My father's death has given me personal insight into the government vs. private management issue - [View All]

[T Wolf]

and the government wins.

I have been fighting paperwork and bureaucracy (public and private) for over three months now, trying to settle legal and financial issues. Who knew that dying was such a hassle?

My father, a WWII vet, had (as most of that generation) a modest GI life insurance policy. The VA notified me that they had received notice of his passing. They sent me the simple forms that I needed to fill out and easy-to-understand instructions. The check came within a week of me submitting the documents.

Contrast that with my experience trying to close his accounts at Banksters of America. The hoops I have been forced to jump through have been confusing and contradictory. Finally, I had to pay a lawyer to draw up the documents that BoA requested. Even with that, BoA has refused to close the accounts or release the funds. Instead, they are demanding additional (and different) documentation. So, it's back to the attorney. Now, what incentive could BoA have for holding on to that money (less than the GI insurance) - aside from the monthly fee for non-activity?

So, when anyone tells me that a private corporation will do a better job than a government agency, I can tell them that that lie does not fly.

This bullshit only adds to the difficulty of saying goodbye to the man who set me off on my path to the Dark Side of the political spectrum. He was an old-fashion, Massachusetts liberal who promised to drive me to Canada himself if my "number had come up" during Vietnam. He bookended that lesson with active & financial support for the movement to impeach Shrub.

As I said in my eulogy - he was a good man who was also smart enough to figure out the correct thing to do. If more people were like him, this world would be a much, much better place.