November 14, 2011

Direct Air story in Telegram

Story in Telegram yesterday "Despite cancellations, Direct Air is here to stay".     There was mention of my over-under prediction of February 1st to which Ed Warneck commented “It’s no fun getting beat up with sticks like this.”

Mr Warneck I apologize dont mean to beat you up.   Truly hope that I am wrong and Direct Air flourishes at ORH but here is some constructive criticism:
 
  1. You need to have more people answering the phones.  I have gotten, at least, no lie 200 e-mails or phone calls from people complaining about behing on hold at least 30 minutes if not more.
  2. When planes are cancelled or delayed have better communciation, on both ends, explaining exactly what is happening and what people can expect.
  3. Seems to me that the quality and reliability of the planes has dropped considerably since leaving Virgin.  Direct Air needs to secure better quality and reliable planes.
  4. Family Ties simpply does not have enough available seats for people when they attempt to cash in a voucher.  More seats need to be allocated to Family Ties.
My opinion does not seem to be alone since the Better Business Bureau rates Direct Air has a D- rating receiving 75 complaints from Direct Air customers over the past year, and 136 complaints over the past three years.

12 comments:

Jahn said...

OT, but am I the only one who is concerned the city office of Econ Dev'ment seems to think it's of little consequence that TIF recipients only meet the contractually binding objective of constructing their new real estate and rarely (if ever?) meet their contractually binding NEW employment goals?

This is analogous to Worc Public schools cheating on MCAS and turning the other cheek. I.e. partial completion and/or 50%correct seems to get a passing grade in this town?

And some how it it is deemed an objective attained when the newly constructed "TIF" real estate eventually starts paying full RE taxes which taxes are already mandated by law? I mean come on?????????

I have to wonder what quid pro quos went down when Hanover Ins was granted a TIF. I mean Hanover aint exacly a small or medium size, struggling, locally owned business. Not to be blunt but I do not endorse any Phillies, TIFs, or DIFs.

And yesterdays T&G poll shows most voters think that TIFs indicate a business friendly community which of course begs the obvious question... what does a commercial tax rate that is 2.5x higher than the residential tax rate indicate? Color me confused.

After last Tuesdays elections and this poll, I have to really wonder about Worc and Worc area voters.

Jahn said...

Someone please give me a reason to be optimistic about Worc on tis Hump day.

Mayor Joe re: the cost of police for "Occupy" is part of the cost of free speech. Wonder what he'd say if a bunch or bikers, tea partiers, or anti-abortion folks occupied any Worc owned real estate or worse if it occured on private property.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE GOMER, it has been decided that the temporary closing of Downing St was successful and its looking like it will be permanent. aLL THSI AFTER THE CITY DECIded last November to hand over Downing St to Clark U as part of what I call a reverse Pilot payment deal, i.e. Worc taxpayers give to Clark U. vs Clark U. giving to Worc.

More Main South musical chairs with the so called closing of the PIP shelter. Hey there Paulie Boy, I see more SMOC based clientele for your Village of Piedmont. Time to install even more security cameras.

And on snoooty, uppaaah, outtaaa Burncoat St we now have a failing elementary school. Hey Burncoat, how's it feeel to attain inner city school status?

Todays Herald lists 10 cities/towns possibly vying for 1 of 4 (or is it 3) casino slots in MassHoleAchusetts. The 2nd largest city in New England and in Mass. is MIA on this list. C. of C. and Worc Econ dev'ment folks MIA, too? FWIW, I oppose all casinso anywhere...but we're going be havin' em why knot Worc?

Hey.....How about a high stakes Mass. casino game called Worc. Main South SMOC Monopoly. The objective will be to see how Many SMOC hotels you can place on your South Worcester real estate. Take a ride on the Piedmont Express. If you pass GO collect another 2 hotels.

Bill Randell said...

jahn

you are on a roll

Paulie's Point of View said...

rollling where tho.......aint hard doing commentary from Clancy's in Dennis.....I will be.doing some from Chatham all of next week........yah got any solutions Senor Pedro Jahn?

The triage center has worked well up at the hospital and with a.new state of the art building being built on the vacant land that members.of the Chandler.Street Business.Association pointed out....its a win......would.love to not have this stuff anywhere but it is a.reality.....there is a.beginning of.a medical center.in the middle.of the.city now.developing.....not.just one entity....this could the start of more.competing medical business up there...it brings jobs to the hood...lots of potential.....100 person law offices arent coming anywhere to the city anytime soon.......these.medical.centers.are.much more.managed and with better oversight.....the new building is.going.to include a.drivein courtyard......we have been.part.of.the discussions since the entire.brouhaha.....many meetings with city manager and our CSBS sub committee.......

This isnt a.McGovern issue this is real urban.core.shite.....and i think what is being done now is.being done.correctly....some.of.us in the CSBA will be.assisting the city with discussions around.the 12 month move

Jahn said...

Paulie, stay the hell outta the Chatham Squire, Brax, The 400 Club East, and the newest Land Ho (no Main South pun intended) j/k. I'd rather the commentary came from the Thirsty Scholar :).

Paulie, mi amigo you are developing what I call the Worc. New Building Personality Disorder. Its now even listed in DSM IV categories of personality disorders. New Schools will solve our education woes? NO! New office builidngs will solve our downtown problems. NO! New Community Reinvestment Act, CDC built, gubmint funded, $513,000, 1,110sq ft apts units will solve our alleged housing problem . NO!......and now a new triage bulding to house the latest re-incarnation of the PIP will solve our Pip problem and our substance abuse problems. NO!

SURELY YOU JEST! I gotta get you admitted to the Murphy Wing of Cambridge Hospital or McLean my dear Paulie boy if you think this new triage center is going to be something other than another PIA for the VIP.

Solutions you ask of me???....OK ....you dont put a drunk tank in Main South. You put it in Oakham, far from the demon rum or you put it in a nice dry town like Weston, Haaaaaaarvard, Swellesly or heaven forbid Chilmark. Even better put it on the Clark Campus and the pysch & sociology majors can use it as labratory.

And as far as growing more medical centers..............again I point to more new buildings not being the answer. In 1993 Worc was sold Medical city on the premise that another concrete bunker only 100 yards from the newly opened Worc Fashion Outlets (Bunker De Novo) was going to do wonders for Downtown. MMMM...not quite. Dittos for the The Kev O'S. biotech park. Sit at the lights some evening at 500pm at Belmont and Plantation and watch how many cars head due east when it's quitting time.

Worc already has too many eggs in the medical industry basket. Dittos for colleges, too. Obumacare could turn Worc into the Detriot of the medical industry and private higher education that costs 6% more year over year aint going to survive this downturn unscathed either.

Paulie, you say this isnt a McGovern issue. You gotta be freaking kidding me! Take a look at 48 Mason St if'n ya really want to see a McGovern issue......RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE!!!! My FRIEND DID you just have a Lefty Lucky before you typed the above piece?


Hey folks, i know it's EZ to criticize, but I been watching city of Worcester policy makers destroy this city for too G.D. f'ing long and I have lived through too many promises of a new Worc being just at the end of the rainbow only to see the rainbow disappear into the skyline.

I AM FROM MISSOURI.

Jahn said...

Also meant to say that I cant wait to check Mass land records when this Dudley St deal goes through and both of you know what I am driving at....and the T&G reports this morning the Triage center is going on land where houses used to sit and/or were razed by the city.

As Paulie Harvey used to say ............and now for the rest of the story.

And BTW, did Sundays T&G story on TIF's get its genesis from this blog?

And now what happens to the MLK Center........a building, that per the city treasures website, doesnt seem to have made any payments of any kind made to the city since about April, 2000. How can there be apparently be no water/sewerage billed at this address. There must be an explanantion that i can not think of?

David Z. said...

Paul,

Great news about the new construction in the middle of the urban core and the beginnings of a medical center. This is the type of development that will benefit the surrounding area.

I can remember the days before City Hospital was closed and all the activity in that area from a major medical facility. I often wonder what the VOP would be like today if City Hospital had never closed.

The new construction will be a great beginning to bring some of that activity back to the hood.

Paulie's Point of View said...

You are the only one Senor Pedro Jahn who has for to long witnessed Woo being mismanaged....but you are part of the thousands who have no game when it comes to making the change.....no lefty luckys for me. I have sushi chefs from Baba Sushi moving into the units at the Azel Howard Drake House....my other residential units all have good working tenants....all.paying market rate rents....quality housing the reason...if we go on your premise of change we shouldnt be doing anything....just wait for the sky to open and the middle.class to tumble back down......offer up a contrary plan and we can debate but to be quite honest ya just soind.like a toned.down Wee Will Wo Wo....smartah than everyone else but really got.no game

Paulie's Point of View said...

Senor Pedro Jahn......i hosted my first running event in 1992 from an ole Wintah Hill bar.....people.thought i was.fookin' nuts.....62 ran.....about a half hour ago I just closed down registration on the somerville jingle bell run wjth 7000 registered......one of the biggest running events in the country.....you can sit at the end of the bar at Clancy's and tell everyone about the ole days and what wont work.....i prefer to bang it out with the folks you complain about to see what can happen:)

Jahn said...

Hey in todays T&G CM Mike Obrien really hits it right out of the park with his stance on Occupiers. If ya read between the lines its basically FO !!!!!!!!!! .....zero special treatement for Joe Obriens associates :)

ATTA BOY MICHAEL

And of course the usual attention whore(s) CCs are trying to question Mike on this issue. Great job he did of just delegating it to city law dept to explain to the Occupiers what the law says re Parks, sidewalks, etc.

I just wish the city would unblock some of our sidewalks from the vegetation and trees that are hanging over some of the sidewalks. Betcha the sidewalks in the Dudley St area will always be pristine and easily walkable.............lest a PIP person trip and fall on a less than passable sidewalk and then have to dime up Sokolove

Jahn said...

Paulie, not sure if you may have left out the word NOT in your 1st sentence? Just trying to make sure I understand your intent in that first line. Of course I never have any typos.

I have done things simlar to some of your ventures, but I never did them with intent of affecting change. Frankly I did them to make me some change :)

I am done with adding any new ventures (affecting change?)or offering up contrary plans. I will stay where I am at right now, continue to do my little thing, and let some other folks affect change. I had a "game", and I am still active with it but I am now beyond dealing with regulators, bureaucrats, politicians, neighborhood idiots, and the like. A city that has one set of rules for itself, another set for its favored players, and third set for everyone else can go pound sand as far as I am concerned.

Myself and many others in Worc. have been down the aisle too darn many times and the New Downtown Bride never shows up at altar. How many times do those of us who have been here more than 3x times longer than you have have to go through the drama, the trauma, and then the subsequent rehab when the New Downtown never shows up?

I think what you folks are doing in the VOP is great. That VOP/Chandler corridor has shown some positive change, but I mean it's like shovleing ++++ against the tide given the demographic to be dealt with there.

I have never been down the road of being a promoter. We each have expertise in certain businesses. I'll leave it to those who are smartaaah than me in that space. Any chance I can come to Somerville and Jingle My Bells being number 7001. I can still do 4 miles, 5 if I had to, but 4 is my usualy workout....but I am Jahn Dough, not John Rogers........so that means no 4 minute miles :)

And the last time I was in Clancys was opposite the Mill Hill club. And check Jake Rooney's. I heard Morgan may be playing there Sunday nights even during the off season...which i kinda find hard to believe. Ask him how that one hour documentary on the Cape Cod Happy Hours is coming along :)

Jahn said...

So here's what I mean about Worcesters New Building Personality Disorder (NBPD).

I been stuck waiting in lines all morning on TGIF so I grabbed Womag and Rosalies dead trees and read quite bit this morning.

In City Times has short piece on the new North High. According to what In City Times states in a caption, a N High official stated and I quote from In City Times: .... again this is a quote (a caption) from In City Times

".....stated this 21st century building will deliver a high quality of students to the community".

Again new buildings of any kind will not change anyones performance or habits, be it drunks not drinkin, Stoners not inhaling, NO income tenants being anything but continued NO income tenants, or new buildings making students learn.

This is a preposterous statement that a new building will deliver high quality students. Any wonder why the kids aint learnin' nuttin'? What happens when these high quality students are not delivered? Does the building then get blamed and we just raze a 30 year old building and erect a new one with similar hopes.

Ya know a couple of decades ago the school dept started re-naming elementary schools and Burncoat St Elementary school was re named Burncoat Prep. Dare I ask how thats working out.

Hey I used drive a trailer truck in a younger day. I'd kook up to a trailer at the Mass pike tandem trailer area at the Weston toll plaza and drop it in Rochester NY. Make a U turn and Then hook up to another 45 ft box and head back due east. And I'll be god dammed if I am was going to be a called a truck driver back then. Check the census back then. I was listed as a Trailer Relocation Specialist. My point being what the hell is in a name, a title, or or a new building. All too often these things are just facades to cover up reality. As I end this piece the guy on the radio is talking about Revenue Enhancement outta Washington.....another masquarade.

And a gud weakend two awl :)