Don Howell's Blog

These are Taxing Times

On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Legislature will be holding a hearing to consider expanding the Room's Tax to cover individual homeowners who rent out their own houses. I have sent the followng to the Committee and encourage others to weigh in:

Dear Sirs,

There is a move in the Legislature to expand the Local Option Room's Tax to include houses, cottages and condos in the definition of entities subject to this tax. In preparation for the consideration, a number of Cape Cod Towns had placed an article on the Town Meeting Warrant (or, as was the case in Harwich, held a Special Town Meeting, in part, to take this up).

You should be aware that Harwich, the most populous Town in the 4th Barnstable District, voted overwhelmingly in the February Special Town Meeting to reject this expansion. Indeed, attendance at the meeting was very high (not just for the time of year it was held), debate was vigorous and the vote was emphatic and overwhelming. As a Town, we have spoken and do not want this tax change adopted. Of particular concern, no one knows how many homes this will affect. Nor can anyone project the income derived from the change. As such, any expansion would surely necessitate registering the homes affected and probably require each Town to have an enforcement officer of some sort.

Also, the change would affect individual homeowners, some of whom vacate their homes during the summer months just to cover their mortgages. These are clearly not business people who are engaged in a lodging enterprise. They are single home owners who would be responsible for filing monthly DOR reports and sending in monthly payments. This change does not close a loophole but is a naked attempt to tax an entire class of (little) people who were specifically exempted from the tax when it was originally adopted by the Commonwealth. And given the current economic environment, I couldn't think of a worse time to do this. The Cape is a community which relies heavily on tourism.

Even if you, as a Legislator, do not agree with any of the foregoing arguments, the fact is that the voters of Harwich already have. I am quite sure you would have relied upon the passage of the article as a sign of support requesting the bill's passage as a local option. Our vote against it (in overwhelming numbers) should likewise be honored.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Donald F Howell
Fmr Harwich Selectman

6 comments »

This is Democracy?

People are losing their jobs, increasing numbers of (now closed) restaurants feature "for sale" signs and many face home foreclosures. So what are the Town Fathers of Harwich doing about all this? Well, they've decided to hold a special Town Meeting at a time when we have never held one (on a Thursday night in the first week of February) to induce the Townspeople to "request" a local option meals tax and and to spread the room's tax to people who rent their own homes in the summer. Let's take a closer look.

Harwich already derives about $427,000 in local options taxes for these items. We just want more. Of course, the town leaders will tell you that this is only to get the legislation passed. We will be asked again in the future to adopt the taxes if they pass the legislature. Yeah, right. Someone will inevitably say at that next meeting "we already approved this at the last meeting, so let's get on with it!" Moreover, the same legislation has languished in the Legislature for nearly two years and has no date for a vote during the next two year session. That's why our State Rep wants the vote; so that she can say that her constituents really want these taxes.

If that's the case, why are we spending $6000 for a special Town Meeting in the dead of winter when we can guarantee the lowest turnout possible? As there is no date for a legislative vote, why didn't we wait until May when the people affected would actually be here to participate? There are no absentee ballots for a Town Meeting!

Perhaps the best reason to wait for any vote (aside from the good old taxation without representation argument above) rests with the answers to a few questions. First, who would this affect? How many houses and/or restaurants are involved in the adoption of the taxes? How much money are we talking about raising? And who would enforce the collection of the room's tax from the home owners?

Interestingly, no one is in the position of answering any of these questions with anything other than opinion. Consider that the homeowners already pay property taxes. So the load on town services is no greater than if the owner himself were there. They also pay State and Federal Income Taxes covering the rent. Moreover, some of the new money would have to be set aside for new Town employees to monitor just who is renting their own house (which is why they couldn't answer the questions above when I posed them to Town Hall officials recently - no one knows). All this puts a different slant on a comment made by one current Harwich Selectman in his last race for reelection. When defending why the last override had nothing to do with him (even though he was the chair of the override committee while he was a Selectman), he said he was just employing a "pay as you go" strategy for the Town. Pay as you go, indeed! So what if the tourists pass us by and don't go in this rotten economic environment? What if they don't pay because they don't go.

Again, I ask, what' the rush? Tell the Selectmen you want them to do some actual research. Demand that they tell us who this affects and what we as a Town stand to gain (after expenses). Ask them why they didn't wait for greater participation in one of the purest forms of democracy; the Town Meeting. And while you're at it, ask the Town's elected officials - as they rush in the dark of winter to do this - how they know that any other Town will follow us, so that we are not hung out to dry.

11 comments »

The value in value

 "Are you a Republican or a Democrat?"

We find ourselves in a terrible situation these days trying to determine the value of any of our assets. And I'm not just talking about our financial assets. Indeed, the way we regard our trusted personal assets (that is, our trusted relationships) has largely gotten us to where we are today.

Once upon a time, there was only one accepted way to judge the worthiness of either an investment or a friendship; you needed to see its performance over time. Remember the adage ‘through thick and thin?" Well, I am of an age where I can still remember John Houseman grousing "...you earn it," speaking of the way Smith Barney made money for you. However, he could have been talking about trust of any kind,

We are currently looking for people to punish over the near economic collapse of the world's financial system. But in the words of an old saw "I have met the enemy and it is me."

I can't tell you how many times I have heard people ask (as their first question) "are you a Republican or a Democrat?"  It's as if the answer to that question would somehow reveal whether you are to be trusted or not as an individual. Alternatively, have you or anyone close to you ever uttered the words "I'm sorry, I don't pay much attention to politics?" We like our answers to be neat and simple, but are somehow angered now that the simple answers from the smooth talkers have led us astray.

This generation has embraced cheap and quick as a replacement for dependable and steady. Allowing a person or a company to earn anything over time (to give us time to make an adequate judgment) is, well, work. Whichever investment you are talking about (interpersonal or financial), we would have to wait longer and get less upfront. No, all we need is what we need at this moment. Novels take too long to unfold. So, we just TiVo our TV and watch a drama and the network news together in less than an hour.

Friendships, likewise, are work; better to have numerous acquaintances. They offer variety at virtually no expense.

The political side of this works the same way. Never mind that both parties have had their share of transcendent, great people or, sadly, crooks through the years. Never mind that a different party has been running things (corruptly and with a stranglehold) here in Massachusetts than in Washington (where things haven't exactly run splendidly either). Parties are a handy way of making an instant judgment without any effort needed to get to know the person running. Problem is, shorthand ideology tells you nothing about character or trust. Those are earned over time. And, did I mention, we don't have time for that?

So, we have developed techniques to allow us to minimize any downside to our shallowness. We hedge our "friendships" like we hedge our money. I find people with whom I have worked (and come to trust) over many years falling under this spell. How many times have you seen an important person (often a politician) showing up at a charitable event just for the photo opportunity? And how often have they received more attention and credibility than the organizers or the folks who have labored throughout the years for that charity? Even they have come to accept this phenomenon. After all, we wouldn't want to upset our celebrity "friend", would we? Indeed, from the picture, it looks like they directed the event. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? That all this turns out to be wrong is a tribute to the "me" generation.

It's like we believe can always count on the dependable, but we don't want to miss out on the glitzy. And we believe we can have them both (more or less like those risky investments we loved and then "hedged" to avoid any risk - that sure turned out well, huh?). But what would happen if the dependable were to go away only to be replaced by the shallow; the dependable pushed aside in favor of the empty suited celebrities?  

You know what happened to your investments in the former case. Now we are about to see how the latter group handles something that requires some attention. You know the ones; the people who look fabulous and say the right things; the ones who have never actually accomplished anything but have managed to take credit for the hard work of others. Indeed, we are about to find out, because I see very few real accomplished leaders (whether in politics or business) out there.

Of course, if you are one of the few who actually managed to read all the way to this point, you already knew that.

4 comments »

Vote or Stop Complaining!

You'll get what you vote for next Tuesday

On the corruption arrest of State Senator Dianne Wilkerson,
the Boston Globe reported on October 29, 2008:

"The alleged bribes, recorded by a witness cooperating with the FBI and undercover agents posing as businessmen, carry potential penalties of up to 40 years in prison and $250,000 in fines and seem likely to deal a death blow to Wilkerson's political career."

"But they also opened a window on an ugly side of city and state politics, one in which leaders such as Senate President Therese Murray, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and the chairman of the state-appointed Boston Licensing Board, Daniel F. Pokaski, seemed willing to engage in back-room dealing. According to the affidavit, Wilkerson described the public process for issuing liquor licenses in Boston as merely "smoke and mirrors."

On a multitude of ethics charges (and investigations) concerning Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi (including Representatives "voting" while not in attendance - or even out of the country - in his plain sight), the Boston Herald said on July 30, 2008:

"DiMasi, facing a slew of ethics complaints and plagued with persistent rumors of imminent departure, personally called both Rep. Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Rep. John H. Rogers (D- Norwood) in the past three days asking them to cease lining up support and focus on the end of the legislative session ahead... (Note: this didn't include homeowners' insurance reform)?"

"While speculation swirls about DiMasi's future, he's made no recent disclosures to ethics officials about job negotiations, and sources close to the Speaker say nothing is in the pipeline."

On Dealing with House Leadership, State Representative Sarah Peake was reported by the Cape Cod Chronicle on October 23, 2008:

 "Peake said she is proud to have built alliances with Beacon Hill power brokers, but she has also shown she is willing to oppose them when doing so is in the best interest of the district."

Peake's votes, compared to adjacent district Rep Cleon Turner, coincided with the Speaker over 90% of the time. She has extensively engaged PAC's in her run against Shirley Gomes as well as against Aaron Maloy (over the past two years, according to OCPF, she has given to, or gotten money from, 57 PAC's, lobbyists and incumbents). Nearly 40% of her raised money (at the primary date) came from out of district. Given direct campaign activity from PAC's (including, the MTA, the MNA and those you may choose to look up on followthemoney.org, the true value of her campaigns is about $100,000 per.

HOW MUCH IS YOUR VOTE WORTH?

With 141 Democrats out of 160 serving in the State House of Representatives, most decisions are made behind closed doors out of public view. As if this is not enough, Peake voted to keep committee votes off the internet for the public to see. You can check on prior postings to see how hard even open session votes are to track.

One wants to change the system, the other believes being part of it is the path to advancement

I have heard everyone complain about "Big Dig" overruns lining cronies' pockets and how legislators don't listen to the will of the people.

YOU HAVE A CHANCE ON TUESDAY TO START TO CHANGE THIS.

Your choice on November 4^th is not pitting a "green newcomer" against a "smart" incumbent. Quite the opposite.

How often do you get a chance to really change the system?

Please vote for Don Howell on Nov. 4^th, or stop your complaining!

21 comments »

We Face Some Tough Times Ahead

It's no secret, people are hurting. Cape home foreclosures are up. People are raiding their change jars to make ends meet. Churches are reporting unprecedented requests from folks who need assistance; and all this without the first home heating bill being due! These are shaping up to be tough times all across the state. So you need someone on Beacon Hill who has the experience to deal with these issues and who is willing to be in your corner.

My wife and I have always tried to give our kids real values. Among them was to take responsibility for themselves and the world around them. We also taught them to respect and work with others in order to achieve results. They have seen me devote nearly two decades of my life here working with many groups - ranging from the arts community to environmental groups; housing to senior and youth advocacy groups - sharing the knowledge I gained at Fordham University and my course work at the London School of Economics.

In fact, as a former senior program manager in the Federal Government (during the last 8 of my 17 years employed there), I brought my program from $3 million in sales to $26 million in sales in just 5 years - that's about the size of a small town's annual budget. All of that came in very handy as I served my town on the Planning Board, the Water Quality Management Task Force and as a 6 year Selectman (two as its chair). And my peers across the Cape relied on me, electing me the President of the Cape Cod Selectmen's and Councilors Association.

By contrast, as our economic woes have risen, my opponent has been going from party to party raising money for this race and her future congressional ambitions. Boston Mayor Menino came to Truro to be with Rep. Peake. House Speaker Sal DiMasi hosted a lavish Truro fundraiser for his "friend". And a single powerful PAC held not one, but two fundraisers for her in Provincetown in little more than a month. So why, after two years, did we "run out of time" to pass any Homeowners Insurance Reform to give you back some money in your pocket? We were asked to trust Rep Peake when she promised us two years ago that insurance reform would be her 1^st priority. We have nothing to show for it, except her promise that reform will once again be her 1^st priority, if you elect her again.

I'm not sure whose voice your current Rep is listening to, but it's not yours!

I'm just an average guy looking for real change for the people of Harwich, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown.

We moved to the Cape and left our careers so that we could raise our family in this community. The journey included adding to the family by fostering and adopting. My wife, Pam, works at Cape Cod Hospital as an RN while I ran a small business here for 11 years. Like many of you, we've struggled with paying student loans. We have seen our gas and oil bills soar.  And like many of you, we continue to pay our mortgage and skyrocketing homeowner's insurance bills (not to mention utilities bills). Whether you are just starting out or are retired on a fixed income, this election is about you. Simply put, I share your concerns because I live with them, too.

I am the only candidate running for any state office advocating term limits. That's real change! And I'm proud to have received the endorsement of a respected small business organization many Cape Codders belong to; the NFIB (the National Federation of Independent Business). By contrast, my opponent received a dismal rating by both the NFIB and the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) given on their 2007-2008 legislative scorecards. She doesn't seem to understand the concerns of working people.

As a Governor's appointee to the Local Government Advisory Commission, I fought on behalf of local Republicans and Democrats to get back the lottery money that the state took from us in its last fiscal crisis. My opponent voted this past year not to return $450 million of that money (your money) to our towns. My town could have used that money and I'll bet yours could have, too. For that matter, you would have had more money in your pocket to pay your bills if the income tax rate had been lowered to 5%, as we voted at the ballot box. I support that rollback immediately. Our current Representative continues to ignore your voice on that, too.

You are never going to see results until people are held accountable. During my years as a Selectman, I made sure for the first time that all budget meetings with schools, police and fire were televised so that everyone could see them at home (it wasn't my money I was spending). My opponent, on the other hand, voted against having her votes in committees being posted on the internet. She told a constituent "...all my votes are public... all you have to do is go to Boston to find out..." By the way, try going to the state site to find out any vote. All you'll need is the date it passed. If you don't know it, you're out of luck; there's no other way to search - unless, ofcourse, you are a legislator. They use their own internal system; one the public cannot access. What are these people trying to hide?

So join me in restoring an honest, balanced two-party system to the State House; one that carries your voice to Beacon Hill - not that of the Mayor of Boston or a House Speaker who has served 30 years in office.

My wide ranging experience - especially in finances - will help Beacon Hill make wise choices during the difficult times ahead. I won't need to rely on the recommendations provided by an aging career leadership. I can also make a promise that will be kept; your well being will be my only guide.

Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can make our government work for us again!

Please vote for me on November 4^th.

4 comments »

Small Business Organization Endorses Howell

Harwich, MA --  In a statement released Thursday September 11, 2008, the National Federation of Independent Business Massachusetts (NFIB) SAFE Trust Pac endorsed the candidacy of Don Howell in his bid for Representative in the 4th Barnstable District. Bill Vernon, NFIB State Director thanked Howell for his “…commitment to the needs of tens of thousands of Main Street small businesses…”

The NFIB was founded in 1943 as a nonprofit voice of small business to give small business owners a way to shape public policy through a unique members-only ballot process. Their stated mission is to “…promote and protect the rights of members to own, operate and grow their businesses.” Vernon also went on to thank Howell for “…standing with us on the issues important to small business.”

Howell, who is attempting to unseat freshman legislator Sarah Peake in the November 4th election, said he was “…grateful to receive the NFIB endorsement.” Noting that there are many struggling small business owners in the district, Howell went on to say “I owned a small seasonal business for more than a decade on the Cape, so I know how hard it is to make ends meet and provide for your family.”

The NFIB small business endorsement came on the heals of a dismal score of 38% for Sarah Peake given by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) on their 2007-2008 legislative scorecard. On their website, AIM states that it “… releases its Scorecard at the end of each two-year legislative session to ensure that members know legislators' records on key economic and public policy issues, and to recognize those lawmakers who understand the importance of a vibrant economy for all residents.”

Howell went on to note “we have a lot of problems which need to be addressed, including education, the environment, and housing. But all these problems will require money – taxpayer money. On the Lower Cape, most of us are small business people trying to raise a family. Someone needs to pay attention to those families for us to succeed together.”

1 comment »

If My House Were Built In 1913, Would You Care About It, Too?

In the last two postings, I have discussed the lack of representation which comes from the comfort zone created by spectacular money and influence exerted by PAC’s (who only care about government insofar as it can advance their narrow one area of concern – the one the PAC was created for) and the warm feeling you get from having 141 members out of 160 coming from the same party. In the case of the latter, the party line is the same; “those other guys can hold their caucus in a phone booth; if you want any real influence on Beacon Hill, we’ve got the numbers to get it done!” O.K., so what have they done?

One obvious flaw in the logic of “one party rule rules, man” is that nothing that goes on in the party caucus is subject to any public scrutiny. You see, a caucus is not part of the government process, no need for open meetings; the caucus is just to thrash out our party’s position. Yet, with numbers so compelling (nearly 90% of the total), anything that can get agreed upon in the caucus will become the outcome once the legislative session convenes, no matter how public the legislative discussion is. Heck, once the good folks who constitute the leadership get a head count, you can even be allowed to play to the crowd; the folks back home. If you knew something would be passed or blocked from a caucus head count, you could take a conscience vote, knowing the leadership still got its way with the ultimate outcome. Wow, could that really happen, you ask yourself? How would you know, I say!

Let’s take a look at this dance in a practical situation (please note - this will, of course, be totally fictional, as I never got inside the caucus, did you?). My opponent made a lot of promises on the way to office two years ago. The first one – just email me and I’ll email you back because I’m so open – went by the boards pretty quickly. Indeed, I’ve knocked on the doors of some folks who actually believed that stuff (who phoned her office or emailed). Many are still waiting for their response. Guess they weren’t towing the party line, or something.

Moving along, she made it pretty clear what her social agenda was all about; gay marriage. Now, as a matter of civil rights, I don’t really like the government butting into people’s private business. So, if this was about equality, I was for it.  But, if it's about superiority or control, then count me out. Any way, one would have thought that we’d have moved on to the other pressing problems of the day. Remember, we have all three braches of government under the control of one party; the agenda – if anyone was really serious – could have sped along like a rocket ship. Yet, a lot of the legislative clock (coming down to the wire) was given over to the 1913 Marriage Law repeal and Trans-gender rights hearings. Too bad Homeowner’s Insurance Reform wasn’t as important. I guess that’s what happens when our political parties get intoxicated with social reform (i.e. now that we are in, we can control those other guys). Just so no one feels me partisan, both parties are guilty of this.

Unfortunately, even as our current Rep – Our Voice – feigned interest in insurance reform (though we’ll never know for sure; see above for that discussion), nothing passed. What was Our Voice thinking? Maybe something like: “…calm down, it’s only been a mess for four or five years, there’s really no rush for this. So people are paying more for their Cape Cod homeowner’s insurance than they pay for their property taxes. So what? So more wind damage payouts occur in the Worcester area of the state than on the Cape. So what?” Well, good data (modeling that we could pay for and use) might reveal that fact. But ahhhh, that data might p…s off her caucus brethren from Worcester! Better to just say she cares to the folks back home; the public won’t know what she said in a caucus anyway.

The point is, the 1913 Law was repealed (and Sarah was very proud that it did so with no legislative discussion according to her interview in the Provincetown Banner), but nothing happened in the area of homeowner’s insurance reform for yet another session. Good thing none of her constituents live in a home!

Again, if you want government to get back to listening to you, you need real reform. If I get elected, I can assure you the insurance mess would not be just a hobby for me. Moreover, I would file an 8 year term limit bill in every session; I would encourage a ballot initiative (if anyone in the legislature would pay attention to your vote); and I would leave after 8 years – not for higher office as is rumored about my opponent – but just leave. I did that when I was a Selectman. I thought the honorable thing to do was run for one office at a time and not promise people in my town that, if elected, I would serve out my term, even as I was running for State Rep. My opponent made that promise in her last run for Provincetown Selectman, but left one year later with two years remaining in her term. Hmmmmmm, can we trust her?

6 comments »

Whose Voice Is It?

A few years back, as a Selectman, I was at a meeting about chapter 70 (school) aid. Joining other local government leaders, were a few Cape State Representatives. One of them (from another district and party) was a guy I have come to know as a decent, caring person who only wants to help. So imagine how shocked I was (really!) when he was asked about the prospects for increased aid in the session. He said that he, personally, was all for that, but he had to wait for the leadership to tell him what his position was. Wow. This came from a guy who has established something of a reputation for splitting with the leadership on issues, as a matter of conscience.

Recently, I saw a car with an aging Sarah Peake bumper sticker on it stating she was “your voice.” I have always wondered about politicians who represent “you” or “us,” because it always begs the question, which one of “us?”

Well, aside from the fact that I had never seen Sarah at midnight walkathons (much less organize them) or walk in the blazing sun for affordable housing (much less build affordable housing), I started checking around to see just who “you” are.

The first thing I learned was that it was mighty hard to learn anything. You see, my opponent wasn’t just spewing out smoke when she said this past spring she was really close to the leadership; she actually went along with killing your ability to look up legislative votes on the internet. I ran across a constituent who had taken the time to go to Orleans Town Hall to ask her why she voted to keep these votes from “us” (as opposed to “you”) – to the extent that any role call votes are actually allowed by leadership, of course. Without blinking, she told him that all her votes were public; all “you” needed to do was drive on up to Boston, and they’d all be there for “you” to see. Given the recent scandal over legislators “voting” without actually being there, it was probably a good move (especially for the leadership buddies of Sarah who had turned a blind eye to the practice as it was performed right out in the open - not once, but numerous times).

Another constituent (a Realtor) tried to meet with Sarah on Beacon Hill to discuss the rooms’ tax bill (probably having gotten the message that Beacon Hill is where the openness occurs). Now, part of the bill is a good idea; why let condos get away with charging no tax even as the motels right beside them (organized just a little differently under the law) have to? He wanted to bring the message that a lot of the Lower Cape homeowners (also covered by the bill) moved out of their own houses each summer and rented them (some staying in Nickerson State Park or friend’s houses) in order to make money to pay their mortgages through the winter. The honest ones (most, I’ll bet), paid Federal and State income taxes on the money already.

Now, I was five years ahead of Sarah back in the same high school in a very, very affluent community (the “richest square mile in the United States on a per capita basis” as it was proclaimed by a publication of the day). Difference is, I was a tuition student from “over the tracks” with both parents holding down two jobs to do it.  So with the folks she is familiar with, I guess she saw no problem. I mean, who rents a $5 million house out by the week anyway? So how could this affect any of the “average” folks?

I guess we’ll never know; she dismissed him by saying that he’d be wasting his time talking to her as she was one of the bill’s sponsors.

Yet, over the summer, she did manage to spend quality time with some of “you.” Sal DiMasi, Speaker of the House (and, by her own account, a good friend) hosted a high priced fundraiser on Vineyard Haven. A little later, Boston Mayor Tom Menino (part of “you” from off Cape) was with her in Truro. A large number of out of state “you’s” have held giant PAC fundraisers for her in Provincetown, perhaps believing I’m some sort of threat to the cause, if elected.

So, with all this in mind the rest of “you” can look forward to a discussion in the next few weeks about what “your voice” has been up to, as well as what I have done – and want to do – for you.

5 comments »

There isn't a night goes by that I don't worry about losing my home

Well, it has been a while. These past two years, I wanted to hang back and re-devote my time to the things that mattered to me. But a funny thing happened to me along the way; the more I talked to people, the more it seemed that they thought that no one cared anymore about “the little guy.” Perhaps the most heart-wrenching comment came from a fellow Lower Cape year round resident; “…there isn’t a night goes by that I don’t worry about losing my home.”

With 141 Democrat Reps out of 160, a hugely Democratic State Senate, and a Democratic governor, you’d think that solutions would be flying through the state legislature as fast as they could be laid down onto paper.

The signs are all around us; small business people complaining about how bad this summer was for them; kids taking off for destinations unknown in search of better opportunities (and a chance to hold on to more of what they make); crushing bills for gasoline; the kids’ college tuition bills arriving in the mail almost daily; the reality of just what “universal healthcare” meant when we went to file our state taxes this year.

With 141 Democrats in the State House of Representatives (out of 160), a hugely Democratic State Senate, and a Democratic governor, you’d think that solutions would be flying through the state legislature as fast as they could be laid down onto paper. But that’s not happening. So, I pondered what to do. I finally decided that somebody needed to take on the tough issues of the day; that your representative needed to do more than merely show up in the “right places.” I felt strongly that your State Representative needed to be representative of you.

I understand how hard it is to raise a family here (with a mortgage to pay, tuition loans building, insurance to pay and a heating tank looming ominously to fill), because I have a family.  I understand the totality of the health care problems we all face (personally, as a chronic Lyme Disease sufferer, but also as the husband of an RN and from the dollars and cents perspective of the business side). I empathize with the plight of the Cape Cod small business owner as I owned such a business for many years (it seemed sometimes that the only employee who didn’t get paid reliably was me). As a former dancer, musician and actor (dancing with the Kirov Ballet as a 14 year old in the Metropolitan Opera House and Madison Square Garden, having my own band for 25 years and acting at the Junior Theatre and Chatham Drama Guild for many years) and as a former and current executive of those local theaters, I know just how important the arts are to the Cape. Oh, and by the way, they’re not just wonderful to go see, but they are increasingly becoming a major engine driving tourism dollars. I know what kids are thinking and doing, because I work with kids. And I understand the problems involved with affordable housing because I have continued to work with other people who actually build and rent affordable housing.

I know this is already sounding long-winded, so I’ll end with a promise; to examine in future blogs what is going on here in the 4th Barnstable District and, just as important, what my opponent and I have been up to during the past two years. And, as always, I really do want to hear what’s on your mind!

9 comments »

NCL Cruises: Freestyle or Free-For-All?

 
The Mexican Cruise from Hell
A terrible waste of $5,000

ell, it has finally begun to feel like winter. “What a great time for a cruise!” Just make sure it’s the right one.

My wife and I recently took our fourth cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines, this one a twelve day voyage to the Western Caribbean aboard the Norwegian Dawn. We spent nearly $4,000.00 USD on just the tickets for the so-called mini suite (Stateroom 11070), but you can expect to pay hundreds (if not thousands) more. Experienced travelers know that the gratuities are not included in the ticket price but are added to your account once on board. Moreover, any alcoholic beverages must be purchased onboard, as passengers and their luggage are thoroughly screened for a “personal stash.” In fact, anything other than water or iced tea will cost you. All excursions are also extra and can range from approximately $25 USD per person to nearly $100 per person.  In all, we spent over $5,000.00 USD with NCL on this trip!

As Latitudes (frequent sailing) members, my wife and I knew all of this and were prepared for another wonderful adventure. Boy, were we wrong.

We had previously booked passage in suites for a number of reasons. First, the cabins are much roomier. Also, such accommodations come with much greater personal attention (a concierge and a butler are assigned to a limited number of guests to meet dining and excursion planning) and room amenities (a real bath, a dvd player, and a spacious balcony, to name a few). Finally, it may cost more, but you get priority boarding and departure throughout the trip from the first day to the day of departure.

Being a long-time client meant nothing to NCL

Our first hint that something was amiss came upon check-in. We arrived in New York by car on the late side, but we had always previously whisked through the priority line. At the dock we were instead directed to the general line. Concerned, we went immediately to our “mini suite” to check it out.

As a note, we had made all arrangements directly with NCL by phone in response to a direct email offer sent to frequent guests. Yet the cabin was not like our previous accommodations. There was no note card from the butler informing us of how to get a hold of him. Indeed, there was to be no butler or most other special privileges we had paid more to get. Worse, there was no DVD player – not a small problem as my wife had a college paper to write based on a dvd which she was going to view on board. And the ship was fully booked.

I accompanied my wife (who was visibly distressed and in tears by now) to the reception desk. There, we got a real taste of NCL customer support. I said that there had to be a mistake as I had specifically asked about the level of service twice – once at booking and once at final payment. Three times, the clerk tried to lay off the problem onto a travel agent (“who was your agent”). Three times, I told her I booked directly with NCL. When I said that our room did not have a butler or a dvd player, I was told that was because our room did not come with a butler or a dvd player. As I continued to press, she went and retrieved the assistant desk manager, Aya Evangelista. She also asked for our travel agent, repeated the obvious (“your room doesn’t have those things”), and told us that there was no record of any conversations with NCL. Standing in the lobby of a ship in NYC, she then asked me if I had my notes from these telephone calls available.

And no one gave a damn 

At no time did anyone try to offer any solution. In fact, we were told that the ship had no dvd player available for us to use. And it got worse. We had a need to get off the ship upon return to NYC so that my wife could take her final exam that evening. We were told that this would not be possible. Ms. Evangelista did, however, offer to look into the problem and get back to us. That was the last time we ever heard from her.

But this did give us the opportunity to really see how unfettered Freestyle Cruising really worked; you know, without a butler to run interference for you. On a trivial note, while these cabins did come with a concierge, she is the only one for all such cabins (we never saw or heard from her, either, after the first day). Dinner reservations and excursion tickets were actually obtained faster by us directly as opposed to going through her. But that was about the only thing that the word fast could be associated with.

A half hour wait in line for breakfast 

Most times, dinner at any of the three main dining rooms meant waiting on a line for upwards to a half hour (the same was true for breakfast on shore excursion days). There was no crowd control, so pushing and line cutting were commonplace. Nor were the hours as posted or even regular. For several days we waited at the end of a long line for 15 minutes to be seated for breakfast at 9:30 AM. The next day we went to the dining room at 9:15 AM and it was closing. The woman pointed to the hours at the door and said they always closed at 9:00 AM. Go figure.

Ports of call represented a special treat. Most times, we were only in a particular port for about six hours. In many ports (notably Belize, the Grand Caymans and those in Mexico), no one had informed us prior to the sailing that we would not actually dock, but would use tender ships to get ashore. Unless you had special accommodations which afforded you pre-boarding rights (see above) or you had paid extra for an excursion, you needed to get on a long line early in the morning in order to get a tender ticket. There was no special order to the process; if you had a $400.00 USD per person inside cabin you could beat out your pricier brethren, you just needed to send down one representative from your party early to get the tickets. As we found out, if you do not do this, your wait to get ashore would be well over two hours beyond the commencement of disembarkation (for a six hour port call). But here again, you folks who believe that vacationing is a demonstration of the survival of the fittest can simply jump the line during the chaos! Lots of others did. But don’t get me wrong; going to shore this way did have its rewards. As the tender approached, you got to see the truly breathtaking site of all those other cruise ships (from those other lines) berthed dockside, where their passengers could walk ashore. We even got to take pictures of them!

By the by, getting back to the ship on the tenders was an even bigger disaster. I don’t run a cruise line, but even I figured most people would wait as long as possible to go back from the short stay. Indeed, people who were on local excursions were programmed to do so. But the same number of tenders continued to play tag team back and forth, as they had all day. Each time was a mob scene, commencing an hour or so before scheduled departure. And it was truly democratic; this time, even if you booked the expensive cabins it did not help you. Nor were the handicapped spared. They got to wait on the same long line and many were visually showing the strain. And here’s a news bulletin, it was hot in the Caribbean sun. Naturally, NCL had all this covered; they set up a tent near the tender, so that if you made it that far, you could avoid dehydration with the water they provided. They just never made you aware of it until you got there.

And then things started disappearing 

About four days before we were to return to NYC our left side mattress cover disappeared (the “king size” beds are actually two twins pushed together and which periodically drifted back to twin status). My wife was sleeping on that side and did not mention it until after the cruise ended. She did mention, however, that she had very itchy small red bumps which began to appear at about the same time. We were told by NCL crew that these were bites from the beach critters on Honduras. More on this in a moment.

By the tenth day, the pro-forma invoice was slipped under our door during night for our review. That was probably the first time most people actually got to see their mandatory gratuities and “incidental expenses”. I expected those (and had kept track of them), but I never expected that my shipboard credit would not be posted. You see, in the original email, NCL had promised a $50.00 USD shipboard credit for booking under the offer. When I went to (the infamous) front office desk, Johnny Uy, who worked under the tutelage of the aforementioned Ms. Evangelista, first chastised me for “waiting so long” to question the missing credit. He then asked me to prove it since they had no record of it (they must send them all to the same training seminar). I pointed out that my records were at home but that NCL had made the offer in a promotional email in February so that HE should be able to verify this with the company. By the time I had walked back to our cabin, Mr. Uy had called my wife and given her an 800 phone number for NCL in Florida so that I could take it up with them. “800” phone calls were $5.00 USD per minute on ship, so I emailed the company (also at a cost) from the ship. I never received the promised credit.

The more you spend, the worse the service plus bed bugs 

Getting off the ship in New York was also an odd experience. They assigned departure times based on your cabin level. Incredibly, cheaper inside cabins were able to depart before us. I can understand that some individuals needed to make outgoing connections, but the tag colors were assigned by cabin level and later called by color. And lest you think this was some sort of reward, the ships amenities were buttoned up by then, so your options were to wait (hours, naturally) in your cabin watching TV or in a crowded lounge with the surging masses.

I promised to get back to my wife’s bug bites. Upon our return, a friend told us about a problem with bed bugs which was emerging on cruise ships (see here). My wife’s bites turned out to be from bed bugs! We are now paranoid that we may have uninvited guests in our house brought in with the luggage.

Never again 

The thing about this cruise is that none of it had to turn out this way. My wife and I have traveled extensively. We’ve stayed in budget locations with the kids and we’ve stayed in luxury hotels like the Plaza in New York. Usually staff is courteous and helpful at least on the surface. The pervasive attitude at the Dawn’s front desk was indifference if not outright hostility. And until this cruise, we never saw how the vast majority of average cruisers were treated. Freestyle cruising is just a way to cover over a total lack of organizational planning. It’s cheaper for the company, too. Perhaps this was best summed up by a shopkeeper in the Grand Caymans who heard the short version of all of this. He said our story was not at all atypical, saying, “…they (NCL) seem to make it up as they go along.” He went on to list several passenger favorite cruise lines. NCL was not on that list!

If this story is not enough to make you think twice about dumping five or six thousand dollars into an NCL “adventure,” ponder this, I never got any resolution from NCL – not even an apology or even my shipboard credit. The email I sent took six weeks for a response and it was this: come and spend more money with us on another cruise and we’ll give you a $200.00 USD shipboard credit for that cruise – but you’ll need to come within a year or it’s no deal. No word on whom I would turn to when I don’t get that one either.

Do some homework  

I urge you to do some diligence. Go on NCL’s website. There are email links for everything from wedding planning, groups, reservations etc. Where is the link for resolving problems? The answer is; there is none. That should be your first clue about how they might handle your problems. Google NCL cruise problems and see how many people have complained about NCL to the company itself (to no effect) and to various state attorneys general.

Indeed, $5,000.00 USD could buy you that dream vacation you have always wanted. So unless your idea of a vacation includes reenacting scenes from “Lord of the Flies”, being ignored (or even denigrated), and then being wooed to do it all again, don’t cruise on NCL. If you do go, get the smallest cabin that will fit your needs, as the service level will not go up even a bit unless you book the top cabins (and even then you’ll need to bring All your paperwork with you). And be prepared to wait, wait, and wait some more.

You’ll also need to be forewarned that the difference between Freestyle cruising and Free-For-All cruising is miniscule. You really are, as the company says, on your own when you Freestyle.

It’s just that my wife and I are not “itching” to go back on NCL again soon. Or ever.

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