The government wants to send a social worker to our neck of the woods. And the social worker wants to come. It is now known that we have a large ‘cohort’ of old folks out here and many of them are poor or marginal in some sort of way (usually income, sometimes the little grey cells).
And, to be fair, some of them are in a bit of actual, real need.
But need is an odd word for these people. They have never been in need before and, in their own eyes, they aren’t now. Mind you, they are feeling their years quite a bit lately. So maybe a minor bit of need here and there, perhaps, on a bad day. But, by modern, whacked out urban, standards, they are wanting for everything and are now in desperate need.
Some of them aren’t even aware of their own dire situation.
And therein lies a bit of irony. Virtually no one has TV. Many do not have internet. Some do not have phone service. Many do not have good phone service. And so they do not even know how much they are lacking. Poor souls.
The social worker is jus’ gonna tell ’em, I guess.
She was going to arrive with the doctor on his monthly clinic. I always pick him up. It’s free to them. Community service. But the government would not allow her to travel the same way as the doctor. Apparently NOT safe enough. Government policy. The social worker was obliged to use a water taxi. Water taxis cost a minimum of $250.00 an hour. So her visit would cost thousands (the taxi sits and waits for her to see the poor people).
There is no public transport on the islands so the social worker would have to oblige the poor people to go to her. She’d sit in our little clinic (free to them) and do interviews, I guess. That would not help those who really are in actual need as getting into the clinic for a nice chat is way too much effort, time and gasoline.
Many would have to come by small boat. You know…? The same kind of small boat that is too dangerous for the social worker to use.
So, it is our government’s policy to pay this woman upwards of $100K a year which costs another $28K in benefits and another $75K in supervisors, rent, expenses and support staff. And her job is to help poor, old, marginal people who live a bit differently out in the remote boonies.
I spent half my working life in the helping professions and, to be blunt, they don’t work very well at the best of times and they cost too much. Even back then. But, in my time, we at least had a sense of ‘can-do’ and felt called to the mission. We earned little, worked hard and plied our trade on the ugly mean streets of Vancouver’s Downtown eastside. If you were good at your work, you were in danger at least weekly. You were also underpaid and unsupported. You did it anyway.
Not today. Now the dedicated social worker needs more structure, more rules, more regulation and can’t really do the real work that is needed WHERE it is needed.
I say all this because I wrote the supervisor who was following policy and pointed out that a good social worker needs to first establish rapport to have any kind of chance of helping people but street cred is earned by getting your hands dirty. It is a hard entry at the best of times. Showing up in a $250.00 an hour water taxi without a clue as to how to get about from that point will erode credibility and make her job harder. It is just not a good idea.
Generally speaking, I am not one to rant about the colossal waste of tax dollars so evident so much of the time. To do so is crazy-making. But this one hits close to the bone. That was my kind of work. This is my community. I still pay taxes and this is a waste of them. This is all ‘in my face’ and so I spoke up.
The supervisor thanked me for my input and is going to do it her way.
Sometimes Sal and I sit on the deck, drink wine and wonder if we didn’t get out far enough.
Our Off the Grid Home 
You hit a nerve here! Very well said! When we get to Manzanillo I’ll fill you in with my experience as an Indian Agent, back in the late ‘50s. Too much effort to scribe it here, but the same sort of thing. Apparently it’s required to have a long string of degrees to become a Social Worker, or Indian Agent!
No experience required!
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Manzanillo, eh? Hmmmm……. I still dream of further afield but Manz may suffice. I am looking forward to it. And I have a lot of stories to tell….
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And I have a lot of listening to hear…..
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As a needy, old islander, I say we boycott this travesty, and maybe it won’t be repeated. Or, we strike pre-emptively, and give clear notice that the locals won’t play.
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Well, I made it clear to our bureaucratic health expert that I ‘do not speak for the community’. I just speak for myself. But I spoke as one who knows all-too-well from experience that ‘You do not get a second chance to make a first impression.’ Most of my first impressions did not go all that well, I am afraid.
No, I would no suggest a boycott. The actual individual (social worker) is not (necessarily) the problem. It’s her job that is the problem. Her desire for a well-paid career at the expense of her humanity and common sense MIGHT BE an exacerbation but I am prepared to give her a chance. Mind you, her spine is definitely questionable.
Btw…you are old. You are an islander. But you are much less needy than most I know. You, my friend, are a pillar, a warrior, a mensch. You will endure. We’ll send help your way in maybe ten or so years. Probably 15.
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What makes a water taxi more safe than any other OTG boat? Maybe circumvent the system – social worker takes water taxi around the point, transfers to ‘cheaper’ boat. Who’s to know if said worker doesn’t tell.
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Oh, John! My Albertan, in-your-face, John. Love ya, dawg. You think like me. I am always looking for the ‘way around’ that next obstacle. Especially government obstacles. And, trust me, I have thought of a dozen ways….one or two might even be implemented. But first we have to see what this social worker is made of. If she is a dilettante princess focused on her new mortgage, no creativity will be required. She’s gone. If she is a real, sincere, human being carrying the degree and the label so as to facilitate her mission in life, we’ll quite quickly pave the way. We’ll help her. Step two is up to her.
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You know this is the kind of stuff that will make you talk to yourself about all the stupid inconsistencies in this world where Gov’t agencies think they are doing the right thing and trying to help when in fact they are doing the opposite!
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I know. It’s crazymaking. But for evil to be done, good people need only work for government.
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I guess chopping and stacking wood is not on her curriculum? That would really help some people in need! I hope she wants to do a good job and can be a real value to the community
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I don’t think OTG on Mars would be far enough to avoid “the bureaucracy”.
Their reason for existence is not you or the other “poor” souls.
It’s all about the paperwork.
Paperwork is their reason for being.
Years ago I was involved in building maintenance.
New company president rolled into town.
“From now on we will require monthly reports on EVERYTHING in the buildings.
Tenants moving in or out, rent arrears, vacancies, repairs, future upgrades, staff, security issues, janitorial issues, budgets, taxes, on and on an on.
These “reports” filled a 3 inch thick binder…every month.
And we oversaw 10 buildings.
10 binders were sent to Head Office in Ontario every month.
Stressed out staff KILLED themselves to get these monthly reports out.
I was always skeptical that the senior V.P. for western Canada read 10 binders from BC, 15 binders from Alberta, 10 from Manitoba and 8 from Sask. …..every month.
He was a lazy sack of cow dung.
So.
One month I tore a ten dollar bill in half and taped it at the “summation/conclusion” page of the binder ( the page that most lazy people flip to when they want to skip all the details and get to the results.)
I left a phone number and a note. “If you want the other half of the ten, call and I will mail it to you…….”
Nothing, Nada.
My boss freaked when several weeks later I told him what I had done.
Nothing, nada.
A few months later my boss came back from a trip to Head office and told us all to stop killing ourselves on the monthly binders.
Seems the senior VPO’s office was filled with unopened boxes from BC.
Long story short.
The VP would tick a box on his computer to say that he had “received our reports”. Nothing more.
And that was the private sector.
One can only imagine the organized stupidity in govt.
My prediction?
The social worker will travel to Read Island and upon returning to “civilization” , and after costing taxpayers upwards of $10,000 in travel and accommodation, write a report that no one will read, no one will care about and her supervisor will….tick a box.
Its the bureaucracy doing what it does best…..nothing.
.P.S. Wouldnt a float plane be cheaper?
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If you catch the ‘mail plane flight’ and ride it from start to finish, it is pretty reasonable. Interesting, too. But, if you need ‘dropping off’ and then ‘picking up’, it is very expensive. The water taxi is the same. If she came by way of the ‘milk run’ that services the lodges and such, then she can get here for maybe $100.00. But then they do not go back to pick you up. If you want both, then it is a ‘charter’ and it’s $250.00 per hour. My boat has been free to the doctor for over 6 years. Not even gas money. I have PFD’s, radio and over 50 years of experience.
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I hear ya.
Nothing but the best for our civil servants.
What they hope to achieve except tick off a box for “visiting remote residents” is anyone’s guess.
This heat wave is getting stronger.
How’s the water situation?
I’m flying East on Saturday.
Its been raining for weeks and the Sun came out yesterday.
The humidity in Halifax will make it feel like Bangkok.
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We’re very fortunate. It’s hot in the daytime, of course, but in the late evening a Bute flows out of the inlets and it gets really cool. Thick shirt kinda cool. That cooling wind stays with us until just before noon the next day. So the ‘hot’ part of the day is when you expect it and, because we are right on the ocean, there is still enough residual breeze for us to be comfortable. Usually. Not so much today. Pretty hot today. My neighbour needs a bit of help at his place and I have been over there working with him and it is at least 5 degrees C hotter and he is less than half a kilometer away. Water is still just trickling but the cisterns remain full. We are good. Starting to worry about the wine, tho. Last three bottles…..may have to go into town!!! ACKKKKKK!!!!!
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I think I’ll be praying for a cool breeze.
I just checked the temp in Halifax today.
28 deg cel with 90% humidity.
It feels like 37 celcius……
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Out of wine is as bad as being out of water! Switch to Scotch if needed!
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Out of wine is far worse than out of water, my reasoning is that wine is multi purpose. Its good for the soul, keeps us healthy, and breaks down into water that we can walk around the property and share with the plants. 😇
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