtown area, ala Poulsbo or Gig Harbor, or forced them to, depending on your point of view. The decision to repair and update it will leave downtown pretty much the same as it is, only with a different color scheme.
No matter what your preference, there's no question that Mayor Kim Abel's lack of leadership let the situation deteriorate to the point the structure itself became unsafe and was a lawsuit waiting to happen. In the three years she's been in office, all that had been done, up until the downtown merchants forced the issue, was to "study" it. Sounds like Abel is getting advice on governmental management from her friend, former SK commissioner Charlotte Garrido.
The city spent nearly $25,000 on a Bellevue-based consultant for plans contractors could use to bid on the repairs. That money also included an estimate of how much those bids should be. That’s in addition to $17,000 it spent with the same firm for a previous marquee evaluation.
So here's a couple of questions...
Isn’t there a local, Kitsap County firm the city could have spent that $42,000 with?
Why not use the plan offered to the city for free by an award-winning builder who is also a downtown merchant?
Maher Abed, the city public works director, was quoted as saying the money will be, “…well-spent because, if nothing else, it will really clarify the scope of work.”
However, once a contract was awarded to perform the work, the contractor discovered lead paint had been used in a previous marquee makeover. Removing that paint added a significant, unanticipated cost to the repair. This begs the question; If the consultant was being paid to "clarify the scope of work," shouldn't the consultant have discovered the lead paint as part of that $42,000 evaluation, and if not, why not?
In my opinion, Abed is one of Abel’s less than stellar appointments, along with Planning Director JoAnne Long-Woods. This dynamic duo has brought economic development in the city to a virtual halt.
And as we watch the progress of the marquee repair, I can't help but notice that the wood being used is not pressure treated. Anyone familiar with construction knows all wood subjected to the outside and the elements is mandated by code to be pressure treated. Where is the city's building inspector? Where is Abed? Didn’t anyone think to check the project specs to be sure this code mandate is included? How much additional tax money is going to be spent needlessly because of incompetence at City Hall?
After years, and numerous "studies," in all fairness including some before Abel was elected, it’s no national security secret what needed to done downtown. Abel should have taken the lead making it happen long before spending an unnecessary $42,000, and who knows how much more to deal with replacing the wood with the pressure treated material that should have been used in the first place?
THE ABOVE ARTICLE POSTED BY West Sound Politics @ 8/08/2006 05:49:00 PM
PERMANENT LINK | 0 COMMENTS
Thoughts on the KEDC
The recent departure of David Porter as Executive Director of the Kitsap Economic Development Council (KEDC) has opened the door for some positive changes where the organization is concerned.
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm the immediate past chair of the KEDC, and a current member of its executive committee and board. For many years, I was perhaps its most vocal and persistent critic, until being lured onto the board several years ago hoping to help facilitate positive changes - some of which have actually occurred.
The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC), which is comprised of representatives of all the local governments, as well as the Port of Bremerton, recently voted to hire an outside consultant and appoint a task force to study and report on what needs to be done countywide to foster long-term and ongoing economic development. Although it puts the KEDC in a very awkward position - not being able to move forward hiring a new director, or raise any private sector dollars until the process is complete, I applauded the idea.
The county has been very supportive of the KEDC, with healthy funding and not interfering in its day-to-day workings. The Port has been a stellar partner as well, with strong financial support and hands-on participation.
The cities' commitment however - to both the organization and economic development - is questionable at best.
Exactly what is local government's financial commitment to the KEDC's $350,000 annual operating budget? Answer: $86,000. It breaks our as follows:
- Kitsap County: $72,000 (Plus a dollar-for-dollar match of private sector funding up to $60,000 specifically earmarked for a separate fund devoted strictly to marketing);
- Port of Bremerton: $35,000;
- City of Bremerton: $8,000 (Down from $16,000 a year ago);
- City of Poulsbo: $5,000;
- City of Port Orchard: $1,000.
- City of Bainbridge Island: $0.
Meanwhile, the top six private sector contributors funded the KEDC this year at just over $50,000 in cold, hard cash, with an additional $20,000 or so of in-kind donations.
There were at least two separate supporters that each contributed more than all the cities combined. Other business community contributors made up the balance of the organization's operating budget.
With Bainbridge Island contributing zero on an ongoing basis, should it even have a seat on the task force at all?
Speculation has already surfaced that the process is destined to be manipulated to possibly justify a specific political goal. Compromising the integrity of this effort simply can't be allowed to happen. For this endeavor to truly succeed and its outcome have any credibility, the task force must be completely unbiased, non-partisan, and work in a totally transparent atmosphere, with the private sector represented in at least equal or greater numbers as government. If it isn't, no matter what the outcome — the results will be summarily dismissed with zero credibility, and forever challenged by the business community.
We have a unique opportunity to do the right thing and plan our long-term economic future in a collaborative, responsible manner. We simply can't allow politics to screw it up.
~ Lary Coppola
Editor and Publisher
Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal
THE ABOVE ARTICLE POSTED BY G Piper @ 8/08/2006 03:38:00 PM
PERMANENT LINK | 1 COMMENTS