Theres an intrinsic value in doing the right thing at work. Some jobs afford more opportunities for helping people and correcting problems than other jobs do. That said, Ive seen a situation where individuals in a government office went above and beyond to correct a situation created by a minor error gone wild as it were. I want to call out the efforts of a woman named Karla Hoelscher, Executive Director of the Howard County, Texas Farm Service Association in Big Spring, TX (and her supervisor, whose name I do not know). My mother had been involved with her familys cotton farming business during her recent years in Texas (2003-09). It seems one page of one tax form went unsigned back during her move in 09 and that combined with subsequent lost mail during Moms return to Ohio grew into a major penalty and interest. We only discovered the existence of the situation when the latest letter was recognized by the mail carrier who knew Mom had moved back to Ohio years ago, and forwarded the letter to her brothers house nearby in Texas. (Sometimes it helps when everyone knows everyone.) My Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Larry, went and met with Ms. Hoelscher to explain the situation of my Moms move to Texas, and put me in touch with Ms. Hoelscher. She helped me file an appeal to the Howard County FSA, which approved and forwarded the case on to the Texas office... and then, when that first attempt was not approved, Ms. Hoelscher and her supervisor undertook to appeal that decision until the penalty and interest were waived. Thats a long description, but the point here is that Ms. Hoelscher and her supervisor recognized that the situation was abnormal, didnt involve intentional evasion of reporting nor payment, and the just thing here was to waive the penalties. To see that outcome through took extra work and persistence over the course of what has been about three months. I repeatedly told her Thank you on the phone today and asked that she pass along my gratitude to her supervisor as well... but I think that some degree of public acknowledgement of a job well done is in order here. I dont know if it will ever get to her or those she knows, but I hope it does.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:29:39 +0000
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